MILLWALL will face very few tests tougher than the one they endured on Saturday afternoon, but tonight’s clash against Burnley is set to be one of them.
The Lions picked up all three points in dramatic fashion over the weekend, beating Sheffield United 3-2 at The Den thanks to Tom Bradshaw’s hat-trick. They handed the Blades just their second Championship defeat since November 8th, blowing the race for automatic promotion wide open.
One race that certainly isn’t wide open is the race for the league title, with Burnley already 11 points clear of Paul Heckingbottom’s side and 15 points clear of third-place Middlesbrough. The Clarets will almost certainly be promoted to the Premier League this season, and it would take one of the biggest upsets in recent history to displace them from the top of the league.
As a result, Vincent Kompany’s side travel to The Den as the heavy favourites, having extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to 12 games following their 1-0 win away at Luton Town on Saturday. Should they claim all three points tonight, they would become the first team to win in SE16 since September 14th, ending Millwall’s 10-match unbeaten run on home soil.
They certainly have the individual quality to do so, boasting numerous talented young players such as Anass Zaroury, Ian Maatsen, Nathan Tella and Vitinho – all of whom have the quality to decide games of football by themselves at this level. Crucially, they are a cohesive unit that have gelled together incredibly quickly, having made a seamless transition from Sean Dyche’s direct 4-4-2 to Kompany’s possession-based 4-2-3-1 in a matter of weeks.
The aforementioned quality, both individual and collective, was certainly on display in the reverse fixture, with Burnley running out as 2-0 winners thanks to second-half goals from Vitinho and Jay Rodriguez. Nonetheless, travelling to The Den is a totally different prospect, and Saturday’s result against Sheffield United shows that even the best sides in the division can crumble in SE16.
While all eyes will be on the Clarets’ march towards the Championship title, Millwall can move as high as fourth should they win [depending on Sunderland’s away match against struggling Rotherham United]. It would give them a vital advantage over Luton Town going into their clash Kenilworth Road next week, although attentions will immediately turn to Saturday’s trip to Stoke City once Burnley have left South London.
Rowett claimed that he is set to make changes for tonight’s game, with the Lions playing three league games in the next seven days. Tyler Burey [hip], Shaun Hutchinson [groin], Callum Styles [quad], Billy Mitchell and Mason Bennett [both ankle] are all ruled out, forcing Millwall to use their entire squad during an incredibly hectic period of difficult fixtures.
Possible Millwall XI: 4-2-3-1: Long; McNamara, Cresswell, Cooper, Malone; Shackleton, Saville; Voglsammer, Honeyman, Watmore; Bradshaw
Match odds: Millwall 2/1 Draw 11/5 Burnley 11/8
Last meeting: Championship (August 30, 2022): Burnley 2-0 Millwall (Vitinho 62′, Rodriguez 72′)
Photo: Millwall FC