Millwall Vs Birmingham: Femi Azeez inspires 3-0 win as Blues reduced to 10 men
In a match that saw a single player shape the result, millwall vs birmingham ended 3-0 as Femi Azeez scored the opener and created both other goals to send Millwall up to third in the Championship. The result stopped Birmingham City's eight-match unbeaten league run and left them with 10 players after Jhon Solis was sent off for a second yellow card.
Femi Azeez's eighth goal and creative influence
Azeez opened the scoring with a volley that was recorded as his eighth goal of the season. That strike set the tone for Millwall's dominance: he then produced a 30-yard free kick that rebounded off the post and allowed Tristan Crama to score before half-time, and another free kick led to the third goal, finished by Jake Cooper. Across the match Azeez both scored and created two more goals, a clear causal chain from his set-piece deliveries to the three-goal margin.
The Den: Millwall's quick double inside six minutes
Millwall struck twice inside six minutes to underline their superiority. Azeez chested down Crama's cushioned header and immediately followed by striking a volley that beat Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle, who managed only to get a hand to the ball as it flashed into the far corner. Moments later Azeez's 30-yard free kick looked destined for the bottom corner until Beadle pushed it onto the post; Crama reacted quickly to side-foot the rebound into the net.
Birmingham City reaction and the sending-off of Jhon Solis
Birmingham, who had arrived at The Den having won their last three away games in the Championship, were harried out of their stride from the start and offered few sustained attacking spells. Josh Coburn headed over and both he and Camiel Neghli came close to getting a touch on an Azeez cross. The visitors' only significant early save came from Millwall keeper Anthony Patterson, who dived full length to turn Jay Stansfield's shot round the post, a rare bright moment for manager Chris Davies' side.
Within four minutes of the restart another Azeez free kick caused chaos when the floated ball struck the back of Jhon Solis as he tried to duck under it; Crama reached the ball and played a cut-back that centre-back partner Jake Cooper converted. Four minutes later Solis was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Casper De Norre and was sent off, leaving Birmingham with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Key incidents: appeals, potential penalty and referee Dean Whitestone
Millwall might have extended their lead even earlier when Macaulay Langstaff appeared to be hauled down by Tomoki Iwata while trying to reach a long throw in the Birmingham area; referee Dean Whitestone did not award a penalty despite Millwall players' protests. That decision kept the scoreline unchanged at that moment, but subsequent set-piece moments from Azeez produced the decisive goals.
Post-match reflections and fixture run-in
In the aftermath a post-match comment said the team had been "looking a bit too far ahead of ourselves, not just internally but externally as well, " noting fans' excitement and the need to "keep our feet on the ground and keep focussed. " It added: "On our day we are a match for anyone at this level. There is certainly no ceiling on expectations for us, we're capable of anything if we continue to win games but what I will say is that we have one of the hardest run-ins with Ipswich away, Middlesbrough away, Hull away, Preston away, some really tough games coming up. " The comment also acknowledged that "Femi's goal was brilliant right enough, but we had terrific performances all over the pitch. The midfield two were excellent, [Jake] Cooper was bri" — unclear in the provided context.
What makes this notable is how directly Azeez's set-piece quality translated into goals and how the red card for Jhon Solis compounded Birmingham's problems, turning late pressure into a match-management task for Millwall. Birmingham still had late chances as Camiel Neghli and Macaulay Langstaff went close, but the three-goal margin stood to full time.
Birmingham City digital note and accessibility text
Separate club material included an interactive instruction line: "Tab to one the items and press space-bar or enter to start dragging it. " Supporters were also invited to sign up with the message: "Stay connected with exclusive Birmingham FC updates, match highlights, and behind-the-scenes content—straight to your inbox. " These lines appeared alongside the match coverage and club communications.
The result leaves Millwall third in the Championship and ends Birmingham City's eight-match unbeaten run in the league, a measurable shift in both teams' momentum as the season progresses.
