A spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals will be on the line when Crystal Palace and Millwall face off at Selhurst Park in the fifth round on Saturday.
The 2024/25 FA Cup resumes this week, with the fifth round kicking off with the game between Aston Villa and Cardiff City on Friday. The action on Saturday will begin with two simultaneous fixtures, including Crystal Palace vs Millwall at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup fifth round after getting past Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers in the previous stages. In addition, they are yet to concede a goal in the 2024/25 FA Cup. Meanwhile, the Eagles have been on a roll after a slow start to the ongoing campaign, and Oliver Glasner’s men have barely lost any games in the last few months.
On the other hand, Millwall overcame Dagenham & Red and Leeds United in the previous stages to reach the FA Cup fifth round. The visitors are also yet to concede a goal in the 2024/25 FA Cup. Meanwhile, Alex Neil’s charges have lost only one of their last nine games across all competitions, and they beat Derby County this past weekend.
Meanwhile, the most recent clash featuring Crystal Palace and Millwall came in the 2021/22 FA Cup third round, with the Eagles coming from a goal down to clinch a 2-1 win. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Crystal Palace manager might be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Millwall on Saturday.
Glasner is sweating over Marc Guehi’s fitness after the English international sustained a minor knee injury earlier this week against Aston Villa. However, the skipper should be fit and available to take on Millwall.
Meanwhile, Chadi Riad (knee), Joel Ward (calf), and Cheick Doucoure (knee) remain on the sidelines. Will Hughes picked up his tenth yellow card of the 2024/25 Premier League season earlier this week but will serve his suspension in the top flight.
Matt Turner should make a rare start between the sticks, with Crystal Palace lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Millwall on Saturday. The central defensive unit should feature Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, and Chris Richards. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell are automatic picks as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes, with Adam Wharton getting some rest. Finally, Eddie Nketiah will likely lead the line for Crystal Palace against Millwall, with Eberechi Eze and Romain Esse supporting him as the two playmakers.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Turner; Guehi, Lacroix, Richards; Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Esse; Nketiah
Millwall
Like his counterpart in the Crystal Palace dugout, Alex Neil has new roster issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park. The Millwall manager might be without as many as six first-team players on Saturday.
Three players are cup-tied due to their participation with other clubs in earlier rounds, with Tristan Crama, Benicio Baker-Boaitey, and Aaron Connolly missing out. In addition, Neil is sweating over Joe Bryan’s fitness after he sustained a cut to the foot last weekend. However, However, Ryan Leonard (unspecified) and Dan McNamara (knee) remain on the sidelines.
Liam Roberts should take his spot between the sticks, with Millwall lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Crystal Palace on Saturday. The backline should feature Wes Harding, Japhet Tanganga, Jake Cooper, and Joe Bryan.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past George Saville and Casper De Norre, with the duo aiming to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Luke Cundle will reprise the no. 10 role, with Femi Azeez and Camiel Neghli being the wide attackers. Finally, Josh Coburn will spearhead the Millwall attack against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Roberts; Harding, Tanganga, Cooper, Bryan; Saville, De Norre; Neghli, Cundle, Azeez; Coburn
Key Stats
- Saturday’s clash will be the eighth FA Cup tie between Crystal Palace and Millwall, with the Eagles progressing thrice (1928/29, 1975/76 and 2021/22) and the Lions going through four times (1921/22, 1950/51, 1956/57 and 1984/85).
- Millwall and Crystal Palace will face off for the 100th time in all competitions. The Lions are winless in five outings against their London rivals (D3 L2) since a 3-0 win on New Year’s Day in 2011.
- Crystal Palace have progressed from their last three FA Cup fifth-round matches (2015/16, 2018/19 and 2021/22), last facing elimination at this stage in the 2014/15 season against Liverpool.
- Millwall have won their three most recent away matches in the FA Cup without conceding. However, the Lions have only won one of their last 13 games on the road against top-flight sides in the competition (D5 L7), beating Arsenal 2-0 at Highbury in January 1995.
- Femi Azeez scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Leeds United in the fourth round. The last Millwall player to score more than twice in an FA Cup campaign was Harry Smith in 2016/17 (three goals).
Player to Watch
Eddie Nketiah
While Eberechi Eze and Femi Azeez were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Eddie Nketiah as our Player to Watch for Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round clash between Crystal Palace and Millwall. The former Arsenal striker has endured a topsy-turvy campaign since joining the South London club from the Gunners last summer.
However, after scoring in Crystal Palace’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa earlier this week, Nketiah will be eager to build on a solid cameo. With the English striker keen on turning things around amid a frustrating campaign, Saturday’s game is crucial for his future.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-0 Millwall
A fiery London derby is on the cards, with Saturday’s game featuring two clubs yet to concede a goal in the 2024/25 FA Cup. In addition, there is an additional narrative of Romain Esse facing his former club. However, Crystal Palace should be too good for Millwall, even though the visitors have been impressive in the FA Cup this term.
Crystal Palace have progressed from nine of their last 10 FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, failing only against Derby County in the 2019/20 season during this run. The impressive record should continue this weekend, even though Millwall will give the hosts a run for their money. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Oliver Glasner and his charges.