MX23RW : Sunday, May 5 22:37:32| >> :120:55025:55025:
[monks data]
Attendance: 16,049
QPR logo
Championship | Gameweek 28
Jan 18, 2020 at 12.30pm UK
 
Leeds logo

1-0

Wells (20')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Queens Park Rangers vs. Leeds United - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United at Loftus Road, including team news and predicted lineups.

Leeds United will be looking to bounce back from last weekend's home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday when they travel to Queens Park Rangers in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites relinquished first spot in the table to West Bromwich Albion courtesy of the defeat, while QPR occupy 15th spot in the division with 35 points to show from their 27 matches this season.


Match preview

Queens Park Rangers' Jordan Hugill celebrates scoring their first goal with Dominic Ball on January 5, 2020© Reuters

Since dropping out of the Premier League at the end of the 2014-15 campaign, QPR have not looked anywhere close to being capable of challenging for a return to the top flight.

Indeed, the R's have posted finishes of 12th, 18th, 16th and 19th in their last four seasons in the second tier, while they occupy 15th spot in the table with 35 points from their 27 matches this term.

That said, the capital outfit are only five points off the top half of the table and just seven off the playoffs, suggesting that a strong second half of the campaign could leave them in the argument.

Mark Warburton's side have struggled with consistency this season, though, shown by the fact that they followed a thumping 6-1 home victory over Cardiff City on New Year's Day with a 3-1 loss at Brentford.

The R's have been victorious in two of their last three games with Leeds in all competitions, though, including a 1-0 win in the corresponding clash during the 2018-19 Championship campaign.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa pictured on January 11, 2020© Reuters

Leeds sit in a brilliant position at this stage of the season having collected 52 points from their 27 matches, leaving them second in the table, one point off leaders West Brom.

Marcelo Bielsa's side have only won one of their last six Championship matches, though, and will enter the clash at Loftus Road off the back of a 2-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Suddenly what looked to be a healthy gap to third spot has been cut to six points by an impressive Brentford, while the likes of Fulham and Nottingham Forest are also sensing a possible slide.

The Leeds supporters will be wary after what happened last season, but it is difficult to be too critical of the Whites considering their spot in the table after 27 matches of the 2019-20 campaign.

Anything other than three points this weekend would lead to more nervousness with the fans, though, and consequently there is no downplaying the importance of the clash at Loftus Road.

QPR Championship form: LDLLWL
QPR form (all competitions): DLLWWL

Leeds Championship form: DLDWDL
Leeds form (all competitions): LDWDLL


Team News

Pablo Hernandez is left teary-eyed after Leeds United fail to make the Championship playoff final on May 15, 2019© Reuters

Yoann Barbet remains unavailable for QPR but Warburton otherwise has a healthy squad and is expected to stick with the bulk of the side that started against Brentford.

Perhaps the main talking point comes in attack where Jordan Hugill is pushing for a start, although Nahki Wells's impressive recent form assures him of a spot in the XI.

There will also be another start for Eberechi Eze, who is believed to be on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs as he continues to impress in the second tier.

Jack Clarke could also be involved against his former club having joined on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

As for Leeds, Pablo Hernandez made his comeback from injury against Sheffield Wednesday and is pushing to be involved from the start, although Jamie Shackleton and Adam Forshaw are both doubts.

Patrick Bamford will again lead the line for the promotion hopefuls with Tyler Roberts not yet ready to return.

Stuart Dallas should also shake off the knock he picked up last weekend to make the starting XI, although Barry Douglas has been ruled out of contention by Bielsa, which could see Ezgjan Alioski feature.

QPR possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Kane, Hall, Cameron, Manning; Amos, Ball; Osayi-Samuel, Chair, Eze; Wells

Leeds possible starting lineup:
Casilla; Ayling, White, Cooper, Alioski; Phillips; Hernandez, Dallas, Klich, Harrison; Bamford


Sports Mole Logo

We say: QPR 1-2 Leeds

QPR have scored 11 times in their last two home games against Cardiff and Swansea, but Leeds are due a win in the Championship following a tricky spell and we expect it to arrive on Saturday afternoon.



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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a win with a probability of 57.49%. A win for had a probability of 22.1% and a draw had a probability of 20.4%.

The most likely scoreline for a win was 1-2 with a probability of 9.56%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (7.43%) and 1-3 (6.91%). The likeliest win was 2-1 (5.67%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (8.82%).


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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester463141189414897
3Leeds UnitedLeeds462791081433890
4Southampton462691187632487
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4621121370472375
6Norwich CityNorwich4621101579641573
7Hull City461913146860870
8Middlesbrough46209177162969
9Coventry CityCoventry4617131670591164
10Preston North EndPreston46189195667-1163
11Bristol City461711185351262
12Cardiff CityCardiff46195225370-1762
13Millwall461611194555-1059
14Swansea CitySwansea461512195965-657
15Watford461317166161056
16Sunderland46168225254-256
17Stoke CityStoke461511204960-1156
18Queens Park RangersQPR461511204758-1156
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn461411216074-1453
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds46158234468-2453
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth461312215970-1151
RBirmingham CityBirmingham461311225065-1550
23Huddersfield TownHuddersfield46918194877-2945
RRotherham UnitedRotherham46512293789-5227


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