Striving to bounce back from a sobering night in Devon on Wednesday, Millwall will play host to playoff hopefuls West Bromwich Albion at The Den on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Lions suffered their heaviest defeat of the term at the hands of Plymouth Argyle earlier in the week, whilst the Baggies endured a difficult evening at home against Blackburn Rovers in the Black Country.
Match preview
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Enjoying four straight successes across the Championship and FA Cup over the past fortnight, it appeared as if Millwall were making genuine strides towards a top-six push, but the London-based club came hurtling back down to Earth on Wednesday night at Home Park in Devon.
Epitomising the chaotic nature of the contest, Lions left-back Joe Bryan scored for both sides as a resurgent Plymouth side ran out comfortable 5-1 victors in front of their home faithful, with the visitors failing to convert domination of the ball into a respectable outcome.
Following the shocking halt of their five-game unbeaten run last time out, Alex Neil's troops have lost crucial ground in the race for the playoffs, with Millwall currently occupying 14th spot, seven points behind West Brom who are guarding entry to the top six at this stage.
For all the cliches of The Den being a formidable venue for visitors, the Lions have struggled to enjoy consistent results on their own patch so far in 2025, winning just two of their five matches at the ground, with one of those victories arriving against National League outfit Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup.
Netting 31 goals in as many second-tier contests so far this term, only Stoke City (28) and bottom side Luton Town (30) have poorer attacking records in the Championship, with Duncan Watmore leading Millwall's Golden Boot race despite failing to score since September.
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After a last-gasp win over Sheffield Wednesday at The Hawthorns last weekend, West Brom were looking to record back-to-back victories for the first time since September on Wednesday night, when a wounded and managerless Blackburn outfit rocked up for a Black Country battle.
Despite boasting a starting front three of Mikey Johnston, Tom Fellows and Adam Armstrong, the Baggies failed to break down the stubborn visitors in the first period and paid the ultimate price during the second 45, when Makhtar Gueye bagged a brace for David Lowe's Rovers.
Losing three of their opening five second-tier matches since the return of Tony Mowbray to the club, West Brom have dropped from fifth to sixth in the Championship table, although they still possess a two-point buffer between themselves and Bristol City in seventh position.
Only five teams in the division have collected more than Albion's 19 points from league outings this term, but the Baggies are currently enduring a nine-game winless spell away from home, including defeats to Bournemouth, Middlesbrough and Plymouth since the middle of January.
West Brom are certainly hurting from the absence of leading marksman Josh Maja due to a calf injury, although there are plenty of Baggies stars capable of filling the boots of the Nigerian, including Southampton loanee Armstrong, who bagged 37 goal contributions in this division for the Saints last campaign.
Team News
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Struggling to find the net on a consistent basis, Millwall are battling on without the services of Josh Coburn, who suffered a broken foot in December.
There are also fitness issues for the Lions to contend with at the back, with Dan McNamara and Ryan Leonard occupying beds in the medical room.
West Brom boss Mowbray admitted that his side missed the aerial abilities of defender Kyle Bartley during the Blackburn loss, with the veteran serving the second match of his three-game suspension this weekend.
Albion's head coach was critical of his backline's performance on Wednesday night, meaning that the likes of Mason Holgate could make way for Semi Ajayi this time around.
Arguably missing a creative spark in central areas at the moment, the Baggies are still unable to call upon the services of winter signing Tammer Bany.
Millwall possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Crama, Tanganga, Cooper, Bryan; Mitchell, De Norre; Azeez, Cundle, Watmore; Ivanovic
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Wildsmith; Furlong, Ajayi, Heggem, Styles; Diakite, Molumby, Swift; Fellows, Lankshear, Armstrong
We say: Millwall 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
After a sobering evening in Plymouth, Millwall are likely to go back to basics as they seek a positive result against West Brom on Saturday afternoon.
The Baggies will be boosted by Ajayi in defence for the battle at The Den, and we feel that the visitors should be good enough for a point in the capital.
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Carter White
