2026–2027 Championship: Millwall vs. West Ham—Probable Lineups

After a full fourteen years without a direct showdown, one of the most iconic fixtures in English soccer returns this Saturday: the Dockers Derby between Millwall and West Ham. Although it’s being played in the Championship—England’s second division—the match at “The Den” is one of the headline games in international soccer this weekend, due to the intense (and, at times, very violent) rivalry between the two London teams. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. local time, 1:30 p.m. Italian time; referee Paul Tierney will officiate the match.

Millwall is counting on this derby to turn things around after a rather disappointing September: the team coached by Scotsman Alex Neil has won only against Bolton (4-0), while suffering defeats against Southampton (5-1), Wrexham (3-0), and Blackburn Rovers (3-1), as well as a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. In last Tuesday’s match, the Lions also squandered a two-goal lead against Middlesbrough: goals by Arconte and Dykes were answered by Cozier-Duberry and Lankshear, resulting in a 2-2 draw.

On the other side is West Ham, which—after a shaky start—seems to have found its stride, so much so that, after seven matchdays, it is among the top teams alongside Swansea, Middlesbrough, and West Bromwich. In the league, the Hammers are coming off four straight wins (4-2 over Wolverhampton, 3-0 over Derby, 3-2 on the road against Bolton, and a stunning 6-0 victory over Wrexham): however, their most recent match was a 3-2 loss to Fulham in the Carabao Cup, with goals from Morato and Pablo proving futile.

Probable Lineups

MILLWALL (4-2-3-1): Crocombe; Osei-Tutu, Taylor, Cooper, Sturge; Metcalfe, Mazou-Sacko; Sykes, Dykes, Neghli; Arconte. Coach: Neil.

WEST HAM (4-4-2): Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Morato; Bowen, Mukasa, Engels, Solomon; Piroe, Castellanos. Coach: Espirito Santo.