Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
Derby County have a new manager, but that has yet to spark an upturn in form as they remain in the relegation zone. In fact, things looked slightly better under the interim coach, with two draws before John Eustace took over. Millwall, meanwhile, are stuck in mid-table with little to play for at this stage of the season.
Derby County
Derby County are now led by John Eustace, who was recently dismissed by Blackburn Rovers. His debut as manager was one to forget, as Derby were thrashed by Queens Park Rangers (4:0). The only mitigating factor was that the game was away from home. Their away record is woeful, sitting 22nd in the league with just one win from 17 matches. Their home form isn’t much better—21st in the standings with six wins and three draws from 16 games. More concerning is their recent scoring drought at Pride Park—five consecutive home matches without a goal, all finishing under 2.5 goals. Unsurprisingly, they have failed to win any of those, picking up just one draw.
Millwall
Millwall are reverting to their trademark low-scoring football. Their last two matches ended 1:1, both at home against West Bromwich Albion and away to Preston North End. Across their last eight matches, five have seen under 2.5 goals, with those defensive-minded performances consistently earning them points. Beating Millwall often requires more than just one or two goals—Cardiff City found that out in a 2:2 draw. However, that remains more of an exception rather than the rule.
Derby County vs Millwall Prediction
Despite Derby being slight favourites, it’s difficult to believe in them given their attacking struggles. With such poor goal-scoring form, winning looks like wishful thinking. Millwall should avoid defeat, and goals will be scarce in what is likely to be another scrappy contest.
