The Den will once again welcome fans back on Tuesday night which promises to provide a fantastic atmosphere as Millwall host Portsmouth in the EFL Cup.

The League One side will travel to London in order to battle the Lions with both teams trying to keep their cup dreams alive.

Match preview

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Millwall only had a short pre-season this summer, having just three games to get prepared for the new campaign, but it was one that brought plenty of confidence as Gary Rowett's side did not lose once.

The Lions picked up two victories and a draw as they readied themselves, scoring six goals and only conceding one in the process to showcase they are ready to once again be a strong outfit in the Championship.

Millwall began their season with a trip to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday in a game that saw the teams battle out to a draw with Jed Wallace's 11th-minute goal not proving to be enough to secure three points.

The London club finished mid-table last season in the Championship, which is something they will look to improve upon and with three home fixtures in a row, the Lions have the chance to build some real momentum with their fans behind them.

Millwall were able to make it to the third round of the EFL Cup last season, defeating Crawley Town and Cheltenham Town before being knocked out by Premier League outfit Burnley.

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However, that was one round further than their opponents managed as they were also knocked out by a Premier League side, with Portsmouth going through the first round via a penalty shootout victory against Stevenage before being defeated by Brighton & Hove Albion.

The League One outfit narrowly missed out on a playoff position last season, finishing in eighth place and they were far more dominant away from home, earning 12 victories in comparison to the nine they won at Fratton Park.

That is the type of form that Danny Cowley will want to continue and other than a defeat away at Queens Park Rangers, his team has put together a strong pre-season.

With two victories and draws following the loss, Portsmouth set themselves up nicely with plenty of confidence which was helped by the fact that the team found the back of the net 12 times in that period.

Pompey kickstarted their season well on Saturday with a 1-0 victory on the road against Fleetwood Town as Lee Brown's 60th-minute goal secured the three points.

Team News

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Millwall brought in plenty of new faces this summer, with Benik Afobe and George Saville having added experience to the side and they will once again be in contention to keep their places in the starting lineup.

There could also be the opportunity for George Long to make his first start for the club since signing for the Lions after his contract with Hull City came to an end last season.

Another of Rowett's new men Daniel Ballard will also likely retain his spot in the back three due to the injury Jake Cooper sustained during pre-season.

Portsmouth have brought in new faces of their own as well, and this cup tie could lead to an appearance from Gassan Ahadme who is on loan from Norwich City this season.

Connor Ogilvie is another new member of the squad for this season and he started at the weekend, as did another fresh face Kieron Freeman who will likely retain his place at right-back.

Millwall possible starting lineup:
Long; Hutchinson, Ballard, Wallace; Malone, Saville, Kieftenbeld, Evans, McNamara; Wallace, Afobe

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:
Bass; Freeman, Raggett, Robertson, Brown; Ogilvie, Tunnicliffe; Harness, Yahyai, Curtis; Marquis

We say: Millwall 2-1 Portsmouth

Portsmouth have a lot of confidence at the moment and in front of goal they have proven to be lethal, which is something that will provide a difficult test for Millwall.

However, with the Lions being backed by the fans once again and with a slight edge in terms of overall strength in depth, Rowett's squad should have enough to be in the pot for the next round.

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