Crystal Palace triumphed over Millwall with a 3-1 victory on March 1, 2025, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup during the historic 100th matchup between the two South London rivals at Selhurst Park.
The encounter began with drama as Millwall’s goalkeeper, Liam Roberts, was sent off just eight minutes after kick-off for delivering a karate-style kick to Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, forcing the visitors to play with ten men for the rest of the match.
Crystal Palace capitalized on their numerical advantage when Jafit Tanganga inadvertently scored an own goal, giving the hosts the lead at 33 minutes. Just seven minutes later, Daniel Muf1oz doubled the advantage with a well-timed shot, making it 2-0 before Millwall could respond.
Millwall pulled one back just moments before halftime through Wes Harding, who scored during the stoppage time, making it 2-1 and giving the team hope going back to the dressing room.
Despite having some momentum, Millwall struggled to make significant headway against the Palace defense, which had not conceded a goal in their previous two cup matches.
The final nail was driven home at the 81st minute when Eddy Nketiah, who replaced Mateta early on, netted the third goal for Palace, sealing the match at 3-1.
Under the guidance of manager Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace has shown impressive form recently, securing four wins out of five matches, including notable victories over Premier League rivals.
Prior to this match, Palace achieved convincing victories, beating Stockport (1-0) and Doncaster (2-0) without conceding. Their strong performance underlines their ambition to progress deep within the tournament.
Millwall, managed by Alex Neil, had their share of the cup's glory too, triumphing indirectly over Leeds United with two goals to progress here. They aimed to solidify their performance, but with their current league standing being mid-table, it is evident they are facing challenges both mentally and physically.
The match was estimated to intrigue as both teams struggled with injuries. Millwall’s Ryan Leonard and Josh McNamara were key loses, and Joe Bryan suffered from foot trouble but was deemed fit enough to play.
Betting insights suggested Palace as overwhelming favorites. For the match, bookmakers offered odds of 1.43 for Palace winning, whereas Millwall was seen as the underdog with odds standing at 8.50. The visitors had difficulty scoring goals away, raising questions about their offensive capabilities.
Statistics revealed Palace’s dominance over their local rivals historically, with the Eagles winning 20 out of 36 games, and they’ve not lost to Millwall since their 2011 encounter.
The recent form of the teams had generated excitement among the supporters. Palace came off victories against Fulham and Aston Villa, indicating their readiness for continued success.
A possible lower total goals bet arose due to Palace’s strong defensive record. Notably, the likelihood of both teams scoring stood low, with Palace’s recent showings demonstrating their defensive solidity.
Overall, this Cup tie highlighted not only the fierce local rivalry but also showcased the technical progress of Crystal Palace under Glasner’s attacking principles. Next up for Palace will be to face the winner of the next FA Cup match as they stay focused on making another Cup run.