Football Apr 25, 2026

Leicester 1-1 Millwall: Lions snatch late equaliser but automatic promotion hopes hit after draw at relegated side

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Leicester 1-1 Millwall: Lions snatch late equaliser but automatic promotion hopes hit after draw at relegated side

Millwall moved back into the Championship's automatic promotion places but could only snatch a late 1-1 draw at already-relegated Leicester.

Substitute Macaulay Langstaff's first goal since February cancelled out a Foxes opener from Harry Souttar, who was playing his first game since rupturing an Achilles 16 months ago.

It moved Alex Neil's visitors up to second, a point ahead of Ipswich - but the Tractor Boys now have two games in hand.

Ipswich play at West Brom on Saturday and Southampton on Tuesday - both games are live on Your Site - so Millwall must hope automatic promotion is still a possibility when they finish their season at home to Oxford next Saturday.

Abdul Fatawu sliced wide for Leicester, whose relegation fate was sealed on Tuesday, before Hamza Choudhury's intervention at the other end stopped Josh Coburn firing Millwall in front.

Choudhury nicked the ball away as Coburn prepared to shoot and the forward, having connected with the Leicester captain instead, had to be replaced by Mihailo Ivanovic in the 10th minute.

Casper De Norre and Camiel Neghli saw shots blocked by defenders and Ryan Leonard found the side-netting as Millwall applied a spell of pressure.

Harry Winks scuffed a Foxes reply wide before Ivanovic required treatment following an elbow in the face from Souttar that referee Farai Hallam seemed to view as accidental.

Zak Sturge was the next Millwall man to have a go but failed to hit the target, with Derek Mazou-Sacko becoming the latest Lion to see an effort blocked before the break.

Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk made his first save five minutes into the second half when Neghli met Sturge's ball to the back post and Ivanovic saw his close-range hook blocked by the Pole's legs.

Millwall captain Jake Cooper was booked shortly afterwards for a late challenge on Fatawu that saw the Leicester man require on-pitch repairs. Home fans thought it should have been a red.

Stolarczyk, in for Asmir Begovic as one of four Leicester changes, then pulled off an even better stop by tipping over Thierno Ballo's powerful header just before the hour mark.

Choudhury was booked for too robust a challenge on Mazou-Sacko before Neghli flashed a pass across the Leicester goal.

Home substitutes Louis Page and Jeremy Monga both saw efforts deflected before Souttar broke the deadlock in the 78th minute.

Luke Thomas crossed to the back post for the Australia defender to bundle home as goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and two defenders tried in vain to stop him.

Millwall needed a response and substitute Langstaff provided it in the final minute. Leonard's flick found the forward in space in the box and he lashed past Stolarczyk to add a point that could yet turn out to be precious on to his side's total.

Leicester's Gary Rowett:

"It was always going to be a tough evening knowing that we've sealed our fate on Tuesday. There was a little bit of me wondering how we would respond and how we would perform.

"We spoke quite candidly about the need to be professional and to make sure that we did our jobs at the very least.

On Souttar: "He headed everything out of our box - and then the one opportunity gets in the other box, he attacks it like there's only one person going to score and we've missed that.

"And for someone to give us that after being out for 450-odd days, it's quite incredible for him to play 98 minutes. I had the medical and performance team almost begging me at 75 to take him off, but he just kept heading the next ball out."

Millwall's Alex Neil:

"We are second at the moment, obviously the advantage is with Ipswich, they have a couple of games but there are still points to play for.

"We are on 80 points at the moment and we have a home game coming up. They've got work to do and I'm sure West Brom and Southampton will want to win, as will Oxford when they play us.

"Football is a strange game, isn't it? We will see how Ipswich go but I'm a big believer in across the season whoever ends up second deserves to be there. If they manage to do it good luck to them - and it will be our task to attack the play-offs.

"There's disappointment that we haven't won the game. We were never in top-two contention at any point with anybody so these players have done magnificent."

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