Why Millwall have one big advantage over Hull City on Friday | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at one key advantage Millwall have over Hull City ahead of their Championship play-off semi-final clash

Millwall are facing two of the biggest games in their modern history as they take on Hull City in the Championship play-off semi-finals.

The Lions have never reached the Premier League since its inception in 1992, and narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the top flight this season, finishing one point behind second-place Ipswich Town.

Alex Neil has done a remarkable job to steer the Den outfit to third spot in the Championship, while they are now set to travel to Hull for the first leg of their play-off semi-final clash on Friday.

The winner of the other play-off semi-final, being played out between Middlesbrough and Southampton, will await either Millwall or the Tigers at Wembley Stadium on 23 May.

Millwall have been even better than Coventry City at one key Championship feat - Hull City must be wary

While Millwall narrowly missed out on automatic promotion, Frank Lampard's Coventry City cruised to the Championship title, finishing 11 points above Ipswich.

Impressively, Lampard's men maintained their winning appetite even after they were crowned champions, beating Wrexham 3-1, before thrashing Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road on the final weekend of the regular season.

However, the Lions won more points away from home in the Championship than the Sky Blues this season.

Coventry earned an impressive 40 points from their 23 away games in the second tier, but Millwall were even better than Lampard's side, claiming 41 points on their travels.

Friday's play-off semi-final hosts Hull must be worried by that statistic, as Neil's men will be firmly in the driving seat if they head into Monday's second leg at The Den with a precious lead.

Millwall haven't lost on their travels since being beaten 2-1 by Coventry on 20 January, epitomising just how good they have been away from home this term.

Furthermore, the Lions have already won at Hull's MKM Stadium this season, claiming a 3-1 victory on 7 March, thanks to goals from Jake Cooper, Mihailo Ivanovic, and Josh Coburn, which may only exacerbate the Tigers' worries.

Millwall's ability to win matches on the road is bolstered by the presence of talented winger Femi Azeez, who has notched 11 goals and seven assists in the Championship this term, and is a particular threat on the counterattack.

Furthermore, the Lions are dangerous from set pieces, which they will look to utilise against the Tigers come their key battle in Yorkshire on Friday.

Key Millwall traits would favour them in the Premier League if Lions clinch promotion

Even though Millwall's significantly impressive away form shows that they have every chance of beating Hull this Friday, they still have a long way to go before potentially reaching the Premier League.

If the Lions beat the Tigers at the MKM Stadium on Friday, they will still have to navigate the second leg of their play-off semi-final tie at The Den.

Neil's men also know that beating either Southampton or Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium is easier said than done, as both the Saints and Boro have several dangerous players.

However, should Millwall make it all the way to the top flight, some aspects of their style of play would make them well-equipped for a Premier League survival battle.

As per FotMob, the Lions rank 17th for average possession in the Championship, enjoying 46.9 per cent of the ball in their second-tier fixtures this term.

Millwall's ability to win matches with less possession than their opponents, coupled with their aforementioned set-piece ability, could make them competitive in the top flight.

For now, though, Neil's men are fully focused on getting the better of Hull, and the Tigers should be worried by their unparalleled away exploits.