Millwall

Image source, Opta

Portsmouth will hope to continue their decent run of form when they welcome Millwall to Fratton Park in the Championship on Saturday lunchtime (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Pompey have won two and drawn at Wolves since losing the south coast derby to Southampton to move within two points of the play-offs and seven clear of the relegation zone.

Since winning their opening two matches, the Lions have won just twice in nine games (D3 L4) and are level on points with Portsmouth but ahead of them in the table on goals scored.

• Portsmouth won both league meetings with Millwall 3-1 last season, having failed to win any of the previous five encounters (D1 L4).

• Millwall have won two of their past three away league games against Portsmouth (L1) - this after winning on just one of their prior 18 visits to Fratton Park between September 1971 and December 2010.

• Portsmouth have won two of their past three home league games (D1), as many as in their previous 10 at Fratton Park (D2 L6).

• Millwall have won just one of their previous six league games (D3 L2), though could record successive away league wins for the first time since March.

• Only West Ham United (8) have scored more goals from set pieces (ex. penalties) in the Championship this season than Millwall (6), while they lead the division for xG from set pieces (6.8).

Millwall boss Alex Neil spoke to BBC Radio London after his side came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Lincoln City.

"Probably as poor as we've been first half in the time that I've been here. The only positive I'll take from it is we didn't lose.

"We didn't have any fighting spirit in the first half - we lost every header and every duel. We didn't deal with anything that we normally do particularly well.

"It's a frustrating one. From a performance point of view I'm disappointed but the fact that we did manage to come back and didn't lose it a positive."

(On the handball prior to Lincoln's second goal) "The whole stadium shouted for a handball. Not only is it a handball but he stops the ball running out of play. My question would be if he was on the goalline and he stopped the ball going in the net would he say it was accidental? I very much doubt so. It was a poor decision."

Millwall and Lincoln City meet in a league game for the first time in 27 years on Saturday (12:30 BST).

This will be only the fifth time they have come face-to-face in the second tier of English football, the last time was in 1933.

• This will be the first season in which Millwall and Lincoln City have faced each other since 1998-99 in the third tier, when both sides won their home game 2-0.

• Lincoln City have won just one of eight league visits to Millwall (D1 L6), a 2-0 victory in May 1984.

• When in losing positions in the Championship this season (19.5% of the time), Millwall have managed to score just one goal – the fewest of any side in the competition.

• Lincoln have lost their past two Football League visits to London without scoring; they have not lost three in succession in the capital since March 2008 while they have not lost three in a row while failing to score in each since March 1999.

• Since the start of 2026, Millwall have won each of their four Championship matches against newly promoted opposition, winning those matches by a combined 13-0 scoreline.

Image source, Opta

Millwall will aim to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since August when they welcome Championship leaders Swansea City to The Den on Tuesday night.

The Lions ended a three-game winless run with a 1-0 victory at Preston on Saturday to move up to eighth in the table.

The Swans have won three on the bounce and are two points clear at the summit, having lost just once so far this season.

• Millwall have won four of their past five league games against Swansea (D1) since a 3-0 defeat in September 2023.

• Swansea have lost both of their past two league trips to Millwall - this after only losing one of their previous eight beforehand (W5 D2).

• Millwall have only lost one of their past six home league games (W4 D1), keeping four clean sheets in this time.

• Swansea have lost just one of their past eight away league outings (W5 D2), a 1-3 defeat at Southampton in September.

• Millwall's Alex Neil has won three of his previous four league meetings with Swansea as a manager (D1), after only winning one of his first eight prior (D3 L4).

Adam Cottier
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Shutterstock

Millwall were depleted by injuries. They had won only one league game in their past six and were up against a side heralding the start of a new era under new management.

Yet still, they won at Preston. And they won with the kind of dynamism and persistence that has become so familiar for a side that narrowly missed out on promotion last season.

Millwall looked frequently more fluid and more mobile than their ailing opponents at Deepdale in a game of few clear openings.

Alex Neil's team will probably play better and still not win this season, but here their demonstration was of a side well engaged with their manager's philosophy.

Second-half alterations seemed to add an extra layer of energy to Millwall's approach and, as Preston wilted and appeared increasingly fragile in terms of fitness, the visitors seized on the bigger spaces afforded to them in attacking areas to score a stylish goal.

It was finished expertly from the edge of the area by the sweeping right foot of Camiel Neghli, one of the chief tormentors in this Millwall side, who had been reasonably quiet until that moment.

Any niggling doubts over their ability to hold on to the lead - heightened by the back-to-back squandering of two-goal advantages before the international break - were alleviated by some strong game management and tactical discipline.

Millwall ought to take some real confidence into Tuesday night's home game against the Championship leaders Swansea City because this victory in Lancashire on Saturday in testing circumstances was richly deserved.

Image source, Shutterstock

Millwall boss Alex Neil spoke to BBC Radio London after their 1-0 win against Preston.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here: Preston North End 0-1 Millwall.

Image source, Opta

The Graham Alexander era begins at Deepdale with the visit of Millwall, led by former North End boss Alex Neil, on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Lilywhites have taken four points from their opening eight Championship games and are only off the bottom on goal difference, lying ahead of Lancashire rivals Burnley.

The Lions are two points off the play-off places in 11th, with one victory in their past six matches, having begun the campaign with back-to-back wins.

• Preston North End have not won in 14 league games against Millwall (D6 L8) since a 3-1 away win in February 2019.

• Millwall are looking for consecutive away league wins at Preston North End for the third time, also achieving it in 1967-68/1968-69 and 2019-20/2020-21.

• Preston have gone 23 league games without registering a clean sheet – they've only had two longer runs without a shutout: 26 games (October 1969 – March 1970) and 25 games (September 1984 – March 1985).

• Millwall have conceded 15 goals in their past six Championship games, the most of any team across the last six matchdays, while only Sheffield United (112) have faced more shots from MD3 onwards than the Lions (98).

• This will be Graham Alexander's first Championship match in charge of Preston, with Alexander taking charge of 410 EFL games in his managerial career but all have been in either League One (207) or League Two (203). Five of those were with Preston as caretaker manager in League One in the 2011-12 season (W2 D2 L1).

Emily Herbert
BBC Sport London and South East

Image source, Getty Images

Hornchurch have signed midfielder Alfie Massey on loan from Millwall until 3 January.

The 20-year-old has previously had loan spells with Wealdstone and Southend United and came through Millwall's academy before signing his first professional contract with the Championship club.

Massey made his Lions debut in a 1-0 Carabao Cup win at Portsmouth in August 2024.

Hornchurch manager Daryl McMahon said Massey would add "quality in midfield with a good passing range", while also describing him as a "tenacious player".

Millwall may be suffering an injury crisis but it has given summer signing Lyndon Dykes a chance to make his impression at The Den - and he is proving to be a standout performer.

The Lions are currently missing a significant amount of players to injury, including Josh Coburn, Tristan Crama, Casper De Norre, Mihailo Ivanovic, Ryan Leonard and Massimo Luongo.

"I think the one Millwall player who has really stood up is one which not many Millwall fans would have expected to make a huge impact and that's Lyndon Dykes," George Cole from the Chat with Chaps podcast said.

"When Millwall signed Lyndon Dykes, there was a lot of people turning their nose up at it. It almost goes against the model.

"With all the injuries that we've had up front, he's ended up having his opportunity and he's scored four league goals.

"His experience and his work-rate and the usefulness of his abilities has been a surprise for most Millwall fans and I've been really impressed with him."

Listen to the full fan analysis above or on BBC Sounds here.

Image source, Shutterstock

How are Grimsby Town and Swansea City linked through their recruitment and analysis?

In the newest episode of the 72+ podcast, Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Cambridge United boss Neil Harris find out in conversation with Grimsby CEO Polly Bancroft, who talks Jamestown Analytics, club growth, ambitions and what it's like to be one of the few female chief executives in the EFL.

That's after the panel are joined by Adam Blackmore, BBC Radio Solent's sports editor, to chat Spygate, the looming verdict over Tonda Eckert and how the club is feeling in this decisive week.

There's also discussion and debate on Championship table-toppers Swansea City and League One strugglers Peterborough United.

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Millwall boss Alex Neil spoke to BBC Radio London after his side's 2-2 draw with rivals West Ham in the Championship on Saturday.

For the match report, click here, and to hear more from the Millwall camp, subscribe to the club's feed on BBC Sounds.