Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers square off on Saturday afternoon with just two points separating the clubs in the Championship standings.
The Hoops moved ahead of their hosts in midweek to occupy third spot, but the two teams are still fighting for playoff positions rather than being focused on a bid for the automatic places.
Match preview
© Reuters
There was a time earlier in 2022 when Blackburn looked to be the most likely challengers to Fulham and Bournemouth, but a five-match winless streak has changed that perception.
Tony Mowbray's side have collected two points during that period, but Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United was their fifth game in a row without troubling the scoresheet.
Rovers forward Reda Khadra missed a penalty before Ben Davies' last-gasp winner for the Blades, a result which leaves Blackburn holding just a one-point lead over their most recent opponents.
There is an argument that facing another fellow promotion contender is exactly what Rovers need to get back on track, but Tony Mowbray knows that his team could quickly find themselves outside of the top six with a fourth defeat in six games.
Although a trip to Fulham is awaiting them next weekend, that is the only away fixture in five games, giving Blackburn a chance to add to their 10 home wins from 16 fixtures.
© Reuters
QPR have also been far from perfect of late, winning just one of their six Championship contests before Wednesday's home clash with Blackpool.
Mark Warburton's team looked up against it when Dion Sanderson was sent off late in the first half, but the Hoops still managed to secure a much-needed 2-1 success.
That result has moved QPR into third spot having played a game fewer than fourth-placed Huddersfield Town, and Warburton is aware that Saturday's fixture at Ewood Park could prove to be pivotal come the end of the season.
Goals from the QPR frontline have dried up of late, but Jimmy Dunne and Luke Amos both contributed their third strikes of the season against the Tangerines.
Despite possessing the sixth-best away record in the division, the London outfit travel to Blackburn having lost their last two fixtures on their travels.
- W
- D
- L
- L
- D
- L
- W
- D
- L
- L
- D
- W
- L
- D
- L
- L
- D
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Given the quick turnaround, Mowbray may make a couple of changes to his Blackburn XI, including handing a recall to Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Ryan Giles.
Tyrhys Dolan is pushing for an opportunity in the final third ahead of Khadra or Sam Gallagher, while Ryan Hedges may also come into consideration.
Ben Brereton Diaz remains out of contention in the long term after suffering ankle ligament damage.
QPR will be without Sanderson, who is serving a suspension, but Robert Dickie is back from a ban and will act as a direct replacement.
Amos and George Thomas are both options in the final third, while Andre Gray or Charlie Austin may be brought in down the middle of the attack.
However, Warburton may stick with the majority of the team which started the game against Blackpool.
Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Lenihan, Van Hecke, Wharton; Nyambe, Travis, Rothwell, Giles; Buckley; Dolan, Gallagher
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Dickie, Dunne, Barbet; Adomah, Hendrick, Field, Odubajo; Johansen, Chair; Willock
We say: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Queens Park Rangers
Given the form of both teams and their respective places in the table, this can surely only be a cagey match. While Rovers need to end their winless streak as soon as possible, they, like their opponents, would not be against a draw from this contest.
Top tip
Data 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 Blackburn Rovers win with a probability of 42.75%. A win for Queens Park Rangers had a probability of 30.68% and a draw had a probability of 26.6%.
The most likely scoreline for a Blackburn Rovers win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.1%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.78%) and 2-0 (7.73%). The likeliest Queens Park Rangers win was 0-1 (9.07%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.62%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with an 11.1% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Blackburn Rovers in this match.
