Slavisa Jokanovic: Fulham will face up to Millwall challenge in battle of contrasts

Slavisa Jokanovic knows what to expect at The Den tonight and insists Fulham will stand up to the challenge posed by Millwall on a crucial night in the race for the Premier League.

This week, Millwall manager Neil Harris talked of the "intimidating atmosphere" at The Den, saying some players "can sink or swim".

On the pitch, Millwall have proved very effective, with their direct style of play sparking a 17-match unbeaten League run that has catapulted them up to sixth in the Championship.

Fulham’s attractive brand of possession-based football has also paid dividends - they are unbeaten in 21 matches in the League - and they are already guaranteed a play-off spot with hopes of catching second-placed Cardiff for an automatic spot.

Jokanovic’s men will be tested tonight and he said: "Millwall follow one way of football. It is a different style to what we play but they are aggressive, they are solid and they are strong.

"They can put you under stress and they deserve to be where they are. I expect a really hard and tough game, but I promise them they are going to find competitive opponents, too."

Fulham have made an average of 485 shorts passes per game this season, the highest number in the Championship, while Millwall have completed the second-fewest at 228.

In comparison, Millwall have played an average of 80 long passes per game, which ranks them sixth in the Championship; Fulham have made the fewest with an average of 60 per game. It makes for a fascinating tactical battle between two teams looking to take a step closer to the promised land.

Harris said: "It is about imposing ourselves on the game. The players and the fans over the past three years have earned the right to be where we are tonight. It is a great opportunity to show everyone how far we have come."

Millwall were in 15th in the table when they lost at Norwich on New Year’s Day, but 11 wins and six draws since then have taken them into the top six with three games left.

Harris said: "We have come out of the blue to get where we are. I would be lying if I said it has not surprised me what we have done. But we want to keep achieving."

Fulham can move back above Cardiff with a win, but defeat could end hopes of automatic promotion.

Jokanovic said: "We believe if we win the games ahead of us we can be successful at the end of the season. The situation is in Cardiff’s control at the moment and we have to wait for a mistake from them."

Fulham were relegated from the Premier League in 2014 while Millwall have had only two seasons in the top flight.

Harris said: "Fulham are under pressure because they are fighting for second spot. There is pressure on us because we want to be in the top six but it is a different pressure because there is no expectation on us."