Millwall Vs Birmingham: Femi Azeez inspires Lions win

Millwall secured a 3-0 victory over Birmingham City at The Den in a Championship fixture, a result that matters now because it moved the Lions back up to third and ended the Blues' sequence of recent unbeaten results. The match, part of the millwall vs birmingham meeting on Wednesday night, featured a stunning opener from Femi Azeez and two more finishes created by him.

Millwall’s attacking spark: Azeez’s volley and set-piece influence

Femi Azeez opened the scoring with a sweet volley that flashed into the far corner; that strike was his eighth goal of the season. Azeez not only finished the opener but also created the other two goals, twice delivering dangerous free-kicks — one 30-yard effort that struck the post before a teammate reacted, and another floated delivery that caused chaos early in the second half.

How Tristan Crama and Jake Cooper finished Azeez’s chances

Tristan Crama converted the rebound from one of Azeez’s 30-yard free-kicks to make it 2-0 before half-time. Earlier in the sequence that led to Azeez’s opener, Zak Sturge punted the ball forward from halfway and Crama headed it back to Azeez, who volleyed into the top corner beyond James Beadle. Four minutes into the second half another Azeez free-kick was floated deep to Crama on the byline; Crama kept the ball alive before cutting it back for Jake Cooper to sweep home. Cooper is described both as a centre-back partner in the build-up and as the team’s captain when he finished the third.

Red card and key refereeing moments involving Jhon Solis and Dean Whitestone

Birmingham were reduced to 10 men when Colombian midfielder Jhon Solis was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. The dismissal came four minutes after the restart for a late challenge on Casper De Norre, and earlier in that sequence Azeez’s floated free-kick struck the back of Solis as he tried to duck under it, allowing Crama to reach the ball before it drifted out of play and set up the cut-back for Cooper. Separately, Macaulay Langstaff appeared to be hauled down by Tomoki Iwata as he tried to reach a long throw into the Birmingham area, with referee Dean Whitestone unmoved as Millwall players appealed for a penalty.

Missed chances, saves and players returning from illness

Josh Coburn, back in the side after missing out against Portsmouth through illness, should have opened the scoring after about 15 minutes when he headed Camiel Neghli’s cross over the bar from six yards. Birmingham’s Jay Stansfield had an early chance when he tried a curler into the far corner but Millwall goalkeeper Anthony Patterson dived full length to turn the shot round the post. James Beadle also made a crucial stop, sprawling left to push Azeez’s 30-yard free-kick onto the post before Crama snaffled the rebound. Later in the game Macaulay Langstaff headed a good chance just over and Camiel Neghli went close, racing through only for his effort to clear the crossbar.

Table movement, opposition form, and post-match remarks

The victory lifted Millwall back up to third in the table, with one account noting they moved to third and another adding they sat four points behind second-placed Middlesbrough. The result ended what one report described as the Blues’ eight-match unbeaten run in the league; another detail from the build-up noted Birmingham had arrived in south London undefeated in nine and on a run of three successive away wins. Millwall’s win was also framed as a response to a shock home defeat by lowly Portsmouth at the weekend.

Unclear in the provided context said: "I felt after the last game at home that we were looking a bit too far ahead of ourselves, not just internally but externally as well. I understand it from the fans' perspective, because that's what you want, to get excited for your team but we need to keep our feet on the ground and keep focussed. 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. 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"

The millwall vs birmingham fixture combined individual moments — Azeez’s finishing and set-piece delivery, Crama’s opportunism and Cooper’s finish — with key interventions from Patterson and a late red card for Jhon Solis that shaped the outcome at The Den.