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QUEENS Park Rangers are looking to get back to winning ways when hosting Leeds United on Saturday in W12.
The R’s have got the better of Leeds in recent outings and were 3-0 winners when the two teams met at Loftus Road on the opening day of last season.
Ian Holloway and his side are currently going through a difficult run of form, having not won in any of the last five games but will certainly be encouraged by the performance against Preston North End last weekend.
Despite playing much of the match with ten men, Rangers were only defeated towards the end of the game and showed lots of fighting qualities which should have seen us walk away with a point.
Leeds got off to an excellent start to the campaign - winning five of their opening seven games of the season and playing in a stylish and attacking manner. But between September and October they surprisingly lost six out of seven matches.
However, things have picked up for the Yorkshire outfit in recent games and they’ve taken seven points from a possible twelve. On the weekend they held the in-form Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw and therefore come into this game relatively confident.
Leeds will look back on last season with regret. Despite playing some excellent football and putting themselves in a good position for promotion in February, they threw it away by winning just one of their last eight league games which meant they missed out on the play-offs and finished in 7th place.
Leeds and former manager Garry Monk decided to go their separates ways in the summer with the club making a somewhat left-field appointment in Thomas Christiansen. He had previously won the Cypriot championship with APOEL FC before taking charge of the Whites but is still unexperienced at this level.
He’s brought some explosive players from abroad with him to Elland Road, including Spanish playmaker Samu Saiz and Macedonian winger Ezgjan Alioski.
Leeds are in 8th place whilst QPR are in 18th but Rangers will know they can close the gap to just five points if they can defeat the visitors in west London on Saturday.
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Last Time Out
Leeds United 0, QPR 0 - Saturday 11th March 2017
Ian Holloway's QPR, who pressed throughout at Elland Road and looked the more likely side to claim victory, collected their seventh point from a possible nine during that week of the season with a fine draw against an in-form Leeds side. Both keepers came out on top with Conor Washington going closest for the R’s.
Stats
- QPR have scored eight goals (36% of our goals scored) in the final 15 minutes of matches in the league this season
- Leeds have conceded eight goals (32% of their goals conceded) in the final 15 minutes of matches in the league this season
- Leeds have only won one of their last five games at Loftus Road
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Ian Holloway: "Wherever Leeds are in the table at the moment is irrelevant going into today – it’s about us putting our game on them and getting the points. If we can get two wins, we’ll be back towards where we want to be."
Thomas Christiansen: "QPR will come out strongly though in front of their own fans, they are good at home and have made it difficult for good teams in this league. In their last home game they were 2-0 down and drew the game 2-2 in the last minute, which nobody expected."
Team News
QPR: Nedum Onuoha in contention, while Grant Hall could also feature for first time this season.QPR are without Alex Baptiste and Jamie Mackie after both were sent off against Preston North End. However, midfielder Luke Freeman is available again after serving his one match suspension. Lynch, Furlong, Perch out.
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Leeds: Stuart Dallas, Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Eunan O'Kane all missed Leeds draw with Villa last weekend but should return for the trip to Loftus Road. Pablo Hernandez faces a late fitness test.
Referee
Christopher Kavanagh: Has refereed four Premier League games this season.
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