Norwich v Millwall: Goals forecast for Friday night in Norfolk

Norwich end winless wait

Norwich finally picked up their first Championship win of the season at the fourth attempt as early goals from Josh Sargent and Danel Sinani set up a 2-1 success over 10-man Huddersfield at Carrow Road on Tuesday.

Sargent headed home with just six minutes on the clock before Sinani doubled the advantage after only 16 minutes of action.

The visitors, who had Tom Lees sent off early in the second half for a professional foul, made a game of it thereafter, with substitute Pat Jones pulling one back near the end, prompting one or two anxious moments.

The Canaries did hold on for a welcome three points despite missing star striker Teemu Pukki and fielding Kenny McLean at left-back.

Norwich boss Dean Smith was understandably pleased to secure a vital three points. He said, "We got the win, that's the most important thing, but I was very happy with the performance as well and the work-rate too. We should have scored a lot more and I would have preferred but we saw it out and got what we deserved in the end."

Pukki should be available for Friday night's fixture having recovered from a bruised foot but the Canaries are likely to still be struggling at left-back.

McLean may be asked to continue in his makeshift role with Jacob Sorensen, joining regular left back options Dimi Giannoulis and Sam McCallum on the sidelines.

Millwall pinch unlikley point

Millwall snatched a point from the jaws of defeat in a stunning 2-2 draw at Swansea on Tuesday evening.

The Lions were 1-0 down inside the opening minute of the game and shipped a second just over 12 minutes later; Gary Rowett's team played their way back into the contest without really threatening until the game turned in second-half stoppage time.

Three minutes into added on time, Swans defender Ben Cabango turned the ball into his own net to give the visitors a lifeline.

And with almost the last kick of the game, it happened again, as Scott Malone's looping cross was met by Swansea centre-back Nathan Wood.

He too was forced to turn it into his own net, securing a stunning comeback in South Wales.

It was the second successive match in which Millwall had hit back from a two-goal deficit, and while Rowett praised the character the Lions have shown to achieve that, he was frustrated by the lack of quality his side have shown at the start of games.

Rowett said, "We've managed to take something out of a game where after the first 30 minutes, I couldn't see us taking anything at all. It shows massive character, but character doesn't get you at the top end of the division alone. I think teams will be fearful of our determination, but not our starts to games - that's pretty clear. We've got to be more solid."

Canaries fair odds-on favourites

The last time Norwich and Millwall met at Championship level in 2019/20, both league encounters ending goalless - a repeat is available at 10.009/1 on Friday night.

The draws mean the Canaries boast a strong W6-D3-L1 head-to-head record over the past decade ans are also unbeaten at Carrow Road against the Lions since 1968 (W12-D7-L0).

Despite securing a solitary win on their return to the second-tier, Norwich 1.9210/11 have won the non-penalty Expected Goals (npxG) battle, the shot count, and corner count in all four of their fixtures thus far.

Dean Smith's side have landed more attempts at goal and hit the target more often than their divisional rivals. However, they're yet to keep a clean sheet.

Millwall 4.407/2 produced their best work at The Den during last season's top-10 finish. The Lions have however, only registered five away victories in 25 going back to the beginning of 2020/21 (W5-D10-L10).

The Bermondsey boys boasted a respectable W2-D6-L3 when travelling to top-half teams with just one of those losses arriving by a margin of two goals or more.

Defensive deficiencies

With Teemu Pukki back in the fold and Norwich creating chances, the Canaries will expect to get on the scoresheet considering the guests' defensive concerns.

Unusually for Millwall under Gary Rowett, the Lions have leaked multiple goals in three of their first four outings.

Nevertheless, Norwich have their own issues to address. City are yet to record a shutout since demotion and are looking particular weak at left-back, an encouraging sign for a Millwall outfit that have struck twice or more themselves on three occasions already.

Considering the state of play in both camps, Both Teams To Score appears a reasonable option at 1.9010/11.

It's a bet that's landed in 14/25 (56%) Millwall road trips since the start of last season as the Lions scored in seven of their 11 visits to top-half teams in 21/22.

Meanwhile, Marcelino Nunez has made an immediate impact for Norwich since signing from Chile and punters have the option to back Both Teams To Score and Marcelino Nunez to score or assist at [4.28] via the Bet Builder.

The playmaker has scored twice in four appearances, and fired in nine shots in his three Championship outings thus far.