EFL Championship | Gameweek 41

Apr 8, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Bramall Lane

Sheff Utd vs Millwall

Match preview

Sheffield United return to Bramall Lane on Tuesday looking to get back to winning ways in the final round of the Championship's automatic promotion race after falling off the top of the table at the weekend.

The Blades are now second in the second tier despite having the highest points tally in the division, with a two-point deduction leaving them on 83 points from 40 games, having won 26 and lost just seven.

After going into the final international break of the season in March having won seven and lost just one of their previous nine games, culminating in a 1-0 win away to rivals Sheffield Wednesday, they returned to action at home to Coventry City and moved to the top of the table with a 3-1 triumph thanks to goals from Gustavo Hamer, Tyrese Campbell and Rhian Brewster.

A trip to Oxford United followed on Saturday, and after falling behind to Siriki Dembele's 38th-minute strike, Chris Wilder's side were unable to find an equaliser and left the Kassam Stadium empty-handed.

Sitting a point behind new leaders Burnley and one ahead of third-placed Leeds United with six games in hand and the worst goal difference of the leaders, Sheffield United will be looking to put the weekend's disappointment behind them and take a big step towards automatic promotion with a home win on Saturday.

The visitors, meanwhile, travel to South Yorkshire in search of a second successive win to boost their slim hopes of finishing in the top six.

In mid-February, Millwall looked destined for a mid-table finish in the Championship with 42 points from 33 games, but they have since won four of their last seven to move into the top six.

Having gone into the March international break with a home win over Stoke City, Alex Neil's side returned to action with a tough trip to fourth-placed Sunderland and came away empty-handed after failing to find an equaliser following Trai Hume's 20th-minute opener for the hosts.

Portsmouth then visited The Den on Saturday and the Lions climbed into ninth place with a crucial 2-1 home win as Mihailo Ivanovic opened the scoring on the hour mark and restored their lead three minutes from time after Andre Dozzell's equaliser.

Now six points adrift of sixth-placed Bristol City and fifth-placed Middlesbrough with six games to go, Millwall's play-off hopes are certainly dependent on a winning run to end the season, and they will be looking to make it three points in a row in Tuesday's tricky trip.

Recent Performance

Sheffield United Championship form:WWDWWL

Millwall Championship form:LWLWLW

Team News

Chris Wilder could make a number of changes to his Sheffield United starting line-up after the weekend's defeat, with defenders Harry Clarke and Rhys Norrington-Davies and midfielders Tom Davies and Oliver Arblaster still sidelined by injury.

He has options to freshen up the attacking unit, with Callum O'Hare, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Kieffer Moore and Tom Cannon all in contention for starting berths after Ben Brereton Diaz, Rhian Brewster and Gustavo Hamer backed up Tyrese Campbell on Saturday.

Elsewhere, key midfielder Vinicius Souza was fit enough to come off the bench after being sidelined by injury last time out and will be in contention to start alongside either Sydie Peck or Hamza Choudhury, with the latter possibly competing with Alfie Gilchrist and Femi Seriki for the right-back berth.

Millwall will be without key defender Japhet Tanganga, who was forced off with an injury in the first half of the weekend's win at Portsmouth, and will join Danny McNamara, Shaun Hutchinson, Camiel Neghli and Ra'ees Bangura-Williams in the treatment room.

In his and Hutchinson's absence, former Sheffield United man Ryan Leonard could move into a back four alongside Tristan Crama, Joe Bryan and core centre-back Jake Cooper, who has scored five goals in eight Championship appearances against Sheffield United.

Mihailo Ivanovic will continue to lead the line after taking his tally for the season to nine with a vital brace last time out, while Josh Coburn will be hoping to add to his tally despite competition from Macaulay Langstaff.

Possible starting lineup

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Souza, Peck; Rak-Sakyi, O'Hare, Hamer; Cannon

Millwall possible starting lineup:

Jensen; Leonard, Crama, Cooper, Bryan; Honeyman, De Norre, Saville, Connolly; Ivanovic, Coburn