With Michaelson

The Checkatrade Trophy kicks off today with over 30 games in England scheduled to take place today. The Checkatrade Trophy is a knockout competition that consists of English League One and Two teams and 16 English Premier League and Championship academy sides.

Out of the 32 games taking place today, we will put Portsmouth and Gillingham under the microscope. The duo are in Group A of the Southern Section together with Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-21 side and Crawley Town.

Portsmouth look like overwhelming favourites to take all three points today, taking their League One form into consideration. Jake Wigley’s men have made a fine start this season with five wins in six games, which places them joint top with Peterborough on 16 points. The only loss they’ve suffered so far this season was at the hands of AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.

Last season Pompey reached the fourth round of the competition only to be knocked out by Chelsea’s Under-21 team, while Gillingham only went as far as the second round. Steve Lovell’s team come off the back of three defeats in their last five games, and because of that, they have very little chance of coming away with anything from Fratton Park.