MILLWALL face a daunting home clash with Luton Town on Good Friday, knowing that a win could put them in a fantastic position to secure a top-six finish.
The two sides met just over a month ago at Kenilworth Road in the reverse fixture, which was moved from mid-December due to a frozen pitch. The game finished 2-2, which was a positive result for both sides, but the Lions were frustrated that they let a two-goal lead slip in such a big game.
Their rematch at The Den will arguably be even tougher for Gary Rowett’s side, as the Hatters boast one of the best away records in the entire division. They have won ten, drawn five and lost just four of their nineteen matches on the road, having only been beaten twice since the end of the World Cup break. Their current run has seen them win five of their last seven games, and their only league defeat in 2023 came at the hands of league leaders Burnley.
Barring a huge collapse, Rob Edwards’ men will be in this season’s play-offs alongside Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough, but it looks like fifth and sixth place are still up for grabs. Millwall and Blackburn Rovers currently occupy those positions, with both teams sitting on 61 points, four ahead of Norwich City and Coventry City.
For supporters, the magnitude of the game is clear. The club are expecting another sell-out despite the game being shown live on Sky Sports at 12:30pm, and a win would certainly create a clear gap between Millwall and the chasing pack, especially with Blackburn hosting promotion rivals Norwich at Ewood Park.
However, Rowett has once again been keen to play down the importance of the fixture in comparison to the rest of the Lions’ run-in, although he is hopeful that the game will be as exciting as the previous clash in Bedfordshire at the end of February.
“Everyone said the West Brom game was massive,” he told NewsAtDen.
“I said this before, every game is massive, every game is big, but we don’t treat it like it’s massive. We just treat it like the next game and the next opportunity to get three points.
“Luton have been playing really, really well and getting fabulous results. They’re deservedly in there [the top six].
“There are similarities between the teams in terms of the honesty, physicality and the way that we’re trying to push further than perhaps people would expect us to budget-wise, but Luton showed last year that you can do it.
“They’ll want to go one step further and we want to get in the top six and challenge also.
“It’ll be a good game, a tough game. We have a lot of respect for them and I think they’re very similar to us in different respects.
“It’ll be a game at home for us where we’ve got to go and try to perform.”
Millwall will be hoping to welcome back Tyler Burey [hip], Mason Bennett and Billy Mitchell [both ankle] over the Easter weekend, although Rowett does not want to rush them unless they are 100 percent fit to feature.
The manager is also waiting for an update on Charlie Cresswell, who is expected to miss the match with a fractured eye socket, allowing captain Shaun Hutchinson to return to the starting lineup.
Possible Millwall XI: 4-2-3-1: Long; McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper, Wallace; Leonard, Saville; Honeyman, Flemming, Voglsammer; Bradshaw
Match odds: Millwall 6/4 Draw 2/1 Luton 2/1
Last meeting: Championship (February 28th, 2023): Luton 2-2 Millwall (Adebayo 58, Berry 87; Flemming 4’, Bradshaw 52’)
Photo: Millwall FC