West Bromwich Albion and QPR collide at The Hawthorns in Friday Night Football from 2021-22 Sky Bet Championship season, as both teams look to continue their promotion challenges.
Victory will send West Brom top until Saturday teatime at minimum, whereas QPR look to climb to fifth with a win.
Team News
Matt Clarke could feature for West Brom after recovering from a hamstring injury, which saw the defender miss recent matches.
Kean Bryan is however a doubt as he considers to build up his match fitness after signing for the club earlier this month.
QPR have no fresh injury concerns to report after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Everton, after prevailing on penalties following a 2-2 draw.
Sam Field and Lee Wallace remain ruled out with respective knee and hamstring injuries.
Stat Attack
- West Brom are unbeaten in four of their last five Championship meetings against QPR (W3, D1, L1).
- QPR are winless in five previous trips to The Hawthorns in the Championship (D3, L2).
- Both teams have scored in their last five Championship clashes at The Hawthorns.
- West Brom have kept just three clean sheets in their eight league matches this season.
- QPR have scored in their last 22 matches in all competitions.
Prediction
Having found their pressing style effectively blocked by Millwall, Derby and Preston since league action resumed after September’s international break, West Brom need to work on alternative tactics in order to combat the opposition if want to get back to winning ways quickly in this promotion fight.
QPR meanwhile just seem to have found themselves in red-hot goal-scoring form since mid-March and given the recent head-to-head record against West Brom at The Hawthorns, Mark Warburton’s Hoops will certainly fancy their chances here with their dangerous attacking play.
Fitness though could be crucial in the closing stages because West Brom have had a week to prepare for this match whereas QPR are playing their third match in six days, but I do fancy the Hoops to force a draw given their form if West Brom don’t have the ability to change tactics should QPR limit their initial tactics.
Prediction: WBA 1-1 QPR
Result: WBA 2-1 QPR