Millwall

Image source, Opta

Fourth and fifth in the Championship face-off on Saturday (12:30 GMT) as Millwall head to the MKM Stadium to play Hull City.

The Lions are fourth, four points behind second-placed Middlesbrough and a point behind Ipswich, in third, after four wins in their past five games, most recently 2-0 at Preston last Saturday.

The Tigers edged to a 1-0 win at Portsmouth last Saturday but went down 1-0 at Ipswich in their rearranged game on Tuesday night, their third defeat in five matches, to remain fifth, two points behind Millwall but with a seven-point cushion to the play-off chasing pack.

• Hull are looking for their first league double over Millwall since the 2012-13 campaign under Steve Bruce.

• Millwall are winless in seven league matches against Hull (D3 L4) since a 2-1 win in April 2022 when Gary Rowett was Lions boss.

• Hull have conceded eight goals in their past three home league games, shipping 2+ goals in each game. They last did so in four in a row in August/September 2022.

• Millwall have won their past three away league games – the Lions last had a longer away winning run between January and March 2018 (6 in a row).

• Femi Azeez has been involved in six goals in his past nine Championship appearances for Millwall (2 goals, 4 assists), with three assists across his past five games.

Image source, Shutterstock

Earlier we asked what you make of the news that, from next season, the Championship play-offs will be expanded to include the teams finishing seventh and eighth?

It was announced on Thursday morning that EFL clubs voted in favour of expanding the play-offs from four to six teams.

Here's a selection of your comments...

Josh, Derby: I don't believe this is necessary. I do think that the play-off format should be aligned throughout the top five leagues, but expanding isn't needed. Better distribution of the monies involved and establishing a clear matchday structure to balance various men's and women's leagues would be a better use of everyone's time. This strikes me undue American influence.

Callum, Dartford: I think it's a good thing so teams can push for promotion that thought they wouldn't get near the play-offs.

Cato, Sheffield: If we adopted it to this season, it means that eighth-placed Derby (on 51 points) have about as much a chance of going up as third-placed Millwall (on 63 points). Plus, to accommodate the extra games, would they extend the season into June? I don't like the idea of it at all, and I hope it's short-lived.

Steve, London: Another example of football being ruined, week by week. Don't you dare think about implementing VAR too.

Mark, Stafford: As a Stoke fan, I think it's good news. The season has come to a grinding halt due to being decimated by injuries. Add to that, the quality of what is coming down from the Premier League, it would mean upsets can happen and still allow teams in that mid-table race to dream of greater heights!

Richard, Stansted: Absolutely ridiculous. What is the point of a league format if you are going to make it a bigger lottery to include even more teams at the end of the season? It also brings teams that are even less ready to actually be in the Premier League into scope. But mostly it's the undermining of the league format which makes no sense. I'm a Derby fan - and we look like we would have a chance of benefiting from this if it were in place this season.

Andy, Nuneaton: Anything that expands the opportunities for those outside of the parachute teams is a good thing. We need to get away from this elite view of the Premier League. If it was up to them, they'd stop automatic promotion and relegation and have a system like Rugby Union, where it's based on meeting certain criteria. The eighth-placed club in the Championship getting to the PL? Bring it on!

Ron, Hayling: Money, Money, Money. Players complain about the amount of games they play with the league games and cup competitions so the intention is to play even more at the end of the season. Owners will make some money but that's all that matters!

Barry, Dartford: Yes it's a fantastic for everyone, all the small teams as well as the big boys, to have something to play for. It will give the end of the season something to look forward to.

Benjamin, Poole: I'm a Charlton fan, so it's unlikely we'll come 8th in the Championship any time soon, however, this is ridiculous. More pandering to Americans to make it more likely they'll make money, which is the only thing they care about. Sporting integrity out of the window again. Shame as I felt the Championship was the last bastion of quality and integrity combined. Game has gone.

Broughton, Derby: Absolute ridiculous, put it back to the old days of three straight up, no play-offs. If you don't make top-three you don't deserve to go up.

Julian, London: The worst decision from a footballing point of view ever! The National League teams have been trying to change their system to be like the current EFL system so it seems a very strange decision for the EFL to take. You can finish 8th after 46 games and still get promoted - sporting integrity has been totally lost with this decision. Money over integrity every time!

Millwall's success this season is down to finding a way to score goals along with their organisation, according to former Reading and Crystal Palace midfielder Jobi McAnuff.

The Lions are currently fourth in the Championship table, four points short of the automatic promotion places but with a nine-point cushion inside the top six and McAnuff, now a regular EFL pundit, is a fan of what boss Alex Neil is achieving.

"What I love about Alex Neil in terms of this season is he knew what they needed," said McAnuff on the BBC's EFL podcast 72+.

"They were consistent in making things difficult and being organised and hard to beat, but you also need to create opportunities and score goals.

"You look at the goals they've been scoring. Femi Azeez has been fantastic but also the players they've brought in to really compliment that organisation and hard working side of things."

Millwall missed out on the play-offs last season by two points when they were beaten at Burnley on the final day of the campaign but McAnuff believes they are better placed this time around.

"They've got that competition for places in the squad in attacking areas and the goals are really flowing," he added.

Millwall visit fifth-placed Hull City in the Championship on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Millwall boss Alex Neil said his team's defending earned them an important win away to Preston North End.

Neil told BBC Radio London: "It certainly wasn't one for the football purists, the conditions and the pitch make it difficult to play, but in real contrast to the Birmingham game it was a very different challenge.

"I thought we stood up to it brilliantly. I thought we deserved the first goal, we should have scored before that, and we had two or three chances after that in the first half as well.

"In the second half it was always going to be a case of who got the next goal. To be fair to Preston, they threw everything at us but I thought we defended brilliantly."

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Millwall's 3-0 win over Birmingham City on Wednesday moved them back into third place in the Championship, but they start a tough run of away games at Deepdale.

The Lions also still have to go to Hull City, Ipswich and Middlesbrough over the course of the next six weeks.

Preston's run of one win from their past six games means they have slipped five points off the top-six pace.

• Preston are winless in their past 13 league games against Millwall (D6 L7) since a 3-1 win in February 2019.

• Millwall have lost just two of their past 12 away league games against Preston (W4 D6) and are unbeaten in their last six visits to Deepdale (W3 D3).

• Having won five of their first eight home league games this season (D2 L1), Preston have won just two of their past nine at Deepdale (D4 L3).

• Millwall have won their past two away league games, last winning more consecutively between January and March 2018 (six).

• Millwall's Femi Azeez has been involved in a goal in each of his past four away appearances in the Championship, providing an assist in each of the last three (one goal).

Millwall manager Alex Neil said his team can match anyone in the Championship when they perform to the level they showed in the 3-0 win over Birmingham.

Neil said afterwards: "I felt after the last game at home that we were looking a bit too far ahead of ourselves, not just internally but externally as well. I understand it from the fans' perspective, because that's what you want, to get excited for your team but we need to keep our feet on the ground and keep focussed.

"On our day we are a match for anyone at this level. There is certainly no ceiling on expectations for us, we're capable of anything if we continue to win games but what I will say is that we have one of the hardest run-ins with Ipswich away, Middlesbrough away, Hull away, Preston away, some really tough games coming up.

"Femi's goal was brilliant right enough, but we had terrific performances all over the pitch. The midfield two were excellent, [Jake] Cooper was brilliant, Patto [Anthony Patterson] made a brilliant save in the first half, Camiel Neghli was excellent, and that was Josh Coburn's best performance - he was superb and deserted a goal."

Image source, Opta

Millwall will seek to return to winning ways as they welcome play-off chasing Birmingham on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

After taking 10 points from their previous four games, Alex Neil's side went down 3-1 at home to Portsmouth on Saturday, their first defeat in six at The Den, and lie third, six points behind second-placed Middlesbrough.

Blues are seven points back in seventh, two points behind Wrexham in the final play-off spot, after making it eight Championship games unbeaten, taking 18 points from that run, with a 2-1 win at Norwich on Saturday.

• Millwall have won three of their past four home league games against Birmingham (L1), as many as in their previous 11 against them (D4 L4).

• Following their 4-0 win in the reverse fixture, Birmingham are looking to complete the league double over Millwall for the first time since 2013/14.

• Millwall have won just four of their past 17 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (D4 L9).

• Birmingham have won just one of their past five midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) league games (D2 L2), having won 10 of the 12 prior (D1 L1).

• Birmingham's Jay Stansfield has been involved in three goals in his three league games against Millwall (2 goals, 1 assist), though all of these have come in home games.

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

It was down to earth with a bump for the Lions on Saturday.

Following the recent good form that has put Millwall within dreaming distance of the top flight, a determined and energetic Pompey side took all three points away from SE16.

Should you ever tinker with a winning side?

Millwall boss Alex Neil opted to make three changes, bringing in Anthony Patterson in goal and starting Tommy Watson on the left. Up front, Mihailo Ivanovic replaced the unwell Josh Coburn.

In truth, the whole Millwall XI were well under par and the game rightfully went Portsmouth's way.

To paraphrase one of the post-match talking points made by Neil, it's important not to overreact to wins - or, in this case, to defeats.

Thankfully other results went reasonably favourably for the Lions, who have the chance to set matters right this coming Wednesday at home to Birmingham City, before a tricky looking trip to Deepdale next Saturday.

With 13 games now standing between Millwall and a shot at the big time via the play-offs, keeping our nerve will be vital.

Myself, my teeth are starting to chatter…

Find more from Nick Hart on Achtung! Millwall., external

Image source, Getty Images

Millwall boss Alex Neil said the shock 3-1 home defeat against Portsmouth was down to failing to do the basics.

"I don't think we deserved anything from the game," Neil said.

"People will think when I say how we defended that I'm talking about the back four, but I'm talking about the whole team.

"This is a collective thing in that the first goal from our point of view was really disappointing and the second goal was equally as disappointing.

"I said to the lads after the game that we're built as a team on doing the basics really well and I didn't think we did the basics well enough.

"When the ball did go forward, it didn't stick enough for us when we got it there and I didn't think we won enough duels.

Image source, Opta

Millwall will aim to keep in touch with the Championship's automatic promotion spots when they welcome a Portsmouth side looking to pull further away from the relegation zone on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

The Lions are five points behind second-placed Middlesbrough and eight points clear of seventh following a run of six wins from their past nine games (D2 L1).

Pompey picked up just their third away win of the season at Charlton on Tuesday night to move four points clear of the bottom three with a game in hand on the sides around them.

• Portsmouth won 3-1 against Millwall earlier this season (November 2025). They last won home and away against the Lions in a league campaign in 2002-03 under Harry Redknapp.

• Millwall have only lost two of their past 12 home league games against Portsmouth (W4 D6), and have won the most recent two, including a 2-1 win in this fixture last season (April 2025).

• Millwall have lost just one of their past 10 league games (W6 D3), going down 2-1 to league leaders Coventry City in January.

• Portsmouth have won two of their past four away league games (D1 L1), more than they did across their first 11 league games on the road this season (W1 D4 L6).

• After losing three of their first four home games in the Championship this season (W1), Millwall have lost just once across their past 12 league matches at The Den (W8 D3), being unbeaten in the past five (W3 D2).

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Millwall manager Alex Neil believes his side made their 2-1 win at Championship bottom side Sheffield Wednesday more difficult than it needed to be.

Jamal Lowe tapped in for the Owls after Charlie McNeill's long-range effort was spilled just after the hour mark to give the hosts a surprise lead.

An own goal from Cole McGhee levelled things up at Hillsborough while Millwall substitute Macaulay Langstaff converted Femi Azeez's low cross just two minutes later to complete a quickfire turnaround.

"I think I would sum it up as job done," said Neil to BBC Radio London after the game.

"I thought Sheffield Wednesday made it difficult for us. I thought we made it difficult for ourselves at times.

"Coming here there's a lot of expectation that you're just going to turn up. The simple fact is, apart from the last game when they played a back four, a lot of the games have been really tight.

"It's not been plain sailing or easy for any team coming here and I didn't expect it to be any different for us, and it was exactly what I expected."

Image source, EFL

Championship leaders Middlesbrough are celebrating winning both the manager and player of the month awards for January.

Boss Kim Hellberg led Boro to five wins from their six league games last month, with them scoring 14 goals as they chased down the leaders Coventry City before overtaking them at the top of the table last weekend.

Midfielder Alan Browne won the player award, having also filled in at wing-back and scored three goals.

Philippe Clement of Norwich, Wrexham's Phil Parkinson and Derby head coach John Eustace were also nominated for the manager accolade.

Wrexham striker Sam Smith and defenders Charlie Hughes (Hull City) and Caleb Taylor (Millwall) missed out of the player award.

Middlesbrough visit second-placed Coventry in the Championship on Monday night (20:00 GMT).