A scintillating start from Millwall paved the way for a convincing 2-0 victory over QPR in the Sky Bet Championship, propelling them back into second place in the standings. Following a recent slump with only one win from their last five outings, the Lions' promotion aspirations had stalled, but they regained momentum thanks to early strikes from Derek Mazou-Sacko and Camiel Neghli, dominating the London derby from the outset. With this win, Alex Neil's side edged one point ahead of Ipswich, who are set to host fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough on Sunday, as the battle for a Premier League spot next season intensifies. Millwall took the lead after just three minutes when Mazou-Sacko capitalized on a loose ball from Femi Azeez's cross, firing a powerful shot past QPR's goalkeeper Joe Walsh from outside the area.
This marked the French midfielder's first goal for the club, easing the nerves of the home supporters who had witnessed their team lose their last two home games. The hosts continued to assert their dominance, with Tristan Crama heading over from Casper De Norre's cross within the first seven minutes. Millwall's relentless pressure yielded their second goal in the 17th minute, as Neghli scored with a beautifully crafted shot into the far corner after being set up by Mazou-Sacko. The Lions continued to create scoring opportunities, with Neghli narrowly missing his second goal when his shot cleared the crossbar, and Josh Coburn's header from Azeez's cross being tipped over by Walsh.
QPR made four half-time substitutions in an attempt to turn the game around, and although they showed some improvement in the second half, with Rumarn Burrell and Ilias Chair coming close to scoring, Millwall remained in control. The hosts came close to sealing a third goal when Coburn met Azeez's ball into the box, only to be denied by Walsh's impressive leg save. QPR finally managed a shot on target in the 89th minute, but Nikolas Madsen's effort from 25 yards was kept out by Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
Post-match, Millwall's Alex Neil expressed his satisfaction with the team's aggressive start, noting that they had successfully pinned QPR back and sustained pressure. He felt they deserved more than a two-goal lead at halftime but was pleased with how they managed the game.
QPR's Julien Stephan acknowledged his team's lack of intensity in the first half, which made it difficult for them to compete. He made significant changes at halftime, which improved their performance in the second half, though not enough to change the outcome.