Huge roars from the home crowd as more Millwall pressure forces Lewie Coyle to smash into touch in his own half. Big tackles going in.
Certainly more joy for Millwall in the last 10 minutes. The response from Hull. Tristan Crama flicks on the Lions corner at the near post but Hull are able to clear. Then Hull almost play themselves into danger as they give it away on the edge of their own area but Millwall can’t make the most of it. This is ten to the dozen stuff right now. Millwall come once more as Zak Sturge‘s cross from the left is deflected behind by Hull skipper Lewie Coyle. Hull are just trying to string together a few passes to take the sting out of it a little bit.
A half of two halves so far. Hull started well on top. Now it’s Millwall looking the more likely. Ivor Pandur is out of his Hull goal with a big punch to clear the Millwall corner. It comes straight to Camiel Neghli on the edge of the box but he shanks his first time effort well wide. This is much better than the first leg. Just need a goal to prove it now.
Millwall have suddenly stepped things up after a slightly shaky opening 20 minutes. Now it’s Camiel Neghli driving forward. He slips it out to Femi Azeez on the right again but Charlie Hughes makes an important block to prevent the cross. Corner to the Lions.
Much better from Femi Azeez. Unlike the other night, he’s put him [the defender] on his backside. I think he made the wrong choice with the dink [cross], knowing his players. But it’s much better from him tonight. Wonderful skill from Femi Azeez on the right as he beats his man and clips a cross to the back stick for Millwall but there is no-one there to meet it. And now another decent effort for Millwall! Femi Azeez stings the palms of Ivor Pandur with a shot from the angle.
Hull City are on the ropes a bit now, and are having to deal with this sudden burst of pressure from Millwall. The Millwall fans are getting behind their team. The Lions are trying to turn the screw now. The first real sight of the Hull goal for Millwall and they almost make the most of it! A beauty of a cross comes in from Femi Azeez on the right and there’s an almighty scramble in the box but Hull have bodies back on the line and somehow keep it out. John Egan was the man who got there to clear it.
It is one-way traffic at the moment for Hull, but they are not creating loads of chances though. The press is working for Hull, and we are forcing to them to go long, and then we are able to pick up the second ball well. Charlie Hughes meets the corner for Hull for the second set piece in succession. He flicks it on towards the back post and Matt Crooks can’t quite react in time to backheel it in. Nervy moments for Millwall.
Hull with another neat move to work it out to Lewie Coyle on the right. Coyle sends in a teasing cross but big Millwall skipper Jake Cooper is up to clear with his head. But it’s another Tigers corner.
It’s so difficult to play from congested moments because of how both teams play. Millwall aren’t going to build from the back and then have to pick up the second ball, which they are not doing well enough at the minute. Kyle Joseph is making a nuisance of himself up top for Hull. He puts pressure on Tristan Crama inside the Millwall half and forces Crama into a poor long pass into touch.
Hull City defender John Egan is going to have to watch his step now. He slides into a rash challenge on Camiel Neghli on halfway and goes into the book. In comes the corner from the left and Charlie Hughes meets it at the back post. A moment of hush descends around The Den as Hughes heads into the ground and it’s on target but Anthony Patterson makes a fairly comfortable save.
Quite a remarkable turnaround indeed for Hull, Richard, who avoided relegation to League One on goal difference last season. They’re looking lively here too as the Tigers win another corner.
Millwall had to settle for a goalless draw in Friday’s semi-final first leg against Hull after Ryan Leonard‘s late effort was ruled out for a foul. After extending their unbeaten run to six matches, Alex Neil‘s side will return to the familiar surroundings of The Den, where they have won four of their last six home outings without conceding (L2). In fact, Millwall recorded 11 clean sheets across their 23 home games in the 2025-26 campaign, one more than any other team in the second tier. While their strong backline gives them a foundation to build from, the Lions may be slightly concerned by the fact they have failed to win their last four home matches against Hull since a 2-1 victory in April 2022.
In contrast to their playoff opponents, Hull secured their playoff place on the last day of the season, when they pipped Wrexham to sixth spot with a narrow 2-1 victory over Norwich City. The Tigers have a history of success at this stage of a Championship season, having won promotion in both of their previous two second-tier playoff appearances in 2007-08 and 2015-16. However, they will have to do it the hard way if they are to progress to a Wembley final after failing to make the most of home advantage in Friday’s goalless affair, representing their fifth draw in the last eight outings (W1, L2). In fact, Sergej Jakirovic‘s side have won just three of their previous 13 matches, so they do not have form on their side ahead of Monday’s trip to The Den.
Having failed to win their last five road trips, Hull will head to the capital with hopes of claiming their first away win since beating Wrexham 2-1 at the Racecourse Ground on March 10. The Tigers have at least won their last two away games against Millwall, including a 3-1 success in December’s reverse fixture. Hull will be looking for a repeat of that strong attacking display, especially after they failed to show why they finished the season as the fifth-highest scorers in Friday’s home clash.
Millwall are unable to call upon the injured quartet of Lukas Jensen, Caleb Taylor, Daniel Kelly and Massimo Luongo. Neil is likely to keep changes to a minimum, although Barry Bannan could come into his thinking after putting in a bright performance in his late substitute appearance at the MKM Stadium. Josh Coburn will be hoping to retain his place ahead of Mihailo Ivanovic after shaking off a hip problem to play 86 minutes in the first leg.
As for Hull, they remain without the services of Eliot Matazo, Amir Hadziahmetovic and Cody Drameh, the latter of whom could return for the final if his teammates can secure a spot at Wembley. Jakirovic could opt for consistency and select an unchanged lineup as long as there are no fresh injury concerns ahead of Friday’s trip to The Den. Oli McBurnie will continue to offer Hull’s main goal threat after finishing the regular season as the league’s joint-second highest scorer with 17 goals in 38 matches.
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