Portsmouth 3-2 MK Dons - Dons are out of the FA Cup after defeat
Get the latest from the game
FA Cup - Portsmouth 3-2 MK Dons - LIVE
MK Dons team news
Liam Manning makes five changes to his side this afternoon to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup. It looks like a 4-3-3, with Watson in at right-back, a middle three of Devoy, Johnson and McEachran with Burns and Holland in support of Eisa.
Team: Cumming, Tucker, O’Hora, Watson, Harvie, McEachran, Johnson, Devoy, Holland, Burns, Eisa
Subs: Ravizzoli, Oyegoke, Jules, Lawrence, Robson, Barry, Grant, Grigg, Dennis
Pre-match stats ahead of kick-off
Portsmouth vs MK Dons - form, odds and stats
The details ahead of kick-off this afternoon at Fratton Park
How we think MK Dons could line-up this afternoon
How MK Dons could line-up to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup
MK Dons are likely to look significantly different to the way they lined-up on Tuesday night in the Papa John’s Trophy when they play Portsmouth on Saturday.
Manning on Portsmouth’s threat this afternoon
Liam Manning spoke about Pompey in the run-up to today’s game
Liam ManningIt's a tough place to go and a tough team to play against. And sometimes you forget how big a club it is. They've got a big history and a squad to match, which they've invested a lot in. They'll be tough to play against.
Everyone going into these games this weekend will want to go through and pull out one of the big sides. That's the beauty of the FA Cup, but at the same time we want to build on performances, build on the result we had on Tuesday and get back into rhythm and perform to get wins.
MK Dons - overachievers?!
After missing out on promotion last season, Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley suggested MK Dons had overachieved...
Danny CowleyIt was an outstanding season for them last term and they probably deserved to be promoted, but just came up short in the play-offs. When a team perhaps overachieves, they often lose some of their best players – with the likes of Scott Twine and Harry Darling moving to Championship clubs.
They’ve also had some key injuries to deal with, but some of them are starting to come back and you’re now seeing more consistency.
Back to a back three for MK Dons this afternoon?
After lining up with four at the back on Tuesday night, Liam Manning said the variaion on MK Dons’ formation is not one that is likely to become a mainstay, with the side expected to revert back to a three-man defence this afternoon at Fratton Park.
He explained: “I don't focus too much on formations because it's only really a starting structure, and especially in possession, the shape we try to create is the same whether it's a back four or a three. We gave it a try the other night, and the lads adapted and dealt with it quite well.
“I'm not saying we won't do it again throughout the year, but where we're at we need to give the lads a level of consistency. It's not right to keep changing systems, but to keep players in the same positions, repeating actions to build confidence.”
Grant is a much-improved man
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Dons midfielder Conor Grant said he feels has improved a lot since his summer move from Rochdale, but admitted there is still a lot of work to do for him to secure a regular spot in Liam Manning’s starting XI
Grant is ‘already a better player’ since his summer move from Rochdale
“The staff have been onto me about being a bit more effective in the final third”
The magic of the FA Cup
The lure of a third round spot is there for both MK Dons and Portsmouth this afternoon at Fratton Park - it’s the big one, after all.
After both saw off non-league opponents in the first round - Taunton for Dons and Hereford for Pompey - the all-League One clash is an exciting one for this stage of the competition, and they will do it all over again in three weeks in the league too!