Preview: Queens Park Rangers vs Brentford - prediction, team news, lineups

Queens Park Rangers and Brentford will face off in an all-London affair at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon.

This is QPR’s final game before the start of the Championship season, and like their opponents, they are also under new management after the last incumbent left for pastures new over the summer.

Match preview

It has been a chaotic pre-season so far for QPR, now under the tutelage of Julien Stephan, after Marti Cifuentes walked out to take the Leicester City role.

After beating Stevenage 5-0, QPR then lost 6-0 to LaLiga2 side Castellon, before a surprise win over Ligue 1 opponents Toulouse.

Since that victory in France, QPR have drawn both friendlies against Cardiff City and Heerenveen in a preseason that has seen them play against a wide variety of opponents.

There is some pressure on new manager Stephan, because the QPR faithful are growing impatient of the club’s stagnation in recent years, after a 15th-place finish last season.

Preston will be QPR's first opponents in the Championship this season, when they travel here on August 9.

Firstly though, Brentford will make the short trip following a summer of upheaval that has seen their manager, top scorer, captain and goalkeeper all leave.

Life after Thomas Frank starts now and Keith Andrews will have to adjust without Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, Mark Flekken and most likely Yoane Wissa too, after he expressed his desire to leave the club last week.

A repeat of the top-half finish Brentford managed last season looks a tall order, but one thing is certain and that is they will have a healthy amount of money to spend to replace their outgoing stars.

The Bees only played their first friendly last week, drawing 1-1 with Gil Vicente, and before going to Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the Premier League, they will also face Borussia Monchengladbach next weekend.

Queens Park Rangers Preseason form:

W L W D D

Brentford Preseason form:

Team News

QPR have been able to welcome back Steve Cook, Sam Field and Harvey Vale during preseason, but they remain without Jake Clarke-Salter and Alfie Lloyd, while Zan Celar is a doubt.

The most exciting of their summer acquisitions has been Kwame Poku, who arrived on a free from Peterborough United, and he has started QPR’s last two matches, ahead of a season where he could be a key player in their attack.

With numerous departures and Wissa not currently in the fold, there will be a very different look to the Brentford team this season, and this match will be no exception.

Caiomhin Kelleher has replaced Flekken in goal, while Jordan Henderson will be the man to fill Norgaard’s boots, but finding players on the level of Mbeumo and Wissa will be tough.

Gustavo Nunes picked up an injury last week against Gil Vicente, joining Vitaly Janelt and Josh Dasilva on the sidelines, but Fabio Carvalho is fit after a string of setbacks last season.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Walsh; Dunne, Morrison, Cook, Larkeche; Field, Morgan, Chair; Madsen, Dembele, Poku

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Henderson, Jensen, Damsgaard; Carvalho, Igor Thiago, Schade

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Brentford

Since QPR were relegated to the Championship, Brentford won nine of the 13 meetings between the two before they were promoted to the Premier League, but the hosts did win the last meeting in 2021.

With an unsettled side at present, Brentford are something of an unknown quantity, with it being tough to know where they are at after just one friendly so far.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.