Southampton will be looking to respond to another setback in their push for promotion on Saturday.
After a club record 25 games unbeaten, that 2-1 defeat to Hull City on Tuesday, means they have now lost two of their last three games.
As a result, they are now 4th in the Championship table. Russell Martin‘s side are two points behind 2nd place Leeds United, with no more games in hand.
Next up for the Saints is a clash with struggling Millwall at St Mary’s this weekend.
That is a chance for Southampton to get back on track, and there is some belief they will do that.
David Prutton predicts Southampton win v Millwall
It has been a tough period for Millwall of late. The Lions have dropped to 21st in the Championship table, just one point clear of the relegation zone.
They have therefore changed managers this week. Joe Edwards has been sacked, with Neil Harris returning to the club for another spell in charge.
However, Prutton does not believe that will be enough for them to avoid defeat in this cleash with Southampton.
Writing in his regular predictions column for Sky Sports, the former Saints midfielder said:
“How quickly things can change in the Championship. Two defeats in the space of a week have left Southampton looking up at Leeds again in second. All the positivity of that record unbeaten run swept away.
“Millwall have pressed the panic button in sacking Joe Edwards and bringing back Neil Harris. They were falling like a stone down the table and are at real risk of relegation so you can understand why. But I think Southampton back bounce here.”
As a result, Prutton has predicted a 3-1 win for the Saints from that match.
Hosts should be winning this game
It does feel as though most things ought to be pointing to a Southampton win from this match.
They showed they can bounce back well last weekend, beating West Brom 2-0 after the loss at Bristol City.
That is the sort of performance they have to be looking for here, if they want to keep themselves in the promotion hunt.
Indeed, this is probably a good time to play Millwall too. The visitors are badly out of form, and Harris is unlikely to have had much time to make his mark on the side yet either.
Southampton should be looking to take advantage of that, especially when you consider how good they had been at home, prior to the defeat to Hull City.
You also feel that Martin may be tempted to change his team up for this one. That too could generate a spark that helps get the Saints back on track here.
As a result, it would feel like a big surprise if Southampton do not walk away from this one with all three points, despite Millwall’s recent change in manager.