[2026-27 English Championship] West Bromwich Albion vs Millwall Preview and Analysis Kick-off: 7 November, 15:00 UTC
West Bromwich Albion’s main attacking route down the left will meet a gap in Millwall’s right-side defence. The hosts also have to field a new centre-back pairing with captain George Campbell unavailable.
1. Match overview and team form
West Bromwich Albion were involved in three goals against West Ham United through Isaac Price’s forward passes, crosses from the left and corners. West Ham’s struggles to deal with crosses and corners also played a part in those goals. West Bromwich Albion then scored once apiece against Preston North End and Southampton despite recording more than 2 expected goals in each game. Manager James Morrison said after the Preston match that his side had not been sharp enough in attacking areas (The Nutsford Guardian). The hosts’ five-match unbeaten run reflects both their ability to create chances and their failure to turn enough of them into goals.
Southampton did not manage a shot in the first half against West Bromwich Albion’s press. They hit back after the break and equalised with a goal following a cross and a headed pass. Captain Campbell picked up a groin injury in that match and was substituted at half-time. He will miss this game (The 72, 6 November). Nathaniel Phillips, who has played 885 minutes this season, is expected to partner Chris Mepham at centre-back. Campbell’s absence alone does not explain the goal conceded against Southampton, but the new pairing will have to deal with Millwall’s runs in behind.
Millwall lost 3-0 away to Birmingham City. Manager Alex Neil said all three goals came from transitions and his side lacked a clinical edge (Southwark News, 4 November). They conceded after failing to clear a free-kick just 49 seconds into the match, then missed a chance to equalise before conceding again on the counter. In their 4-1 win over Derby County, meanwhile, Kyrell Lisbie cut inside from the left to score, while Luke Cundle ran in behind the defence and found the net. Millwall can use those movements again if they play through the hosts’ press.
Both Tristan Crama and Ryan Leonard are unavailable at right-back (Southwark News, 3 November). Jordi Osei-Tutu is expected to fill in there (Sports Mole, 5 November). Max Crocombe will also continue in goal in place of the usual absentees. Both teams are heading into the international break after their third match in eight days. West Bromwich Albion played Southampton at home in one of their previous two games and are at home again. Millwall are on the road again after their trip to Birmingham City.
2. Matchup analysis
Price sends forward passes and crosses from the left for West Bromwich Albion, with Callum Styles also joining the attack down that side. Millwall are without their two first-choice right-backs, so Osei-Tutu looks set to face that threat. A compact Millwall defence should make it harder for West Bromwich Albion to score several goals from opponents’ mistakes, as they did against West Ham United. Still, with Price supplying the flank and taking corners, Millwall will need to be alert at set pieces after failing to clear their lines from a free-kick against Birmingham City.
At the other end, Lisbie and Cundle provide Millwall’s attacking threat. If West Bromwich Albion press early and push their defensive line up, Millwall can play through the press, send Lisbie inside from the flank or find Cundle in behind. Phillips and Mepham will have to stop those runs. The Hard Tackle expected West Bromwich Albion to press early and Millwall to defend deep before countering (6 November). Recent performances from both sides support that matchup.
The half-time score could shape how the rest of the game unfolds. In their last 20 matches, West Bromwich Albion won five and drew one of the six games in which they led at half-time. Millwall won only one of the 12 games in which they were not ahead at the break (DataCentre). Those records relate to the score at half-time, not the order in which goals were scored. If Millwall hold out through the first half, both teams will face the second half of a busy run of fixtures, and the West Bromwich Albion defence that allowed Southampton back into the game will be tested again. The fact that all four of the recent head-to-heads at The Den ended 0-0 does not explain how these current players attack and defend.
3. Verdict and conclusion
We expect West Bromwich Albion to win by one goal, using their left-sided attack and early press, with Millwall also getting on the scoresheet. Millwall’s makeshift right side is directly in the path of Price and Styles. If the hosts lead at half-time, Millwall’s recent record suggests they will struggle to turn the result around. West Bromwich Albion have scored less than their chances warranted in their last two draws, though, and the defence will have to contain Millwall’s runs in behind after the break without Campbell.
The market has taken account of West Bromwich Albion’s sixth-place position and five-match unbeaten run, along with Millwall conceding three against Birmingham City, but it has not made the hosts clear favourites. There is good reason for caution given the hosts’ finishing problems. We put less weight on the recent 0-0 head-to-heads at The Den. Those matches involved different players and the scorelines alone tell us little about how they played. Today, Millwall’s makeshift right side has to deal directly with the hosts’ main attacking route.
Our view would change if Millwall withstand the early press and score first. If Lisbie’s inward run or Cundle’s movement in behind leads to the opener, West Bromwich Albion will have to chase the game with their recent finishing issues still unresolved.
[Final picks · by market · Betman market] Full-time result: Home win. The hosts can target Millwall’s right side, which is missing both first-choice players, and Millwall have struggled to turn games around when they are not ahead at half-time. Handicap -1: Draw. The hosts win, but they have not scored as many goals as their chances warrant recently, and they concede once after the break with Campbell missing, leaving a one-goal margin. Over/under 2.5: Over. The hosts create chances for two goals, while Millwall score once with a run in behind after the press eases in the second half.
