Queens Park Rangers are set to host Cardiff City on Saturday as they hope to bounce back from an embarrassing 3-0 defeat against Barnsley earlier this week, with Rob Dickie being sent off in the early moments of the game.
Meanwhile, Cardiff were able to secure a point in their 1-1 draw against Derby County on Wednesday, featuring an equaliser by Kieffer Moore in the latter stages of the match.
Match preview
© Reuters
Mark Warburton's men will be desperate to put their match against Barnsley behind them, with the West London outfit giving the Tykes their first Championship win of the season under new manager Valerien Ismael.
Although the Rs made a promising start, an early red card for Dickie in the 26th minute proved to be the turning point in the game.
The QPR centre-back was sent off after pulling down Cauley Woodrow when he was through on goal, with the referee awarding Barnsley the penalty.
After the striker scored from the spot, two further mistakes - including a near-post miss from Seny Dieng and an own goal from Yoann Barbet - resulted in a rather miserable night for the visitors.
Warburton's team have now lost three times this season, winning just once and drawing a further four, putting them in 19th place as they head into matchday nine.
© Reuters
Cardiff have also experienced a pretty mediocre start to the 2020-21 campaign, despite reaching the Championship playoffs earlier this year.
Neil Harris's men find themselves in 14th, having registered just two wins this season, drawing their latest match against a struggling Derby.
The Rams went 1-0 up, following a stunning free-kick from Martyn Waghorn in the 24th minute, leaving Alex Smithies completely helpless.
Despite a slow start, the Bluebirds were able to get back into the game - and Moore got the equaliser with just 15 minutes left on the clock, featuring a smart delivery by Sheyi Ojo.
In terms of their head to head record, QPR have the upper hand, conjuring up 36 victories against Cardiff's 27.
The Rs managed a convincing 6-1 win against the Welsh team during their last encounter in January, featuring a hat-trick from former Burnley man Nahki Wells.
Queens Park Rangers Championship form: LDLDDD
Cardiff City Championship form: DDDWDL
Team News
© Reuters
Following his red card in Tuesday's match against Barnsley, Dickie is set to miss out on the upcoming game against the Bluebirds, with the defender serving a one-match suspension.
Bright Osayi-Samuel may also be sidelined for the game, having been omitted from the squad during their most recent fixture and recently rejecting a new contract with the club.
In terms of injuries, the Rs are still without Lee Wallace who is expected to return next month, while Luke Amos is set to undergo a longer period on the sidelines.
On the other hand, Cardiff fans will be pleased to know that Lee Tomlin should be back in the starting XI for their clash against QPR, with the 31-year-old not featuring in a game for the Bluebirds since early October.
Harry Wilson is also set to return soon, after pulling up in training - yet it is unlikely that the Liverpool loanee will be ready for Saturday's fixture.
Meanwhile, Jordi Osei-Tutu has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring issue, after the 22-year-old limped off in their game against Middlesbrough last weekend.
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Kakay, Masterson, Barbet, Hamalainen; Ball, Carroll; Adomah, Bonne, Chair; Dykes
Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Vaulks, Pack; Ojo, Tomlin, Hoilett; Moore
We say: Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Cardiff City
Despite Cardiff registering draws in their previous three games, this may finally be the time they pick up another win in the Championship. Although QPR will be desperate to put their Barnsley humiliation behind them, they have lacked goals in recent weeks, failing to score in their last four games.
Top betting tip
Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home Win:dataData 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 Cardiff City win with a probability of 38.51%. A win for Queens Park Rangers had a probability of 34.79% and a draw had a probability of 26.7%.
The most likely scoreline for a Cardiff City win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.28%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.33%) and 0-2 (6.75%). The likeliest Queens Park Rangers win was 1-0 (9.67%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.69%). The actual scoreline of 3-2 was predicted with a 2.1% likelihood.
