Millwall 1-3 Norwich City: Canaries return to top as Pukki scores again

Norwich striker Teemu Pukki (left) has scored 24 goals in the Championship this season

Norwich City restored their two-point lead at the top of the Championship with victory at struggling Millwall.

After early pressure from the hosts, the Canaries went ahead in the 16th minute when Marco Stiepermann was on hand to turn in the rebound after Jordan Archer saved Onel Hernandez's effort.

But the Lions levelled on the stroke of half-time when Steve Morison cleverly flicked on a corner and Shaun Williams headed in off the upright.

Norwich skipper Christoph Zimmermann restored Norwich's lead with a powerful header from a corner and top scorer Teemu Pukki wrapped things up with a fine finish after being played through on goal by Emi Buendia.

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Leeds United had gone a point ahead of Norwich by beating West Brom 4-0 on Friday, but Daniel Farke's side showed their mettle in south-east London to regain top spot.

But the visitors could have gone behind early on as Jake Cooper had a header blocked, and another effort was cleared off the line,

They asserted their dominance in the second half, with Pukki netting his 24th league goal of the season with 11 minutes remaining to secure a fifth win in six league games.

The Finn's goal proved important as Norwich keeper Tim Krul pulled off a smart double-save to deny Morison and Mahlon Romeo before Aiden O'Brien shot wide.

Millwall, who have won just one of their past nine in the Championship, are now just one point above the relegation zone after Reading and Rotherham both won.

Daniel Farke's Norwich side have won five of their past six league games

Millwall boss Neil Harris: "The league's the best it's ever been in my opinion, with the strength in depth of the teams.

"It's now about us taking the responsibility, getting the results and not relying on other results to bail us out.

"Bolton's a much bigger game for us than playing Brighton in the FA Cup. We aren't going to win the FA Cup. Staying in the Championship is our priority and I know that's the mindset of the players as well."

Norwich manager Daniel Farke told BBC Radio Norfolk: "After we were leading 1-0 in the first half we were a bit too sloppy in our passing and didn't speed up our game enough to keep them away from our goal, so we weren't at our best.

"We were able to speed up our game in the second half, but even then there were moments when you have to defend and dig in and that's what we did.

"We enjoy our flying moments at the moment and we know it's no coincidence we are in this position after 35 games because there are reasons to be confident, but we are also pretty grounded because we have to work hard for each and every point."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Millwall

• 1Archer
• 12Romeo
• 4Hutchinson
• 5Cooper
• 3MeredithBooked at 32minsSubstituted forO'Brienat 74'minutes
• 7Wallace
• 8ThompsonBooked at 39mins
• 6WilliamsSubstituted forElliottat 84'minutes
• 11Ferguson
• 9Gregory
• 20Morison

Substitutes

• 10Onyedinma
• 15Pearce
• 16Martin
• 18Tunnicliffe
• 19Elliott
• 22O'Brien
• 28Leonard

Norwich

• 1Krul
• 37Aarons
• 6Zimmermann
• 4Godfrey
• 12LewisSubstituted forKloseat 88'minutes
• 19Trybull
• 23McLean
• 17BuendíaSubstituted forLeitnerat 85'minutes
• 18Stiepermann
• 25HernándezSubstituted forVrancicat 87'minutes
• 22Pukki

Substitutes

• 8Vrancic
• 10Leitner
• 11Rhodes
• 15Klose
• 27Tettey
• 31Hanley
• 38Oxborough

Referee:

David Webb

Attendance:

16,748

Match Stats

Home TeamMillwallAway TeamNorwich

Possession

Home41%

Away59%

Shots

Home17

Away11

Shots on Target

Home8

Away7

Corners

Home8

Away6

Fouls

Home11

Away11

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Millwall 1, Norwich City 3.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Millwall 1, Norwich City 3.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt saved. Jed Wallace (Millwall) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Shaun Hutchinson.

Posted at 90'

Attempt missed. Mahlon Romeo (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Aiden O'Brien.

Posted at 90'

Attempt saved. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Mahlon Romeo.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Shaun Hutchinson.

Posted at 88'

Attempt saved. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Trybull.

Substitution

Posted at 88'

Substitution, Norwich City. Timm Klose replaces Jamal Lewis.

Substitution

Posted at 87'

Substitution, Norwich City. Mario Vrancic replaces Onel Hernández.

Posted at 86'

Kenny McLean (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 86'

Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall).

Posted at 85'

Attempt missed. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the right.

Posted at 85'

Attempt saved. Steve Morison (Millwall) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 85'

Attempt saved. Mahlon Romeo (Millwall) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 85'

Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Shane Ferguson with a cross.

Substitution

Posted at 85'

Substitution, Norwich City. Moritz Leitner replaces Emiliano Buendía.

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Millwall. Tom Elliott replaces Shaun Williams.

Posted at 80'

Foul by Marco Stiepermann (Norwich City).

Posted at 80'

Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal!

Posted at 79'

Goal! Millwall 1, Norwich City 3. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Emiliano Buendía.

Posted at 76'

Tim Krul (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Lee Gregory (Millwall).

Posted at 76'

Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Jamal Lewis.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Emiliano Buendía (Norwich City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Teemu Pukki.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marco Stiepermann.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Marco Stiepermann (Norwich City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Maximillian Aarons with a cross.

Substitution

Posted at 74'

Substitution, Millwall. Aiden O'Brien replaces James Meredith.

Posted at 73'

Kenny McLean (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Mahlon Romeo (Millwall).

Posted at 72'

Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Kenny McLean.

Posted at 71'

Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Ben Godfrey.

Goal!

Posted at 69'

Goal! Millwall 1, Norwich City 2. Christoph Zimmermann (Norwich City) header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Emiliano Buendía with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 69'

Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by James Meredith.

Posted at 66'

Foul by Marco Stiepermann (Norwich City).

Posted at 66'

Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 60'

Foul by Jamal Lewis (Norwich City).

Posted at 60'

Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 59'

Marco Stiepermann (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 59'

Foul by Lee Gregory (Millwall).

Posted at 58'

Onel Hernández (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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