The third round of the FA Cup dishes up an all-Championship clash on Saturday afternoon, as Millwall welcome high-flying Leicester City to the Den.
With 26 matches in the books, Leicester find themselves at the summit of the Championship table – 10 points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town and 33 points above 15th-placed Millwall.
Always ready 🧤Mads with a big #LEIHUD save. pic.twitter.com/OHHU7okW0r— Leicester City (@LCFC) January 3, 2024
Always ready 🧤Mads with a big #LEIHUD save. pic.twitter.com/OHHU7okW0r
The Foxes won the first two FA Cup meetings between the teams, but the Lions have won the previous three. Can Enzo Maresca’s men level the head-to-head this weekend?
Millwall head into Saturday’s showdown on the back of a 1-0 victory over Bristol City, courtesy of a 92nd-minute winner from Shaun Hutchinson.
As a result, the Lions are now enjoying a three-game winning streak, having also defeated Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City without conceding a goal.
Better still, Millwall have avoided defeat in each of their last five matches, registering three wins, two draws and four consecutive clean sheets.
Boasting a four-game unbeaten streak on home soil, Joe Edwards’ men will fancy their chances of frustrating the high-flying Foxes at the Den.
As for Leicester, they thrashed Huddersfield Town 4-1 last time out, with Tom Cannon bagging a brace in the rout.
That victory extended the Foxes’ unbeaten run to 10 matches, with eight wins, two draws and four clean sheets coming since their last loss.
Remarkably, Leicester have lost just three of their 26 Championship clashes since suffering relegation from the Premier League, picking up 21 wins and two draws in the process.
Boasting the best offensive record and the strongest defensive record in the second tier, Maresca’s men will be confident of reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Head-to-head: When Leicester hosted Millwall in the league last month, the Foxes claimed a 3-2 victory over the Lions at the King Power Stadium.
Across all competitions, Leicester have won four of their previous five meetings with Millwall, although the Lions claimed a 1-0 victory in the FA Cup back in 2017.
Team news: Millwall look set to be without the injured duo of Casper De Norre and Wes Harding for the foreseeable future.
On the flip side, Leicester’s Kasey McAteer will miss Saturday’s clash due to injury, while Jamie Vardy is a doubt after picking up a knock.
When you consider the 33-point gulf between Leicester and Millwall in the Championship, it is difficult to make a case for the hosts.
Forebet predicts that Leicester City will book their place in the fourth round with a low-scoring, clean-sheet victory at the Den.