Femi Azeez shaking off Luke Thomas before scoring for Millwall.Image source, Shutterstock
Image caption,

Femi Azeez brushed off Luke Thomas to score the game's only goal just before the break

A first-half strike from Femi Azeez earned Millwall a deserved 1-0 victory over Leicester City at The Den and secured the Lions' fourth win in a row.

It is the first time Millwall have claimed four consecutive victories since last November.

Striker Mihailo Ivanovic could have made the margin of victory greater but his second-half penalty was well saved by Foxes goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

The hosts stay third and move to just two points behind Middlesbrough, who drew against Wrexham, while Leicester fall to 10th with just one win in their last eight Championship games.

The visitors started the brighter and Aaron Ramsey's shot from range tested Millwall keeper Max Crocombe early on.

At the other end, Leicester keeper Stolarczyk used his legs smartly to keep out the in-form Azeez.

Just before the break, Casper De Norre dropped deep on halfway and played a long ball up to Azeez, who left Luke Thomas floundering before lashing the ball into the back of the net - his fourth goal in as many games.

The Foxes were dealt a further blow moments after the half-time break when Tuesday's goal-scorer Ramsey was forced off with an injury and replaced by Argentine loanee striker Julian Carranza.

Azeez was then tripped in the box by Foxes midfielder Harry Winks but Serbian striker Ivanovic's well-struck spot-kick was superbly saved down to his right hand side by Stolarczyk.

That deprived the struggling visitors of the lift they needed and Azeez went close again, but his left-foot shot from outside the box went just wide.

Off the bench, substitute Carranza's attempt to grab his first goal for Leicester saw his overhead kick sail over the bar.

Deep into six minutes of additional time, fellow sub Patson Daka was denied a dramatic leveller when his header was saved by Lions keeper Crocombe as the hosts hung on for a well-earned three points.

'It shows where we are at the moment' - reaction

Millwall boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio London:

"I think we deserved to win the game. I thought over the piece, we carried the bigger threat.

"They're naturally going to have their moments; they are a good side, they have good players.

"I think once the first goal went in - we spoke about it half-time - it was always going to be about the next one.

"We had that opportunity with the penalty, it doesn't go in and it makes that next 20 to 25 minutes really tough because you need to dig in.

"We carried a threat throughout the whole game. To do that against that level of opposition and perform as we did, I think just shows where we are as a group at the moment.

"The lads have been brilliant, right across pre-season and building into this. Even when we've had a set-back or two, they always respond, they always react, they're an unbelievable group to work with so I feel very privileged at the moment."

Media caption,

Neil: 'I feel very privileged at the moment.'

Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester:

"The first 15-20 minutes were OK from our side but, slowly, Millwall started to get that dominance from long throws and set-plays and we couldn't get that momentum into the game.

"It was disappointing to end the first half by conceding that goal without us playing at a great level.

"When Aaron [Ramsey] gets the muscular injury, it changes all the plans that we had in the second half. Then the game became more of a transition, up and down. In the end the result is very disappointing.

"Everybody in this league wants to beat us, that is normal and in that sense we have to understand that no game is easy."

Media caption,

Cifuentes: "We didn’t defend well"

Player of the match

Number: 11 O. Azeez
Average rating 8.45
Number: 11 O. Azeez
Average Rating: 8.45
Number: 4 T. Crama
Average Rating: 7.77
Number: 24 C. De Norre
Average Rating: 7.68
Number: 7 T. Ballo
Average Rating: 7.52
Number: 5 J. Cooper
Average Rating: 7.47
Number: 18 R. Leonard
Average Rating: 7.40
Number: 8 B. Mitchell
Average Rating: 7.29
Number: 15 M. Crocombe
Average Rating: 7.16
Number: 10 C. Neghli
Average Rating: 7.14
Number: 22 A. Emakhu
Average Rating: 7.14
Number: 3 Z. Sturge
Average Rating: 7.11
Number: 49 D. Mazou-Sacko
Average Rating: 7.08
Number: 23 J. Bryan
Average Rating: 6.98
Number: 25 L. Cundle
Average Rating: 6.96
Number: 9 M. Ivanović
Average Rating: 6.85

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.