Millwall

Image source, Opta

Championship leaders Coventry City host Millwall in an important clash in the race for promotion on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT kick-off).

The Sky Blues picked up just their second win in six games last time out against Leicester to maintain their six-point lead over Middlesbrough in second.

The Lions are unbeaten in their past five (W3 D2) and are just three points behind Boro.

• Coventry City have won five of their past six league meetings with Millwall (D1), keeping five clean sheets in these six encounters.

• Millwall have failed to score in their past three Championship matches against Coventry, but have never gone four successive league meetings with the Sky Blues without a goal.

• Coventry are unbeaten in their previous seven league games played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), winning five and drawing two since a 0-2 defeat to Derby in March 2025.

• Millwall have only managed to win three of their past 21 away league games played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), drawing nine and losing nine in this time.

• Against no side in his league career for Coventry has Haji Wright scored more goals than he has against Millwall (4, level with Sunderland), netting a double in both of his previous two Championship matches against the Lions.

Millwall are reportedly rivalling Stoke City and Preston North End to sign veteran midfielder Barry Bannan from Sheffield Wednesday, but Owls boss Henrik Pedersen is hopeful the 36-year-old will stay at the club. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Millwall boss Alex Neil speaking after his side's 2-0 win at Watford:

"At this stage of the season, winning is obviously the most important thing, but how you win does matter.

"In the first half we were very dominant and they couldn't get out of their half much.

"We talk a lot about doing the hard yards and sometimes at this level you can beat teams through persistence and put the effort in that maybe other teams won't.

"So I was delighted with the lads. I thought we showed real hunger, real desire and I thought that we deservedly won the game."

Watford boss Javi Gracia speaking after his side's 2-0 defeat to Millwall:

"It's obvious this wasn't our best game. We knew that Millwall are really strong, but we didn't do our job.

"We tried to find a way to progress and play in our style, but we didn't do it.

"When we conceded the first goal after a mistake it was difficult for us to control the game. Millwall deserved their reward.

"When it came to showing our quality one-on-one or finishing with composure today was not our day.

"I'm frustrated, the players are frustrated, our fans are frustrated. We suffered today because Millwall were strong, but they did their job. We knew that before the game.

"We have to learn that when games are so tight and close, we have to be ready to defend and attack in small spaces."

Image source, Opta

It's a big game in the Championship play-off race as sixth-placed Watford and fifth-placed Millwall meet at Vicarage Road on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Depending on results elsewhere, a place in the top-four is at stake for the winners, with the Lions holding a two-point advantage over the in-form Hornets before kick-off.

Javi Gracia's side have won four straight games and taken 17 points from their past seven games while Alex Neil's men are unbeaten in four, claiming eight points and conceding only two goals.

• Watford have lost five of their past seven league games against Millwall (W1 D1), losing 1-0 away at the Den earlier this season.

• Following a 2-1 win at Vicarage Road last season, Millwall are looking for consecutive away league wins at Watford for the first time since a run of four between October 1995 and January 2002.

• No current side is on a longer Championship winning run than Watford, who've won their last four games. The Hornets are looking to win five in a row for the first time since a run of six in March/April 2021.

• Since Alex Neil's first Championship game in charge of Millwall, only Coventry City (93) have picked up more points than the Lions (80). Neil's next game will be his 50th league game in charge – he has 23 wins so far, with only Mark McGhee (29) and the joint manager duo Keith Stevens and Alan McLeary (26) having won more in their first 50 games.

• Watford have scored 16 goals when they've been losing in the Championship this season, two more than any other team when they've been trailing. The Hornets have outshot their opponents 132 to 66 when losing (+66 differential), with only Middlesbrough having a better difference in 2025/26 (+94).

Millwall are keen on taking Sunderland and former England Under-21 goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, 25, on loan. (Alan Nixon - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Image source, Getty Images

Goalkeeper Steven Benda has returned to Fulham after spending the first half of the campaign at Millwall.

The 27-year-old joined the Championship side on a season-long loan deal in July and made 10 appearances.

Millwall, who are fifth in the league table, have recalled keeper George Evans from National League side Hartlepool United.

Pundits Dion Dublin and Rob Green join host Jason Mohammad to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Wrexham 3-3 (4-3 pens) Nottingham Forest

• Preston North End 0-1 Wigan

• Macclesfield Town 2-1 Crystal Palace

• Everton 1-1 (0-3 pens) Sunderland

• Wolves 6-1 Shrewsbury Town

• Fulham 3-1 Middlesbrough

• Manchester City 10-1 Exeter City

• Newcastle 3-3 (7-6 pens) Bournemouth

• Stoke City 1-0 Coventry City

• Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa

• Bristol City 5-1 Watford

• Cambridge United 2-3 Birmingham City

• Charlton 1-5 Chelsea

There are 18 third-round ties in the FA Cup on Saturday - 16 involving Premier League and Championship teams, who all enter the competition at this stage - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Cheltenham v Leicester (12:15) - BBC Radio Leicester

• Everton v Sunderland (12:15) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Macclesfield v Crystal Palace (12:15) - BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Radio Manchester

• Wolves v Shrewsbury (12:15) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3 & BBC Radio WM

• Boreham Wood v Burton Albion

• Burnley v Millwall - BBC Radio London

• Doncaster v Southampton - BBC Radio Solent

• Fulham v Middlesbrough - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich v Blackpool - BBC Radio Suffolk

• Man City v Exeter City - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Newcastle v Bournemouth - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 & BBC Radio Newcastle

• Salford P-P Swindon

• Sheff Wed v Brentford

• Stoke v Coventry - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Radio Stoke & BBC Radio CWR

• Bristol City v Watford (17:45) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Three Counties Radio

• Cambridge United v Birmingham (17:45) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Grimsby v Weston (17:45)

• Tottenham v Aston Villa (17:45) - BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London

• Charlton v Chelsea (20:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

And find out how to follow the FA Cup across the BBC this weekend here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Middlesbrough" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Aston Villa", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Sheffield United are keen on signing Republic of Ireland and Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone, 25, who impressed on loan at Millwall before suffering an injury in October. (SportsBoom, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Image source, Getty Images

Hartlepool United have extended the loan of Millwall goalkeeper George Evans until February.

The 20-year-old has played 12 National League games for Pools this season and kept four clean sheets.