It all comes down to this. Millwall and Hull City are set for a high-stakes showdown at The Den this Monday (20:00 BST) in the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, with a trip to Wembley hanging in the balance.
After a tense 0-0 draw in the first leg at the MKM Stadium on Friday, everything is still to play for. Extra-time and penalties could decide which side advances to face either Southampton or Middlesbrough in the final on 23 May.
Hull City will be feeling confident on the road, having won on each of their last two visits to Millwall—a 1-0 victory in January 2025 and a dominant 3-1 win earlier this season. Those two wins match their total from their previous 27 trips to The Den combined (D10 L15).
But Millwall are a different beast at home. They’ve won four of their last six at The Den (L2), keeping a clean sheet in every one of those victories. In fact, no team in the Championship recorded more home shutouts during the regular season than Millwall’s 11.
Hull, meanwhile, have struggled on the road lately. They managed just one win in their final seven away league games (D2 L4), suffering as many defeats in that stretch as they did in their first 16 away matches of the 2025-26 season (W9 D3).
History is also working against Hull. No sixth-placed team has reached the Championship play-off final since Derby County in 2018-19. In each of the six seasons since, the third-placed side has at least made it to the final.
Millwall are chasing history of their own. They’ve never reached a Championship play-off final and haven’t appeared in any play-off final since winning the League One final in 2017. Hull, by contrast, are aiming for their third Championship play-off final appearance—and they’ve won both previous ones, in 2008 and 2016.
If you’re watching the set pieces, keep an eye on Millwall. In 2026, 11 of their 18 home goals in the Championship came from set pieces—five from free kicks, four from throw-ins, and two from corners. Three of their first six shots in the first leg came from throw-ins, so expect that to be a key weapon.
Millwall defender Jake Cooper was a standout in the first leg, creating more chances than any other player (3) and winning three of his four aerial duels. During the regular season, only Bristol City’s Rob Atkinson (74.6%) had a better aerial duel success rate than Cooper’s 73.6% (271/368).
On Hull’s side, Kyle Joseph has been a thorn in Millwall’s side all season. He was involved in three of Hull’s four goals against them during the regular season, scoring twice and adding an assist.
With so much on the line, Monday night at The Den promises to be a thriller. Who will book their ticket to Wembley?