Millwall boss encouraged by attacking performance in final pre-season friendly

ALEX Neil was encouraged by Millwall’s attacking threat in their final pre-season friendly against Estoril Praia on August 2, 2025.

Millwall overcame the Portuguese top-flight side 3-0 through a Mihailo Ivanovic tap-in 10 minutes into the match. Josh Coburn then struck twice in quick succession shortly before half-time.

The win took the Lions’ pre-season goal tally to eighteen in seven friendlies – an encouraging figure given they sometimes struggled in front of goal last season.

Millwall scored 47 times in 46 Championship games in the 2024-25 campaign, the fourth-fewest in the division.

Neil praised his side’s forward line ahead of their season opener away at Norwich City on August 9.

“I think that’s always the balance being the Millwall manager,” Neil said following the Lions’ win over Estoril Praia. “It’s the fact that Millwall has always been built on a really solid defence for a number of years, and the issue has always been: how many goals can we get? You don’t want to start adding a lot of goals, but then conceding a lot of goals.

“We’ve had quite a few pre-season games where we’ve had a clean sheet, which is pleasing. I think some of the goals that we have conceded were a bit disappointing, maybe set plays, throw-ins, things like that.

“But I think the most important thing for us is, you want to look a threat, and I thought today we looked a real threat. I thought the first half in particular, we could have scored quite a lot. Some of the goals we did score were excellent. It was really pleasing.”

Millwall’s most recent signing, Alfie Doughty, started at left-back at the weekend, and delivered a number of dangerous crosses.

The 25-year-old led Luton Town in chances created and expected assists last season, and will look to provide Ivanovic and Coburn with a steady stream of balls into the box.

“If you’re going to have two good targets, you need good crossers of the ball,” Neil said. “Alfie has got a terrific left foot. I thought his quality today was excellent.

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