Preview: Millwall vs. Leeds United – prediction, team news, lineups

Both aiming to continue impressive unbeaten streaks at the top end of the Championship table, Millwall and Leeds United will square off at The Den on Wednesday.

The hosts moved within two points of the playoff spots with a third straight victory on Sunday, while their visitors climbed into the top two with a win of their own.

Match preview

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Millwall head back to The Den on Wednesday aiming to continue a fine run of Championship form, having moved within touching distance of the top six with a fine run since the October international break.

The Lions headed into the break with nine points on the board from their first nine outings, and they have since extended an unbeaten streak to five matches on their return, firstly playing out a 1-1 draw with Derby County before recording three consecutive wins.

Neil Harris‘s side have kept clean sheets in each of those matches, firstly picking up their third and fourth three-point hauls of the season at home to Plymouth Argyle and away at Swansea City, before most recently facing a tough test against second-placed Burnley at The Den on Sunday.

Jake Coope opened the scoring in the 52nd minute of that contest, and the London outfit stood strong to see out another narrow triumph, leaving them with the sixth-fewest goals conceded in England’s second tier so far this season having still only shipped 12 in 13 matches.

Now only trailing sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion by two points and the Championship’s top four by four, Millwall will bid to make it four league wins on the bounce to further strengthen their standing.

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They face another difficult task, though, as the visitors travel to London in a rich vein of form aiming to pull away in the automatic promotion spots.

Leeds United head to The Den on Wednesday as another of the Championship’s form sides, having enjoyed a strong start to their promotion bid under the management of Daniel Farke, currently sitting second having earned 26 points from their first 13 outings.

Indeed, the Whites have excelled at both ends of the pitch with only two sides having scored more than their 22 goals and only two having conceded fewer than the eight that Farke’s men have allowed, including eight clean sheets across the 13 matches.

Their only league defeat of the campaign thus far came against Burnley in mid-September, and they have since recorded five victories and three draws, most recently making it three three-point hauls in four games with a return to winning ways at home to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday as Daniel James, Joel Piroe and Brenden Aaronson netted first-half goals in a 3-0 beating.

Having moved up to second spot with that triumph, Leeds United will now bid to make it nine games unbeaten in the league and seven away from home with another three-point haul on Wednesday.

Millwall Championship form:

Leeds United Championship form:

Team News

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Millwall will remain without midfielder Billy Mitchell and attacker Tom Bradshaw on Wednesday due to injury issues, whie Josh Coburn and Shaun Hutchinson returned to contention on Sunday after their own layoffs.

Neil Harris will be forced into one change at the back from their victory over Burnley, with Joe Bryan serving a one-match suspension after picking up a fifth yellow card of the season last time out, meaning Murray Wallace will likely come in to join Japhet Tanganga, Jake Cooper and Ryan Leonard in a back four.

Elsewhere, George Saville and Casper De Norre will continue their midfield partnership, while Duncan Watmoer, who leads the squad with five Championship goals this season, will compete for a starting spot in attack after Femi Azeez, George Honeyman and Romain Esse supported Macaulay Langstaff at the weekend.

Leeds United continue to contend with several injuries of their own heading into Wednesday’s trip, with midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev and winger Largie Ramazani set to remain sidelined.

Joshua Guilavogui will compete for a first start in midfield after making his debut off the bench on Saturday, but Farke should stick with the pairing of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell in the engine room in the absence of Gruev and Ampadu, while Jayden Bogle will retake his spot on the right-hand side of the defence after serving a suspension against Plymouth.

There is competition for attacking spots even in the absence of Ramazani, and Joel Piroe should again get the nod over Mateo Joseph to lead the line after netting gis fifth league goal of the season at the weekend, while Manor Solomon will hope to come in on the wing and displace either Willy Gnonto or Daniel James.

Millwall possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Leonard, Hutchinson, Tanganga, Wallace; De Norre, Saville; Esse, Honeyman, Azeez; Langstaff

Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Firpo; Rothwell, Tanaka; Gnonto, Aaronson, James; Piroe

We say: Millwall 1-1 Leeds United

With both sides facing one of their toughest tests yet in the Championship, we anticipate a tight encounter at The Den on Wednesday.

While Leeds United have more quality in their ranks, Millwall may have enough to come away with a result with confidence growing in the camp.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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