Leicester City will be eyeing one last push for the Championship title when they travel to Millwall on Tuesday night.
Leicester City returned to the top of the EFL Championship standings at the weekend and will now travel to Millwall keen to retain their position at the top of the pile.
Enzo Maresca’s men did their best to squander a double point lead at the summit over the last few weeks. However, given Ipswich Town and Leeds United’s losses last weekend, the Foxes are now in a position to take advantage of the situation.
Leicester City have a one-point lead over second-placed Ipswich and also have a game in hand. Should they win on Tuesday, they will move four points clear at the top with five games to go. While it far from assures them the title, the Foxes will have some breathing space ahead of the run-in.
Millwall, on the other hand, are two points away from the relegation zone and cannot afford to drop more points, especially at home. It is fair to say that the result on the night will be significant to either side’s fortunes at opposing ends of the Championship standings.
After a promising start with ten points from his first four matches back in charge of Millwall, Neil Harris has seen his team’s fortunes take a downturn, securing just a single point in their most recent four fixtures. This slump has left them teetering on the brink of relegation to League One.
The defeat to bottom side Rotherham United was undoubtedly disappointing. But Saturday’s loss at Huddersfield Town was particularly devastating given the nature of the 94th minute winner.
Under Harris’s guidance, The Den has once again become a formidable venue for Millwall. Prior to his return, the team had struggled to secure victories in four consecutive home matches. However, since Harris’s arrival, they have earned seven points in three home games, showcasing a renewed resilience, with only promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion managing to hold them to a draw.
Leicester City are a difficult proposition and are in no mood to drop any cheap points of their own. All of this points to a hard-fought contest at the Den. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.
Team News & Tactics
Millwall
Millwall will continue to be without the services of striking duo Kevin Nisbet and Tom Bradshaw, leaving Michael Obafemi and Zian Flemming to spearhead the attacking threat for the hosts on Tuesday night.
While Neil Harris remains optimistic about the eventual return of Bradshaw and Nisbet before the end of the season, doubts loom over the involvement of Joe Bryan due to a leg injury. Millwall are expected to line up in a traditional 4-4-2, with Matija Sarkic in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Ryan Leonard, Japhet Tanganga, Jake Cooper, and Danny McNamara.
Casper De Norre and George Saville should hold the fort in central midfield, while Ryan Longman and George Honeyman provide the width. Zian Flemming and Michael Obafemi will hope to fire more heat into an attack that has lacked inspiration all season. It is now or never for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Sarkic; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, McNamara; Longman, De Norre, Saville, Honeyman; Flemming, Obafemi
Leicester City
Leicester City do not have a large number of injuries and have enough options to call up for the game. The Foxes will be without Tom Cannon, who is nursing a leg injury, and Kasey McAteer. The visitors have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.
Enzo Maresca is primed to deploy his side in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mads Hermansen in goal. The goalkeeper should be protected by the back four of Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, and James Justin.
Harry Winks should hold the fort in central midfield, with Wilfred Ndidi and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pushing further forward. Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi should provide the width, with Patson Daka making way for Jamie Vardy upfront.
Leicester’s playing XI more or less chooses itself given their current form. With no margin for error, Enzo Maresca is likely to opt for the XI that got the Foes to the position they are in this season.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Hermansen; Pereira, Vestergaard, Faes, Justin; Winks, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidi; Mavididi, Fatawu, Vardy
Key Stats
- A loss on the night will see Millwall lose four consecutive games to Leicester City for the first time since 1969.
- This is Leicester City’s first visit to the Den in the league since 2014.
- Millwall are currently on a three game lossless streak in the league at home. This is their longest such run this season at the Den since December 2023.
- Leicester City have won just one of their last four league games away from home.
- Millwall have found the back of the net just 38 times in the EFL Championship this season, the least of any team in the English second tier.
Player to Watch
Jamie Vardy
The veteran striker is in the twilight of his career. But yet another season in the Premier League is on the cusp. While Leicester have struggled away from home in the league in recent weeks, Vardy has continued to find the back of the net away from the King Power Stadium.
Vardy has scored five goals in the five away games he has played in the Championship in 2024. With nine goals away from the King Power, the Englishman is enjoying his best away goal tally since 2020/21. Should he strike early at Millwall, the initiative will swing quickly in the visitors favour.
Prediction
Millwall 1-2 Leicester City
Millwall are fighting for their lives, but Leicester City cannot afford to lose yet another lead at the top of the table. The clash is unlikely to be one sided and should be hard fought. But the Foxes’ quality should prevail in the end. The Hard Tackle predicts a win for Enzo Maresca and Co.