The two teams meet in a Championship clash at Loftus Road today.
Reading manager Jaap Stam
Both teams will be looking forward to recommencing their League campaigns after the international break. Reading currently sit in eighth position on 18 points while their opponents are just below mid table in 15th position.
QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink will be looking to get on with his job without any more off-field distractions after a difficult couple of months. Four of the past six meetings between the two teams have been draws with their last clash coming in April where it was 1-1 draw with Grant Hall and Deniss Rakels the goalscorers.
QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
The Royals have lost just one of their last ten games in all competitions and the clash today presents a good opportunity to keep up their momentum. Here are three keys to victory for Jaap Stam’s side today:
Score an early goal
QPR have won just one league game at Loftus Road this season which was their first match of the season against Leeds. So if Reading score an early goal, they will certainly put the QPR players under pressure and the home crowd on edge. It will also give the Royals a great deal of confidence as they aim to win their third away game of the season.
The R’s have had some disappointing home defeats, with the 6-0 defeat to Newcastle the club’s worst in 96 years of league football – Jonjo Shelvey netting early to get the ball rolling on that occasion.
Utilise John Swift and Garath McCleary
Reading’s Garath McCleary celebrates scoring their first goal
John Swift and Garath McCleary have been creative keys for Reading this season. When they are not scoring goals, they are setting up chances for their teammates. Both found the net in the Royals last away win in the league against Barnsley, before McCleary saw red.
Now back in the starting lineup, expect the Jamaican international and Swift to have a major say in the result of the contest today.
Get that set piece organisation spot on in defensive situations
Idrissa Sylla celebrates scoring the second goal for QPR
QPR have scored a great majority of their goals through set pieces this season (11 including two penalties) so this is clearly a area which the Royals must be on high alert.
Luckily, the Royals have one of the finest defenders of his generation in charge. Reading manager Jaap Stam would have dealt with the aerial threat a number of times in his playing days, and no doubt will tell his players that it doesn’t exactly matter how the ball is cleared away from the box as long as it is done efficiently.
Prediction
Matches after the international break are always a raffle as you don’t know for certain which team will adjust to the frenetic pace of a Championship game the best. On paper both teams look to be evenly matched with a number of threats for the opposition. Home ground advantage is usually a key factor in these type of clashes, but with QPR only having one win at Loftus Road this season, the deciding factor is that Reading are the team in form and that is why they will claim the three points on this occasion.
QPR 1 Reading 2
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