Southampton host Millwall at St Mary's on 29 August 2026, a Championship matchday 3 fixture that couldn't offer a starker style contrast. Millwall sit top of the table with two wins and a goal difference of plus five, whereas Southampton are 24th after a four point deduction for the spygate scandal. The visitors have yet to concede in the league, the hosts need home points to start crawling out of the bottom three.
Their 3-1 win over Stoke on 22 August showed Southampton can create and score, though the 4-1 EFL Cup thumping by West Ham that followed made clear what happens when their press gets bypassed: the defensive shape collapses and the goals flood in. Millwall have built their early momentum on the clean sheet and the quick counter and this fixture will test whether Eckert's system can hold together against a side designed to exploit exactly the space Southampton tend to leave.
Eckert was appointed permanently on 5 December 2025 having replaced Will Still, whereas Neil took charge of Millwall on 30 December 2024 following Neil Harris's departure. The two haven't met as managers before, so Saturday is their first meeting in the dugout.
Southampton's league form reads W L. The 3-1 win over Stoke was the first time they'd scored three in a Championship game this term but West Ham punished their transitions hard in the EFL Cup, winning 4-1. Millwall have three wins from three across all competitions and haven't given up a league goal yet.
Both managers name from full squads, so Eckert can field his preferred attacking shape without rotation forced by injury or suspension. His 3-4-2-1 is built around working the ball through midfield, with Scienza as the architect and Larin, who has two league goals already, leading the line. Neil's Millwall are organised around a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 that wins second balls and launches counters quickly. Jake Cooper anchors the back line and is Millwall's primary target from corners and free kicks, while Josh Coburn has scored twice by exploiting space behind high defensive lines, which is exactly what Southampton tend to leave. Lukas Jensen, who has kept two clean sheets, will need to be active as a sweeper when Southampton's press clicks.
Whether Scienza can find the space between Millwall's midfield and defensive line is what this game will turn on. If he can, Larin runs in behind the last defender onto through balls, if he can't, Millwall will feed Cooper long and release Coburn into the vacated space. Southampton's wide players will need to track Millwall's full backs throughout, or Millwall will have Coburn running at an exposed back line.
Southampton lead the all-time head to head with roughly 12 wins to Millwall's 8, with around 12 draws in the mix and recent meetings haven't shifted that pattern meaningfully.
Southampton were repeatedly exposed to crosses and second phase attacks against West Ham and Cooper gives Millwall a similar weapon. Their own dead ball routines will rely on Scienza's delivery and Larin's movement against a defence that hasn't been breached from any source in the league so far. Southampton will push men forward (that's Eckert's way) and what that leaves exposed is the real risk they're carrying into this game.
Southampton 2-1 Millwall. Larin's movement against Millwall's high defensive line should create the chances Southampton need but Coburn's runs in behind and Cooper at corners give Millwall two clear routes back into it.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
