Preview: Bristol City vs. Millwall - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts climbed back up to 11th spot with a return to winning ways against Preston North End on Wednesday, while their visitors sit 15th after beating Middlesbrough last weekend.

Match preview

Bristol City have certainly experienced a mixed and eventful start to the Championship season, currently occupying 11th place with no other side matching the 22 goals they have scored in 14 league outings.

They do, however, have an unenviable defensive record, having also conceded 22 goals at the other end of the pitch with only Hull City shipping more, a record that was worsened as the Robins suffered a tough run of form either side of the international break, as Nigel Pearson's side suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of Norwich City and Burnley prior to the stoppage in league action.

On their return, Bristol City would fall to 2-1 and 3-0 defeats at the hands of Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham City respectively, either side of a goalless draw with basement side Coventry City, meaning they went into Wednesday's contest with Preston North End aiming to break a five-game winless run that had produced just one point.

Rob Atkinson put them ahead early in the second half, and after the game looked set to end level following Andrew Hughes's equaliser, the defender would pop up with his second of the game in the 90th minute to seal an important three-point haul for the Robins.

With that result taking them back into the top half of England's second tier, Pearson's men will hope to return to the form that they displayed at the beginning of the season and put a second straight triumph on the board on Saturday.

They meet a Millwall side who will also have a degree of renewed confidence after bouncing back with a win of their own last time out.

Gary Rowett's side headed into the international break on the back of a win over Blackpool which took their tally to 13 points from 10 outings, but they were unable to kickstart a climb up the division on their return to action, losing 2-1 away at Blackburn Rovers in their first game back at the beginning of October.

After taking a point away at Rotherham United, thanks to Zian Flemming's long-range equaliser in a 1-1 draw, the London outfit hosted Middlesbrough on Saturday with the aim of picking up a fifth league win of the campaign.

Flemming was again the star as they successfully took all three points, with the Dutchman scoring early in each half in a 2-0 victory at The Den.

Having now climbed to 15th spot in a tight mid-table section, with Saturday's 11th-placed opponents only one point better off, Millwall will aim to continue their rise with another victory at the weekend.

Bristol City Championship form:

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Millwall Championship form:

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Team News

Irish goalkeeper Max O'Leary was preferred over regular Bristol City stopper Daniel Bentley against Preston last time out, and Pearson is unlikely to change his defensive unit, with O'Leary set to keep his place between the sticks behind Zak Vyner, Timm Klose and Rob Atkinson, who netted both goals in their triumph.

At the other end of the pitch, Nakhi Wells could be in line for a return to the front line after Antoine Semenyo was preferred alongside Tommy Conway on Wednesday, with Wells and Conway boasting six and five league goals respectively this season.

The front two will be supported by star man Andreas Weimann, who has netted three goals and provided four assists in the Championship so far this term after contributing 22 goals and 10 assists last time round.

Millwall have also brought about a change in net recently, with George Long seemingly preferred over Bartosz Bialkowski, and he should keep his place on Saturday.

Zian Flemming will come in with plenty of confidence on the back of his eye-catching strike against Rotherham and important brace in their win over Middlesbrough last time out, with the summer signing again set to play behind Tom Bradshaw in attack.

Tyler Burey and Andreas Voglsammer should operate on the flanks in a 4-2-3-1 setup, with Billy Mitchell and George Saville operating at the base of midfield and Jake Cooper and Shaun Hutchinson continuing their established partnership in defence.

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

O'Leary; Vyner, Klose, Atkinson; Sykes, Scott, Williams, Dasilva; Weimann; Wells, Conway

Millwall possible starting lineup:

Long; McNamara, Hutchinson, Cooper, Wallace; Mitchell, Saville; Voglsammer, Flemming, Burey; Bradshaw

We say: Bristol City 2-1 Millwall

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