Millwall were left to accept a spot in the Sky Bet Championship play‑offs despite wrapping up the regular season with a convincing 2‑0 win over relegated Oxford United. Femi Azeez was the hero of the day, netting both goals for the Lions as they secured third place in the league table. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town’s 3‑0 triumph over QPR at Portman Road confirmed that the Tractor Boys would join Coventry City in the Premier League for the upcoming season. Although missing out on automatic promotion was a disappointment, reaching the second‑tier play‑offs for the first time since 2002 is a noteworthy milestone for Millwall.
The Lions will now travel to Hull City for the semi‑final, after Hull snatched the sixth‑place slot on the final day of the campaign. The news of Ipswich’s early promotion dampened the optimism of the home crowd, many of whom had arrived at The Den hoping to witness a second promotion to the top flight – a feat that would have been historic for the club. Nonetheless, the atmosphere remained lively as the Lions pressed forward.
Oxford United created the first genuine opening of the match after 11 minutes when their leading scorer, Will Lankshear, received a well‑timed pass from Stanley Mills and turned it into the box. Shortly thereafter, Mihailo Ivanović rose to meet a cross from Zak Sturge, but the ball was cleared and Millwall’s hopes of sealing automatic promotion began to fade as the Suffolk‑based side’s news filtered through the stadium.
Sturge himself came close to giving the Lions the lead midway through the first half; his powerful strike was deflected over the bar by Oxford defender Hidde ter Avest. The hosts then broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. Camiel Neghli surged forward, laid the ball off to Ivanović, who found Azeez on the flank. The winger’s low drive flew into the top corner, marking his tenth goal of the season and putting Millwall ahead.
Four minutes later Millwall almost doubled their advantage when Azeez’s cross floated over the defense and ricocheted off the far post, only to be cleared by the visitors. The second half began with the Lions extending their lead three minutes in.
Barry Bannan supplied a well‑timed pass to Sturge, whose ball was flicked across the face of goal and tapped in by Azeez at the back post for his second of the match. Oxford attempted to respond, with Casper De Norre unleashing a shot from outside the area that sailed over the bar, illustrating that the home side were creating chances at will. Azeez, clearly enjoying his day, displayed skillful dribbling before setting up Neghli, whose effort was saved by Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming; a follow‑up from Thierno Ballo struck the side netting. Millwall continued to threaten.
Ryan Leonard’s volley looked certain to find the near post, but Cumming produced a smart save to keep the scores level. Oxford managed a rare chance of their own when Mark Harris headed the ball, only for Millwall keeper Anthony Patterson to make a crucial parry, preserving the clean sheet.
The match report also highlighted the upcoming play‑off fixtures, noting the first‑leg and second‑leg dates for the semi‑finals. After the final whistle, Millwall manager Alex Neil praised his squad, saying, "It’s been a brilliant season, the lads have been absolutely first class.
I thought we won the game comfortably today – the only thing I’ll probably look at is that we could have scored more goals. It would have been nice, but another clean sheet, another three points, that’s 83 points, 24 wins – it’s been brilliant.
I’m not going to lie; there’s always disappointment when you have a bigger prize in front of you. Every team can think ‘could we have won this game, could we have stopped that chance, could we have taken that opportunity?’ but that’s not a healthy way to think.
We focus on what we did to win, and we won quite comfortably." Oxford’s manager Matt Bloomfield echoed the sentiment, acknowledging Millwall’s superiority on the day: "I thought Millwall were excellent, which was no surprise given the circumstances and atmosphere. They showed every element of a team capable of reaching the Premier League. They were fantastic – they had legs, energy, and played forward with purpose. We were beaten by a better side, not because of a lack of effort.
The boys gave us everything over the last four months, but unfortunately we fell short. We had a good chance early on and started the game alright, but our intensity dropped a little and Millwall stepped on. It was always going to be tough against a team with so much to play for and such an incredible atmosphere inside the ground." Beyond the match, the article mentioned a promotional offer: a £250,000 prize pool available through the Super 6 competition, free to enter with entries due by 3 pm on Saturday. The piece concluded by encouraging fans to download the Sky Sports app and watch EFL action on Sky with NOW, underscoring the ongoing excitement surrounding the Championship play‑offs and the broader football season.