Millwall Regain Second Spot in Championship with QPR Win

Millwall's blistering start propelled them to a 2-0 victory over QPR in the Sky Bet Championship, lifting them back into second place in the table. After a sluggish run of one win in five games, the Lions rediscovered their form with early goals from Derek Mazou-Sacko and Camiel Neghli, allowing them to dominate the London derby from the outset. Alex Neil's side now sit one point above Ipswich, who face Middlesbrough on Sunday, as the battle for Premier League promotion intensifies. Millwall took the lead after just three minutes when Mazou-Sacko scored his first goal for the club, finishing powerfully from outside the area after Femi Azeez's cross was cleared into his path. The hosts continued to dictate the pace, with Neghli doubling their lead in the 17th minute with a beautifully crafted shot into the far corner. QPR made four half-time substitutions, but Millwall still created opportunities, with Josh Coburn's header tipped over by Joe Walsh and Zak Sturge shooting into the side netting. The visitors finally began to pose a threat in the second half, with Ilias Chair, making his return from injury, coming close with a low shot from outside the area. Millwall nearly sealed a third goal when Coburn met Azeez's cross, but Walsh made a stunning save with his legs. QPR finally registered a shot on target in the 89th minute, but Anthony Patterson kept out Nikolas Madsen's effort to ensure a comfortable win for Millwall. Alex Neil praised his side's aggressive start, saying, 'We needed to get the fans onside, we needed to be aggressive, we needed to try and pin them in, sustain pressure.' Julien Stephan, meanwhile, lamented QPR's lack of intensity in the first half, saying, 'We struggled a lot and it was not a surprise to see the intensity of how they started the game.'