Two teams in good form will lock horns in the Championship on New Year's Day, with Bristol City welcoming Millwall to Ashton Gate.

Bristol City are currently eighth in the Championship table, three points behind sixth-placed Hull City, while Millwall are 16th, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Match preview

Bristol City have picked up 10 points from their last four Championship matches during an impressive run of form, beating Sunderland, Hull and Watford before drawing 0-0 with Birmingham City on Friday.

Liam Manning's side boast a record of 10 wins, six draws and nine defeats from their 25 Championship matches this season, which has left them in eighth position in the table on 36 points, just three points behind sixth-placed Hull ahead of the next set of fixtures in the second tier of English football.

The Robins have finished 19th, 17th and 14th in their last three campaigns at this level, so it is a surprise to see them currently pushing for a playoff position in the Championship.

Bristol City have struggled for consistency at home this season, winning six, drawing two and losing four of their 12 matches in front of their own supporters, while Millwall have gathered 14 points from their 12 games on the road.

The Robins have already beaten Millwall this season, running out 1-0 winners on August 12, with Matty James registering in the 94th minute of the contest in the English capital.

Millwall, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 win over Norwich City on Friday, with Tom Bradshaw scoring the only goal of the contest in the 18th minute.

The Lions also beat Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at home on Boxing Day, while they drew with both Huddersfield Town and Stoke City after losing 3-2 at Leicester City on December 13, so the visitors will bring a four-game unbeaten run into this match.

Joe Edwards's side have won seven, drawn eight and lost 10 of their 25 league matches this season to collect 29 points, which has left them in 16th position in the table.

Millwall are eight points clear of the relegation zone and only 10 points off the playoffs, so a strong run in the coming weeks would certainly move them closer to the top six.

The London club finished eighth in the Championship last season, only missing out on the playoffs by a single point, but a lack of goals has been a problem this term, only finding the back of the net on 27 occasions.

Team News

Bristol City's absentee list is relatively long at this moment in time, with Kai Naismith, Haydon Roberts, Andy King, Ross McCrorie, Rob Atkinson and Ayman Benarous all unavailable for selection.

Head coach Manning could decide to name the same side that took to the field for the first whistle against Birmingham, although it is likely that there will be a change in attack.

Tommy Conway replaced Nahki Wells off the bench against Birmingham, and the former, who has six Championship goals to his name this term, could now be introduced into the XI.

As for Millwall, there will have to be at least one change to the side that started against Norwich, as George Saville is suspended following his red card in the latter stages of the contest.

Billy Mitchell is likely to be the player to benefit, with the 22-year-old set for a starting role in midfield.

Wes Harding is also out of the match due to a knock, while a calf problem will keep Casper De Norre on the sidelines for at least another couple of weeks.

Bristol City possible starting lineup:
O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Williams, Gardner-Hickman; Sykes, Knight, Mehmeti; Conway

Millwall possible starting lineup:
Sarkic; Leonard, Hutchinson, Cooper; Norton-Cuffy, Honeyman, Mitchell, Wallace; Emakhu, Bradshaw, Flemming

We say: Bristol City 1-1 Millwall

Millwall have only actually lost four times away from home in the Championship this season, sharing the spoils on five occasions, while Bristol City have dropped points in half of their 12 home league games in 2023-24. A case can be made for either to win it, but we are backing a low-scoring draw on Monday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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