Neil Harris’ men were brought back down to Earth last weekend with a 2-0 defeat by Blackburn after a perfect festive period.

Looking for their fifth successive win they put on an uninspired display and a performance that lacked creativity.

Looking to redeem themselves to the Lions faithful they’ll travel to promotion chasing Middlesbrough in what will be a tough encounter with one of the power houses of Championship football.

Tony Pulis’ men have overcome an indifferent set of results over Christmas, picking up a solid point at Derby and a win at Birmingham last weekend which puts them fifth in the Championship.

They’re quality is undoubted as early season results suggest, wins at West Brom and two in Sheffield don’t come easily.

The last meeting saw the sides play out a 2-2 draw at The Den in the opening fixture of the season, a game that’s hard to forget. Millwall, two up at the break thanks to Aiden O’Brien and Lee Gregory strikes, surrendered their lead in the final three minutes as Martin Braithwaite and George Friend’s goals snatched a point.

Another splash of interest is that of George Saville. The midfielder who served Harris so well is starting to flourish at The Riverside since his £7million move, and the Lions fans will know all to well of the quality he possesses.

Millwall’s ‘Head to Head’ with Middlesbrough:

PL:44 W:19 D:12 L:23

Middlesbrough (League) form guide:

PL:17 W:12 D:10 L:5

Last six results: LWLWDW

READ: Harris names potential leavers this January

Recent Results

Boro’s last outing saw them take three points from Birmingham at St Andrews.

Goals from Lewis Wing and Britt Assombalonga gave the north east outfit the points in a 2-1 win.

It seems Boro were given a taste of their own medicine by Birmingham with Pulis describing their style as ‘very direct’ post-match.

It very nearly paid off too, and could be the way to get at the Boro backline who seem to struggle at home this season compared to ventures away from the Riverside.

Star Man

 

Dael Fry has been superb this season.

Its no surprise that Tony Pulis’ side have the best defensive record in the division.

Conceding just 8 goals at home they are very difficult to break down.

With a backline consisting of George Friend, Daniel Ayala and Danny Batth, there is enough physicality and experience there to cope with all the aerial prowess Millwall will throw their way.

Slotting in at right back, 21-year-old Fry is showing that this season he is ready to make the step up to playing regularly and at a high level. Higher possibly if you believe the rumours of Celtic and Liverpool chasing his signature.

Pulis described the youngster best:

“Dael could be as good as he wants to be,” he said.

“He’s quick, he’s got two great feet, he’s got great pace and technically he’s a very, very good player. “

The Manager

 

Some Boro fans aren’t convinced by Pulis despite the league position they find themselves in.

The style of Pulis’ play will never change, and that’s why he faces a fan backlash every so often.

All you need to know is that they’ve scored the fifth fewest in the league this season, and sitting fifth showcases the dependency on the defensive side of their game.

In Millwall however they face a side who’ve conceded the third most in the league, so you would expect Boro to exploit that.

Pulis on Millwall:

“Millwall are Millwall.

“They’ve got a very good manager in Neil Harris there who is steeped in the traditions of the club. “Him and his assistant are the right people for the job. They have the support of the chairman and the respect of the fans.

“And they have got some good players there too. It’s a bit of a surprise that they haven’t done as well as they might have this season but it wouldn’t surprise me if they came through in the second half of the season.

On George Saville:

 

“George Saville has done well over the last few weeks as we expected he would.

“He took some time to settle into the club as sometimes happens with players but he has started to settle now and we are seeing the results.

“He has integrated with the group more now.”

Kick off is at 3pm Saturday.