QPR welcome Reading to Loftus Road in a tasty Friday Night Football encounter in Sky Bet Championship.
Victory would see QPR leapfrog Reading into third but a winning margin of three goals or more would see them go second in the table.
Reading meanwhile can go top until Saturday afternoon with a win.
Team News
Chris Willock is set to be ruled out for QPR after he suffered a hamstring injury just minutes following his match winner at Sheffield United on Tuesday.
Seny Dieng (thigh) is also doubtful whilst Taylor Richards (thigh) has returned to training but won’t be risked until he is declared match-fit by club doctors.
Reading could be without Andy Yiadom after he missed Tuesday’s draw against Norwich with a hamstring injury.
Shane Long (illness) is a doubt but Naby Sarr (calf), Femi Azeez, Scott Dann (both hamstring) and Liam Moore (knee) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- QPR have won just one of their last six league meetings against Reading (W1, D3, L2).
- Reading have won just one of their last five league visits to QPR (W1, D2, L2).
- Four of QPR’s seven goals across both meetings in this fixture last season were scored before half-time.
- Michael Beale’s Hoops have kept just one clean sheet in five home matches this season (W2, D2, L1), which came in a goalless draw against Stoke in September 2022.
- Just two of Reading’s 14 league goals this season have been scored away from home.
Prediction
With the automatic promotion spots now within reach and four matches unbeaten, QPR can come into this match full of belief after their aggressive forward pressing paid off at Sheffield Utd in midweek with a clinical winner.
Willock though will be a huge loss up front given his finishing quality and ability to drop into midfield, yet QPR shouldn’t have much to worry if Lyndon Dykes can step up after a slip in his goalscoring form this season.
Reading meanwhile are still exceeding expectations as demonstrated by their excellent attacking quality against Norwich, although they did waste chances amidst a great response to snatch a draw after poor marking of a corner allowed the Canaries to lead.
This clash though is a must-win for both teams if they’re to put pressure on Sheffield Utd and Norwich who both play on Saturday, but a part of me does feel like this instinctively could be a scrappy end-to-end encounter if both teams go on the attack and a draw might be a decent result.
Prediction: QPR 1-1 Reading
Result: QPR 2-1 Reading
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