Femi Azeez’s brace helped Millwall pull off a surprising FA Cup victory over Championship leaders Leeds, securing a place in the fifth round. The winger’s two clinical finishes, both from counterattacks, left Leeds unable to recover, despite a number of changes to Daniel Farke’s side.
Farke’s lineup featured 10 alterations from their midweek win at Coventry, with a clear focus on securing promotion to the Premier League. This meant Leeds fielded a more experimental team, which struggled against a solid Millwall defense. In contrast, Alex Neil’s Millwall made five changes but were effective in their defensive resilience and counterattacking play, with goalkeeper Liam Roberts producing a series of vital saves to keep his side in the lead.
The match turned on a series of fast breaks by Millwall. The first goal came after a midfield steal, setting up a counterattack that ended with Azeez cutting inside and firing from range. A heavy deflection off Josuha Guilavogui wrongfooted goalkeeper Karl Darlow, who could only watch as the ball looped into the net.
Guilavogui was fortunate not to be sent off in the first half after a reckless challenge on Millwall’s Casper De Norre, where the Leeds player raked his studs down De Norre’s ankle. Despite the severity of the tackle, referee Gavin Ward only showed a yellow card.
Millwall’s second goal came shortly after the restart, with Azeez again darting in from the left to score with a low shot past Darlow, who made a poor attempt at saving it.
Leeds had a chance to get back into the game when Wilfried Gnonto won a penalty after being pushed in the back by Luke Cundle. However, Pascal Struijk’s attempt was thwarted as Roberts stretched to save the shot, and Millwall defenders cleared the rebound.
Despite Farke introducing several of his regular starters in an attempt to salvage the match, Millwall held firm to secure a stunning victory and progress to the next stage of the competition. This result marked another frustrating chapter for Leeds in their pursuit of both promotion and cup glory.
