Leicester return to top of Championship after beating Millwall

Posted Thursday, December 14, 2023 by PA

Leicester fought back to beat Millwall 3-2 and regain top spot in the Championship.

Enzo Maresca’s side netted three second-half goals to put them back in control after Tom Bradshaw had opened the scoring for the visitors.

Jannik Vestergaard’s header levelled the scores after 48 minutes before Patson Daka scored for the second game running. The Zambia striker put the ball over the line from close range in the 52nd minute.

Ricardo Pereira scored Leicester’s third from the edge of the penalty area with a shot that took a deflection off team-mate Wilfred Ndidi and wrong-footed Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.

Millwall scored a second goal in stoppage time when substitute Kevin Nisbet forced the ball home from a corner.

Leicester lost top spot to Ipswich on Tuesday night, but they now lead them by a point.

Jamie Vardy missed the game with a knee injury and Kelechi Iheanacho was ill, so Daka got another chance after scoring against Plymouth on Saturday.

Millwall have now only won one of the last 11 games, but they took the game to Leicester and opened the scoring when Murray Wallace shook off Abdul Fatawu and crossed for Bradshaw to glance a header into the top corner.

Leicester looked to have won a penalty after 38 minutes when Fatawu went down under a challenge from Wes Harding, who was already on a yellow card. But all appeals were waved away by referee Keith Stroud, with defender Conor Coady booked for his protests.

Leicester began the second half strongly and equalised when Vestergaard connected with a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cross and saw his header loop over the line.

They scored a second through Daka. Harry Winks started the move, found Ndidi on the left, and his cross was met by Daka who chested the ball in from two yards.

Leicester were fully in control by the hour mark, and Stephy Mavididi almost made it three when he connected with a Fatawu cross, but headed into the side-netting.

Leicester confirmed their third win in a row when Pereira’s shot found its way in, but Millwall’s second goal came too late to trouble the Foxes.