Former Stoke City manager Alex Neil watched as Millwall surged back into the Championship's coveted top‑two positions, clinching a vital play‑off spot with a 3-1 triumph at the bet365 Stadium. The London side opened the scoring early, with Camiel Neghli delivering a first‑half goal that set the tone for the match. Their lead was doubled after 55 minutes when Femi Azeez, who has already found the net nine times this season, struck to make it 2-0.
Stoke's hopes were briefly revived when Caleb Taylor inadvertently turned the ball into his own net at the hour mark, but Millwall restored their dominance when Josh Coburn netted in the 69th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse from the home side. The win propelled Millwall three points clear of third‑placed Ipswich Town, who will travel to Charlton Athletic on Wednesday. Stoke, whose campaign has lost momentum with only two victories in their last ten fixtures, gave first‑team debuts to academy prospects Pijus Otegbayo and 18‑year‑old defender Syd Agina. The Potters nearly took the lead in the 12th minute when Anthony Patterson, making his first start since the start of the year, saved a shot from Robert Bozenik.
Millwall responded swiftly, and although Josh Coburn missed an early chance after a tempting cross from Tristan Crama, the visitors soon found the back of the net. Neghli, who had already scored in the previous game, demonstrated his finishing prowess after just 20 minutes. A clever left‑foot pass from Zak Sturge sliced through the Stoke defence, and when Eric Bocat failed to clear the ball, Neghli curled a superb rising strike into the net. Four minutes later, Neghli provided an assist, but Coburn's effort from seven yards flew over the bar.
Just before halftime, a mis‑directed pass from Crama gifted Lewis Baker an opportunity, yet the on‑loan Sunderland keeper Patterson kept the ball out with a comfortable save. The second half saw Patterson again thwart Millwall’s attempts, denying a volley from Tatsuki Seko after a corner delivered by Baker was not cleared properly.
Stoke continued to press, and Patterson made another crucial intervention to stop a shot from Million Manhoef. The atmosphere among the 1,302 travelling Millwall supporters brightened when Azeez doubled the lead, firing a powerful left‑foot shot from just outside the penalty area that left Stoke goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu with no chance.
Stoke attempted a quick response when substitute Lamine Cissé, with his first touch, flicked the ball into the six‑yard box. An accidental touch from Taylor wrong‑footed Patterson, but Coburn eventually restored the margin, scoring his third of the night after Bocat’s mis‑clearance set up Neghli, who added his tenth goal of the campaign.
After the match, Alex Neil expressed frustration with his squad, stating, "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 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." Neil also highlighted the significance of the achievement, saying, "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 second‑tier tally) with two games remaining has been a dream season for us in terms of what our expectations would have been." The match also featured promotional elements, noting that a £250,000 prize is available via the Super 6 competition, which remains free to enter until the deadline at 3 pm on Saturday. The Sky Sports app and NOW platform were highlighted for viewers wanting to watch the EFL action live.
Overall, Millwall's comprehensive victory not only secured a crucial three points but also reaffirmed their status as serious contenders for automatic promotion, while Stoke City must regroup quickly to halt their slide and rediscover the form that once made them early season frontrunners.