Former Stoke City manager Alex Neil watched as Millwall surged back into the Championship’s top two, securing a vital play‑off berth with a 3‑1 victory at the bet365 Stadium. The London side took the initiative early, with Camiel Neghli delivering the opening goal and establishing a first‑half lead. Femi Azeez, who was on a fine scoring run, doubled the advantage after 55 minutes, marking his ninth league goal of the campaign.
A defensive mishap from Caleb Taylor, who inadvertently put the ball into his own net on the hour‑mark, gave Stoke a brief glimmer of hope, but Josh Coburn restored Millwall’s two‑goal cushion with a composed finish in the 69th minute, exploiting a lapse in the home side’s defending. The win propelled Millwall three points clear of third‑placed Ipswich Town, who travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday to try and close the gap.
Stoke, whose early‑season promise has faded dramatically – they have managed only two victories in their last ten fixtures – handed first‑team debuts to academy prospects Pijus Otegbayo and 18‑year‑old defender Syd Agina. The Potters threatened to take an early lead when Anthony Patterson, making his first start since the start of the year, saved a low shot from Robert Bozenik in the 12th minute. Millwall responded quickly, but Josh Coburn missed an early chance after a tempting cross from Tristan Crama.
Neghli, however, showed why he has become a key figure for the Lions. Just twenty minutes into the match, he struck a superb left‑footed, rising drive after receiving a teasing centre‑ball from Zak Sturge on the left. The ball curled past the outstretched hands of Stoke’s keeper, giving Millwall a deserved lead. Four minutes later Neghli was involved again, this time setting up Coburn, who missed a close‑range effort from seven yards.
As the first half progressed, Crama’s wayward pass allowed Lewis Baker a chance on goal, but Patterson, now on loan from Sunderland, made a fine save from the 25‑yard strike. The second half began with Stoke pressing for an equaliser. After 48 minutes Patterson was beaten, but his right‑hand upright saved a powerful volley from Tatsuki Seko that followed a corner delivered by Baker.
Stoke continued to apply pressure, and Patterson again denied a clear‑cut chance from Millwall forward Million Manhoef. The tension eased for the 1,302 travelling Millwall supporters when Azeez, the Lions’ prolific winger, struck his second goal of the afternoon, firing a left‑footed shot from just outside the box that left goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu with no chance.
Stoke answered immediately. Substitute Lamine Cissé, on his first touch, flicked the ball into the six‑yard area, where an unfortunate mis‑touch by Taylor wrong‑footed Patterson, allowing the ball to slip through. Yet Millwall’s resilience shone through as Coburn, now on his third attempt, finally found the net after a defensive error by Stoke defender Eric Bocat, who had inadvertently set up Neghli for his tenth league goal of the season. After the match, Alex Neil, who had previously managed Millwall before taking over at Stoke, expressed his frustration with his current side: "I am sick of teams who come here and look ordinary and take the points.
This is a team going for automatic promotion so it gives me loads of food for thought. It has been poor for a while. Summer can't come soon enough, that's for sure. There are too many at the moment choosing not to give everything.
I have got plenty to do. It was not good enough so you have to change things and change the way you go about it. It is a season that promised so much at the start and has delivered nothing.
It is really difficult to get excited about. In the interim we have had decent performances in a season that hasn't panned out to the level we wanted it to." Millwall’s Alex Neil, speaking about his own side’s achievement, said: "We will fight to the end and see where it takes us.
It is the biggest achievement the club has had in the last 24 or 25 years and we still have two games to play. We have our eye on what the next two games look like. We need to try and win those games and let's see what happens elsewhere.
The fact we are in the fight for automatic promotion is an incredible achievement for this team, this club and everyone connected with it. If we end up in the play‑offs we will give it our best shot. There is so much to like about this team and I'm privileged I have this opportunity to coach them.
For us to be on 79 points – Millwall's second‑highest tally in the second tier – with two games remaining has been a dream season for us in terms of what our expectations would have been." The result also has financial implications for fans, as a £250,000 prize is on offer through the Super 6 competition, with entries closing at 3 pm on Saturday. The victory not only cements Millwall’s position in the promotion race but also highlights the stark contrast between a club on the cusp of top‑flight football and a Stoke side struggling to find consistency after a promising start to the season.
As the Championship enters its final stretch, both teams will look to the remaining fixtures to define their destinies – Millwall aiming for automatic promotion, and Stoke hoping to spark a revival and avoid a disappointing finish to their campaign.