Preview: Millwall vs Birmingham City

Looking to avoid back-to-back home defeats, Millwall welcome playoff-chasing Birmingham City to The Den for a Championship clash on Wednesday night in the English capital.

The Lions suffered a shock loss against a rejuvenated Portsmouth side on the weekend, while Blues produced a statement result in East Anglia versus an in-form Norwich City outfit.

Match preview

Following an impressive five-game unbeaten league run (W3 D2) at The Den, Premier League hopefuls Millwall were sentenced to their first home loss since December 13 on Saturday afternoon, when a refreshed Portsmouth side picked up maximum points in the capital.

Keeping a league-high total of 12 clean sheets so far in 2025-26, the Lions were uncharacteristically poor at the back to allow strikes from Gustavo Caballero, John Swift and Marlon Pack to evade goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who was making his debut for the Londoners.

Despite witnessing the conclusion of their four-game undefeated spell in the second tier last time out, Alex Neil's side remain third in the Championship standings ahead of Wednesday's hosting of Birmingham, six points behind second-placed Middlesbrough, who dropped points at home to strugglers Oxford United over the weekend.

Known for their defensive solidity during their nine consecutive years in the division, the Lions have also proved an exciting attacking force in recent times, netting 10 goals across their last five Championship battles, including four during a home battering of Charlton Athletic on January 24.

Aiming to secure a place in the top flight for the first time since 1990, Millwall recruited a number of players with plenty of Championship success on their CVs, including Sunderland promotion-winning duo Patterson and youngster Tom Watson.

Following their severe struggles on the road during the first half of the campaign, Birmingham City have now recorded three straight away victories in the Championship for the first time since 2015 after beating Norwich at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.

Blues did all of their goalscoring damage to the playoff-dreaming Canaries within the opening 15 minutes of the East Anglian contest, with Carlos Vicente bagging his maiden strike in English football, before Marvin Ducksch scored his ninth league goal of 2025-26.

After a significant bolstering of their squad during the winter transfer window, Chris Davies's side are enjoying an eight-game unbeaten run (W5 D3) in the second tier and sit seventh in the Championship table, just two points behind fellow promoted side Wrexham in sixth.

Birmingham's ranks have undergone a major transformation since the 3-0 loss at Watford on New Year's Day, to the point where record signing Jay Stansfield is no longer assured of a starting spot in the league, with the Englishman benched in favour of August Priske on Saturday.

Facing a difficult assignment in the capital on Wednesday night, Blues will be looking to record their first victory at Millwall since April 2023, when club legend Lukas Jutkiewicz netted a first-half winner for a visiting side managed by current Derby County boss John Eustace.

Millwall Championship form: L W D W W L

Birmingham City Championship form: W D W W D W

Birmingham City form (all competitions): D W W D L W

Team News

Missing the Millwall squad due to illness over the weekend, striker Josh Coburn is a slight doubt for Wednesday night's Birmingham battle.

Making his debut for the Lions on Saturday, Sunderland loanee shot-stopper Patterson is likely to keep Max Crocombe on the bench once again.

The hosts are missing a pair of players with promotion-winning experience, as both Joe Bryan (toe) and Massimo Luongo (knee) remain in the medical room.

After a standout performance including eight saves on the weekend, James Beadle has cemented his status as first-choice goalkeeper for Birmingham.

Blues remain without the services of Paik Seung-Ho owing to a shoulder injury, meaning that Tomoki Iwata and Jhon Solis could be deployed as the midfield double pivot once again.

After heavy investment over the winter, Birmingham's squad is packed with quality, meaning that the likes of Stansfield, Tommy Doyle and Patrick Roberts could be forced to settle for spots on the bench at The Den.

Millwall possible starting lineup:

Patterson; Crama, Taylor, Cooper, Doughty; De Norre, Mitchell, Azeez, Neghli, Ballo; Coburn

Birmingham City possible starting lineup:

Beadle; Osayi-Samuel, Klarer, Panzo, Wagner; Solis, Iwata, Vicente, Ducksch, Gray; Priske

We say: Millwall 1-1 Birmingham City

After expending a lot of energy to keep Norwich at bay on the weekend, Birmingham might not be at their fluid best on Wednesday night.

Millwall will be desperate to respond following a shock home defeat, and we feel that a share of the points could be forthcoming between the promotion hopefuls.

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