Millwall vs QPR: Lukas Jensen gets it spot on to elevate cup clash and No 1 chances
Millwall's 1-1 draw with QPR was not going to live long in the memory before a remarkable feat of goalkeeping from Lukas Jensen
483 days on from his last competitive appearance, Lukas Jensen would have probably settled for a steady afternoon in Millwall’s season opener at QPR, let alone a spectacular one.
After 15 plus months on the sidelines, Jensen had a prime opportunity to stake a claim for the No 1 berth which was originally taken from him by an achilles injury. A drama-free, assured performance on his return, complete with clean sheet and a win for Millwall to advance in the Carabao Cup, would have been just the ticket.
Instead, he produced four penalty saves in a row to not only record a completely outrageous clean sheet in a 2-0 shootout win for Millwall, but also significantly enhance his chances of retaining his place this weekend.
Jensen has endured a challenging two years at Millwall and Carabao Cup or not, this felt like the big breakout moment he has been waiting for.
Let’s not forget, he arrived in the most tragic and difficult of circumstances. Understandably, it took him time to find his feet and there’s no denying that he endured a shaky start to life at The Den before eventually settling down. It felt like he was just beginning to show some of the qualities that convinced Millwall to acquire him when the serious injury which curtailed his 2024-25 campaign struck.
After Jensen’s stint in the treatment room was extended due to a fresh injury midway through last season, the keeper has returned to action properly this summer ahead of the new Championship campaign. Such a significant lay-off had prompted questions among some fans as to whether or not a new keeper was required with Jensen heading out on loan. That and criticism over aspects of his recent performances always felt particularly harsh given the circumstances; after rehabbing diligently for over a year, Jensen was always deserving of the chance to stake a claim for the shirt in competitive games. And while there has been visible rustiness from the former Lincoln man in some of the friendly games, building up match sharpness after such a significant period out of commission was never going to be a straightforward or prompt process.
Whether anybody expected him to stake a claim in quite the manner he did on Saturday is another matter entirely.
Jensen looked sharp and comfortable during the 90 minutes to keep QPR at the bay, including one fine reflex save from a corner. But it was the quartet of penalty saves in the shootout which genuinely elevated a rather mundane, run-of-the-mill afternoon into one which will be retold for years to come.
It was a remarkable feat of goalkeeping; the save to deny Chair was satisfying. The one to thwart Harvey Vale from the second spot-kick was absolutely class. From then on, it was like Jensen was playing out a Roy of the Rovers script.
He seemed to grow in stature after each spot-kick to the point where it felt almost futile for Kwame Poku to even attempt the final penalty; the ball was always heading straight into the gigantic paws of Millwall’s great Dane.
Watching Jensen previously, it’s felt at times as though there he’s been a dearth of confidence from the man in between the sticks. This will give him an absolutely seismic boost on that front as he bids to re-establish himself as Millwall’s undisputed No 1.
If we’re being surgical with our analysis, it probably would have made sense for Jensen to start the season with the shirt before his QPR heroics, even though Max Crocombe has done minimal (if anything, really) wrong in his Millwall career. That’s largely down to the fact that Alex Neil installed Anthony Patterson as first-choice midway through the previous campaign; though Crocombe was steady and dependable on the whole, Patterson was clearly seen as an upgrade.
If Neil wanted an upgrade then, the odds are that hasn’t changed over the summer. Whether or not Jensen is that upgrade remains to be seen, but it makes sense to at least explore the option rather than pursuing an external candidate straight away.
Neil said prior to the game that he was not heading into the season with a settled No 1 and maybe Crocombe will still get the nod vs Bristol City. But off the back of Jensen’s grandstand finale, it certainly feels like the shirt is now his to lose.
Before Jensen’s headline act it was another maligned Lion who had nudged Millwall into the lead at the start of the second half.
Like Jensen, Luke Cundle has also endured plenty of peaks and troughs since joining the club in the early weeks of Neil’s premiership. Scrutiny over his future has coincided with transfer interest from elsewhere with Leicester City keen on a player who has thrived under their manager, Russell Martin, previously.
Whether Millwall would entertain the idea of losing Cundle is another question entirely.
Though Cundle has been unable to nail down a regular spot in the team since his arrival, he is a genuine penalty box poacher; he scored on his debut with a header which was plundered from pretty much on the goal-line against QPR before repeating the feat against them 18 months on, albeit with his feet. Here, he reacted instantly when Pierce Charles somehow spilled a whipped cross from Camiel Neghli to give Millwall the lead.
It looked like being the winner, too, before the unfortunate Mark Sykes put through his own net from a corner four minutes from time; some reward given it had been his superb last ditch defending moments earlier which had kept QPR’s Alfie Lloyd out.
Cundle chipped in with four goals last season including some pretty pivotal ones during the final stretch. That knack of being in the right place at the right time alone makes Cundle a valuable commodity; after analysing the signing of Kyrell Lisbie, I’d wager his predatory instincts in and around the six yard box were a big factor in the decision to sign him. Can you ever have enough poachers in your squad? Particularly for a team like us who, traditionally, struggle to score many goals?
He offered more than just his goal here. He attempted to link play throughout, was generally quite positive and progressive with his use of the ball (albeit he only attempted 20 passes) and didn’t just float in the No 10 spot waiting for things to happen. Steven Schumacher, Cundle’s manager at Plymouth and Stoke, has previously described him as a ‘running 8’ and a ‘connector’: a player who can link defence to attack. Both of those roles have the scope to work in Millwall’s current system and I definitely think there’s a place for Cundle in this squad, although whether that is a main role or not is another matter.
That will become clearer on another day; this one belonged to Jensen.