Millwall boss Alex Neil wary of potential Leeds response after Portsmouth defeat

Millwall boss Alex Neil is expecting a strong response from Leeds United as his Millwall side head to Elland Road this evening.

Leeds suffered a rare setback on Sunday after falling to a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth — their first loss in the league since November’s 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers. The automatic promotion hopefuls will be looking to bounce back against the Lions.

Millwall, however, will take confidence from their recent record against Daniel Farke’s side, having already beaten them twice this season. A 1-0 victory at The Den in November was followed by an FA Cup fourth-round win in February.

Speaking after Saturday’s 2-1 win at Watford, Neil said: “You can look at it in two ways—we’ve sort of poked the bear, shall we say, and upset them a little bit,” he said. “Leeds are an outstanding team, they are competing for the title, and they have been the best team in the league this season when I have watched them.”

The Millwall head coach knows his side will have to be at their best to take something from the game but is confident in their ability to compete.

“It’s going to be a really tough match for us. We are confident. We go anywhere and give it a go. Will we play brilliantly every week? No, but what we will do is compete, fight, and hopefully, if we can play the way I know we can, then we can give ourselves an opportunity.”

PICTURE: ALAMY