Bournemouth welcome play-off chasing Millwall to the Vitality Stadium in a huge clash on the final day of this season.
Scott Parker’s Cherries were promoted in midweek with second place all sewn up, whereas Millwall must win to stand any chance of reaching the play-offs if at least two of Sheffield United, Luton and Middlesbrough lose elsewhere.
Team News
Jefferson Lerma is ruled out for Bournemouth with a hamstring strain but manager, Scott Parker has no other fresh injury concerns to report following their promotion clinching win against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Junior Stanislas (back) and David Brooks (illness) remain absent.
Millwall could welcome Jed Wallace back into contention for the starting line-up after he made a substitute appearance in last weekend’s win over Peterborough, as he continued to rebuild fitness after a recent groin injury.
Daniel Ballard (quad) and Scott Malone (hamstring) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last five league meetings against Millwall (W2, D3).
- Millwall are winless in their last five visits to Bournemouth (D2, L3).
- Both teams have scored in three previous Championship meetings at the Vitality Stadium, in which Bournemouth scored eight goals to Millwall’s five goals.
- Unless Bournemouth concede six or more goals in this match, Scott Parker’s Cherries will go up with less conceded goals than they did when promoted in 2014-15 season.
- Two more goals would see Millwall’s Benik Afobe achieve his highest goal tally in any league campaign, which would better his current best record of 13 goals for Wolves in 2014-15 Championship season.
Prediction
Having scraped a win over Forest on Tuesday evening to secure promotion, Bournemouth now have no pressure on them in this final game but I do expect them to come and fight for the win even if fringe players are handed starts.
Millwall meanwhile simply must win and hope that realistically Middlesbrough and Luton both slip up to stand any chance at a top-six finish, yet to still be in play-off contention is a huge credit to the Lions’ progress this season.
This clash though might just be a step too far for Millwall given their poor away form at Bournemouth who will be in party mode, on top of the fact that they’re also winless in their last five games on the road with four draws and one defeat.
A draw therefore might be a decent outcome but if Millwall score first early on, anything could happen as is often the case on the final day of this season.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Millwall
Result: Bournemouth 1-0 Millwall