Saville proves he’s going to be vital; and George Long’s debut – four takeaways from Millwall’s EFL Cup win over Portsmouth

Millwall saw off a spirited and hard-working Portsmouth side 2-1 at The Den on Tuesday evening.

Goals from Scott Malone and George Saville cancelled out Reeco Hackett-Fairchild’s opener as the Lions progressed to round two of the EFL Cup.

Here are four takeaways:

After an excellent display against QPR on Saturday, new boy Kieftenbeld started again in the heart of the Millwall midfield against Pompey.

His hard-working and committed style of play meant that Portsmouth struggled to build any momentum in the middle of the park.

As well as his tenacity, he showed good composure and class when receiving and passing the ball, and tried to join the attack when possible.

After returning to The Den from Middlesbrough on a permanent deal, the midfielder once again showed his creativity and attacking intent.

In the 2017–18 season Saville scored 10 goals the Lion as they just missed out on the play-offs.

After Saville left the club, Millwall struggled to score goals from the midfield. His return adds another crucial element that Gary Rowett’s side lacked last season.

Shaun Williams made 295 appearances and scored 18 goals over a seven year stay at Millwall, after signing from MK in 2014.

The midfielder played 62 minutes in the game before receiving a standing ovation from the Millwall supporters, as well as hugs from his ex-teammates and manager Gary Rowett.

George Long signed from Hull City in the summer to provide competition for Millwall mainstay Bartosz Bialkowski.

Despite conceding early on into the match, Long showed bravery and great distribution throughout the tie.

His ability to receive the ball under pressure and remain calm, shows his fantastic potential to challenge Bialkowski for the number one goalkeeping shirt.