Millwall will travel to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this Wednesday to face Queens Park Rangers, with both clubs looking to breathe down the necks of teams above them in the table.
Coming out victorious in this matchup will allow for some intensely interesting dynamics play-off wise, with story lines likely to flow as we head into the last nine games of Championship action.
Victory for the Lions would leave them six points clear of QPR on 52 points and, more importantly, see them pull away from the midtable pack, catapulting themselves back into playoff contention and sat just one-point shy of 9th place Middlesbrough- who they play Saturday.
Reaction Needed
Hoops supporters will be expecting an immense response from their side after an embarrassing 1-0 home defeat to relegation contenders Huddersfield Town, where the team only managed four shots over 90 minutes.
Defending their honour at home shouldn’t be the only driving force behind a quality QPR performance, as three points would level them with those pesky Lions and leave them with a game in hand in the process.
Picking Up Points
It seems as though every single clash in the closing stages of this unpredictable Championship season is classed as a ‘must win’, but this contest stands out as season-defining for both teams.
Anything other than triumph for either fanbase would shatter the already unrealistic dreams of a miraculous late playoff push, leaving both sides playing for pride as the season comes to a close.
The R’s Main Men:
Ilias Chair, former winger turned attacking midfielder, is flourishing in his new role, topping the scoring charts for Rangers with seven goals and an assist to his name.
Chair, 23, is an integral cog in the QPR machine, using his short stature and agility to blitz past his man and bomb in-behind the defensive line, usually finishing with aplomb.
Charlie Austin, who had topped QPR’s scoring list with seventeen the last time they were in the Premier League, is currently sat at five goals for the season.
It’s clear when watching Austin that his injury history has caught up to him, arguably no longer with the turn of pace that made him such a threat against some of England’s best clubs, but that’s to be expected at 31 years old.
However, his elite level of finishing remains his key attribute, along with Austin’s top-flight experience, understanding and overall relationship with the club which make him an invaluable asset for manager Mark Warburton.
What Do Lion’s Fans Expect?
I spoke with lifelong Lion’s fan, Neil Carmichael, about his expectations for the midweek clash, telling me, “you get the feeling whoever loses is done and dusted in the playoff race”, continuing, “we’ve both struggled for goals, so I doubt it’ll be a classic”.
Neil really reinforces the nervy feeling that will be flowing through the veins of both sets of fans as kick-off approaches, expecting more of a war of tactics as opposed to a thrilling free flowing game.
“Beating another London club is always an added bonus, it was 1-1 last time, but yeah I think we’ll scrape the three points on Wednesday… if we can score.”
When discussing the impact that central attacking midfielder, Jed Wallace, has had on the club this season, Neil stated, “where would we be without him? He’s one of the only ones that seems to show up no matter the result.”
Wallace has had a remarkable individual season, topping both the scoring (7) and assist (4) charts for the club with the majority of his contributions coming at pivotal moments for the side, earning the respect of the fans.
Injury News
Injuries have become a key talking point surrounding the season, and both teams have their fair share.
The hosts have three players ruled out for the visit of Millwall. Thomas Carroll (ligament), Charlie Owens (knee) and long-term absentee Luke Amos (ACL) are all unavailable.
The visitors have four injury concerns ahead of the trip to QPR: Connor Mahoney (muscle), Maikel Kieftenbeld (hamstring), Ryan Leonard (ankle) and Kenneth Zohore (ankle) are all unavailable.
Back To The Game
Although doubted to be a goal-fest, the game is set up to be an enthralling late-night event in terms of its significance, with the end result drastically shifting the balance of power throughout the Championship table – tune in this Wednesday at 7pm.
Photo Credit: Grab taken from ‘QPR 1-1 Millwall, Malone Scores and Millwall fans go wild’ (Federico Farcomeni YouTube, 2014) – https://youtu.be/dw0u4L5yiDI
