The Londoners will look to end their run of draws. Queens Park Rangers vs Derby County prediction
Queens Park Rangers and Derby County will meet on Wednesday, October 14, in the 10th round of the English Championship. The match will be played at Loftus Road in London, with kick-off at 20:45 Central European Time. I am backing a winner in this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- QPR have drawn their last four matches.
- Neither team has won in their last five games.
- Derby have conceded in five consecutive matches.
- Derby have conceded one-third of their goals this season in the final 15 minutes of matches.
- QPR have lost their previous two head-to-head matches against Derby.
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers made a confident start to the new Championship season, but have yet to maintain a consistent level throughout the campaign. The team has been picking up points regularly, but has alternated strong spells with matches in which they have lacked a cutting edge in attack. Even so, their early results have kept the Londoners in the fight for the upper half of the table.
In recent rounds, Queens Park Rangers have settled for draws too often. The team drew 2-2 with Preston, then shared the points with West Bromwich and Charlton, before managing a 1-1 draw away to West Ham in their latest league match. Such a result against a high-level opponent can be considered positive, but the run of draws highlights the need to turn good spells of play into victories more often.
In the EFL Cup, the Londoners failed to make it past even the first round: their meeting with Millwall ended level in normal time, after which Queens Park Rangers lost in the penalty shootout. As a result, the team can focus fully on the league and has no additional cup commitments.
At home, Queens Park Rangers will look to play on the front foot and make greater use of the flanks to put pressure on their opponents' defence. However, the hosts must not become overly carried away in attack: Derby are capable of exploiting the space left behind and punishing turnovers.
Derby County
Derby County have also endured an inconsistent start to the season. The team has yet to find consistency and has at times struggled to collect points, especially against well-organised opponents. At the same time, their victory over Portsmouth at the start of September showed that Derby can get results away from home when they maintain their discipline and make the most of their chances.
After the win over Portsmouth, which remains their only victory so far, the team's results became less convincing. Derby lost to West Ham, suffered home defeats against West Bromwich and Birmingham, and then drew with Burnley. In their latest match against Wrexham, the team once again failed to secure a win, with the game ending 1-1.
In London, the visitors will need to stay compact and prevent Queens Park Rangers from moving the ball forward freely. Derby can create chances if they transition quickly from defence to attack and exploit the space in behind the hosts' defenders.
For now, the Rams look like one of the leading candidates for relegation to League One. The team sit second from bottom, having scored just 8 goals. Only Lincoln and Watford have fewer to their name.
Probable lineups
- Queens Park Rangers: Charles, Adamson, Dunne, Clarke-Salter, Kieffer, Edwards, Madsen, Kamara, Poku, Smyth, Kolli.
- Derby County: Vickers, Hedges, Sanderson, Lagos, Ward, Mowatt, Ozoh, Clarke, Fuzeyni, Samodics, Morris.
What to bet on?
Queens Park Rangers look the better side thanks to home advantage and more consistent results at the start of the campaign. Derby County need to turn things around: they are conceding too many goals and are still rarely converting tight matches into victories. At the same time, the recent draws recorded by both teams suggest a cautious opening and a fierce battle in midfield. If the hosts can score first, it will be easier for them to control the game. My prediction is a Queens Park Rangers win.
