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Saturday February 17th
3pm Kick off
Loftus Road
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R's looking for win against Wanderers
QPR’s 32nd fixture of the Championship season is against Bolton at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon.
With just six points and three positions between the two teams, the R’s can expect another tricky game against a Bolton side who have picked up some good results in recent matches.
Wanderers, who on the opening day of the Premier League season in 2011/12 came to Loftus Road and won 4-0, have been victorious in four of their last nine league games meaning they are currently in their best form of the season.
During this little run, they have defeated Bristol City, Sheffield United and Cardiff City - three of the current top eight and have also kept four clean sheets. They are now 19th in the league - two points above the drop-zone.
After a slow start to the campaign in which they lost nine out of their first 11 league games, Bolton has really picked up in the middle part of the season and it’s a great credit to Phil Parkinson that he has guided his team into a position where they are now odds-on to beat the drop.
But like QPR, Bolton still have a lot of work to do in the final 15 games of the year. Another reason why they deserve so much credit for their recent form is that at the end of January they sold their top goal-scorer Gary Madine to Cardiff.
His departure has seen other players step up but it’s away from home where the Whites need to improve – picking up just one away win this term.
When the two teams met earlier on in the season it was a really scrappy affair with Bolton dominating the first half before QPR deservedly equalised late on through Idrissa Sylla after controlling the whole second period.
The last time the two teams met in October 2015 it was an absolutely thrilling game with the R’s coming from behind to win 4-3 thanks to a special 90th minute winner from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.
Ollie will be hoping his side can continue their impressive form at home. Rangers have picked up seven points from a possible 12 in our recent home games and were 1-0 winners over Barnsley last time out. We are currently situated in 16th place but a win could see us climb to 14th depending on other results.
Key battles:
Karl Henry v Jordan Cousins
Two hardworking, battling midfielders who will be expected to work very hard for the team to win the ball back and distribute to others.
Everyone in W12 knows the underrated qualities that Karl Henry brings to a side. Time and time again the former R’s midfielder will put the dirty work in which will help free up the more attack-minded midfielders and his work off the ball often goes towards strong team performances.
The versatile Cousins, who has been operating in the centre of midfield lately, provides great energy in the middle of the park and is adaptable - being both being defensive with strong tackles and interceptions whilst also capable of providing late attacking runs into the box.
Both will know each other’s game well but it’s perhaps the physical battle that is so important for this particular contest.
Sammy Ameobi v Nedum Onuoha
Arguably Bolton’s most dangerous forward - Ameobi can go long periods without being seen before punishing the enemy with a sublime piece of skill or improvisation. A great example of this would be his winner against Bristol City a couple of weeks’ ago where he scored a wonderful solo goal to give his team an unlikely three points.
Onuoha made his 200th start for QPR against Wolves last week. After an injury-hit season, the R’s skipper is now somewhere close to his best and will relish the challenge of facing Bolton’s talisman.
Josh Vela v Luke Freeman
A battle between arguably the two most technically gifted players at Loftus Road on Saturday. In a match where there will undoubtedly be a lot of tackles, set-pieces and crosses both teams will know they will also need that extra bit of quality when it comes to creativity and these two are the most likely to oblige.
Vela, who came through Bolton’s youth academy, is very easy on the eye and great at threading little forward passes as well as linking up with other strikers and midfielders. He has contributed four assists to a team that has struggled for goals this season.
Freeman has been the one unquestionable success of QPR’s season. The diminutive midfielder has enjoyed the freedom of playing just behind the striker and has provided some excellent crosses and through balls with no other player in the division creating more goals than the former Bristol City man.
Both players will have to work hard to find space in what is expected to be a congested midfield but both will hope to provide the key to unlocking the opponents' defence.
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