MILLWALL will guarantee being in the top half of the Championship table at the end of 2019 if they defeat Brentford at The Den on Sunday.
Only the top two have lost fewer games that the Lions, who are looking to get back on track at home after three games without a win in South Bermondsey.
Lions boss Gary Rowett could bring Murray Wallace back into his side and set up in the same 5-2-3 formation that has proved effective away from home. Rowett could opt for that extra security at the back against a Brentford side that has scored 37 goals this season, the second-highest in the league.
Adam Barrett’s Lions side conceded three late goals at Griffin Park in October after Tom Bradshaw (above) and Jed Wallace had put their side two goals ahead.
Rowett could shake up his front-line, with only top scorer Jed Wallace guaranteed to start. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson has yet to score in the league this season in 16 games. If Aiden O’Brien recovers from illness he will be in contention to start on the left side of the attack. Jiri Skalak and Connor Mahoney are other options.
Brentford are the division’s form team. Before that 3-2 win over Millwall on October 19, the Bees were 17th in the table. Thomas Frank’s side have won nine of their last 13 games, scoring three or more goals in six of them including a 7-0 thumping of Luton.
Millwall are looking to avoid consecutive league defeats at home for the first time since March. They have won only one of their last nine league games against the Bees, when George Saville scored inside a minute for the second game in a row in a 1-0 win at The Den.
Possible Millwall starting XI: Bialkowski; Romeo, Hutchinson, Pearce, Cooper, M Wallace; Molumby, Williams; J Wallace, Bradshaw, Skalak.
Match odds: Millwall 13/5 Draw 23/10 Brentford EVS
Last meeting: Championship (October 19, 2019): Brentford 3-2 Millwall (Dasilva 84, Mbeumo 88, Watkins 94; Bradshaw 45+4, Wallace 55 pen).
Image: Millwall FC