Millwall's impressive start paved the way for a crucial 2-0 victory over QPR at The Den, propelling them back into second place in the Championship table. The Lions had struggled with just one win in their previous five matches, but goals from Derek Mazou-Sacko and Camiel Neghli in the early stages of the game allowed them to dominate the London derby. Alex Neil's side now sits one point above Ipswich, who are set to host Middlesbrough on Sunday, as the battle for Premier League promotion intensifies.
The hosts took the lead after just three minutes when Mazou-Sacko capitalized on a loose ball to score his first goal for the club, calming the nerves of the home fans who had witnessed their team lose their last two home games. Millwall continued to press and doubled their lead in the 17th minute, with Neghli scoring a superb goal after being set up by Mazou-Sacko. The Lions created numerous chances throughout the game, with Josh Coburn's header being tipped over by QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh, while Zak Sturge's shot went into the side netting. QPR made four half-time substitutions and saw an improvement in the second half, with Rumarn Burrell heading wide from a cross and Ilias Chair, who made his return from injury, coming close to scoring with a low shot from outside the area.
Millwall's attacking threat diminished in the second half, but they came close to a third goal when Coburn met Femi Azeez's ball into the box, only for Walsh to make a spectacular save with his legs. It wasn't until the 89th minute that QPR registered a shot on target, with Nikolas Madsen's effort from 25 yards being kept out by Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Millwall manager Alex Neil expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, stating that they needed to start strongly and be aggressive to get the fans on their side. QPR boss Julien Stephan attributed his team's struggles to a lack of intensity in the first half and acknowledged the need to manage the playing time of players returning from long injuries.