'Perfect opponents' - Pundit makes Millwall vs Watford prediction amid Alex Neil demand

Millwall return to action when they face Watford at home on Monday night, and Alex Neil’s men will go in search of their first league win of the season having picked up their two wins away from home this season.

The Lions have had a mixed start so far, winning twice, drawing once and losing twice, and they will want to improve their form sooner rather than later. That record is not a worrying one, but it’s certainly not a playoff record, and while there is time to improve in a long season, Neil will want his side to find some consistency, and especially at home following two defeats to kick off the campaign.

Monday’s opponents are Watford, who have had a difficult start to the season, picking up only five points from their first five games, and this could be the game to spark a better run of form at The Den for Millwall. That’s what Alan Prutton thinks, telling the Essential EFL Podcast: “I just think, given what I've seen of Millwall, given that Alex [Neil] will want those points accrued at home, it seems to me that Watford, the visitors on Monday night, are the perfect opponents. 2-1 to Millwall."

Lions boss Neil has been clear that he wants to see better form at home, and he believes there is a sense of urgency to get going on home turf. “We beat Coventry in the cup,” Neil told Southwark News last week. “I know it’s not a league game, but we’ve only played two league games at home. We had ample opportunity against Middlesbrough in the first half. We had two really good chances, we hit the inside of the post, we had one cleared off the line, we should score. Then to be fair, in the last 30 minutes they were better.

“Then against Wrexham, I felt as if we should have won the game. We just didn’t have enough quality when key moments came along. We want to remedy that as quickly as we can. We want to get the first win in the league at home on the board, and that’s a good opportunity for us to do that.”

Watford boss on Millwall test

Hornets boss Paulo Pezzolano said ahead of this one: “Millwall is a very physical and intense team. Whenever you allow them to, they connect passes, but if not they can be more direct.

“Swansea will be the reference, the benchmark. That day we were very physical, very intense. That will be the goal and also improving some things that we need to improve. They have big strikers, they are always getting down the sides and crossing balls into the box.

“Duels, second balls, they have many interesting qualities. But, at the same time, we have to know that we also have our weapons, we also have our tools. We also have to know that we can harm them during the game.”

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