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QPR head to Pride Park - the home of Derby County - tonight (Tuesday), still searching for a maiden away victory of the season.
Indeed, Ian Holloway’s side will be looking to register their first win on their travels in the Sky Bet Championship, and at the same time bounce back from back-to-back defeats against Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in the Midlands.
Derby did the double over the R’s last season, winning both games 1-0 - a scoreline that the Hoops have lost by on their last three visits to Pride Park.
However, it was also the same scoreline that saw Rangers triumph in the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley in May 2014, thanks to Bobby Zamora’s dramatic late winner that will forever be etched in the fabric of this fixture.
But it’s league action and three points that are at stake this evening - and the Rams head into the clash having only tasted defeat once in their last six outings.
Gary Rowett’s men have won four of their last six matches, but on the positive for the R’s, those four wins were all last month and since then, the Rams have lost at home to Reading (2-4) and shared the spoils with Fulham (1-1) either side of the recent international break.
Like the Rams, Rangers, of course, enjoyed an unbeaten October, but they’ve suffered two defeats on the spin since then, and boss Ian Holloway will be looking for a response from his side tonight, as the R’s yet again go in search of some much-needed joy on their travels.
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Last Time Out
Derby County 1-0 QPR - March 31st 2017
Matej Vydra notched the only goal of the game in the 70th minute to clinch maximum points for the Rams, in what was Gary Rowett’s first home game in charge.
Idrissa Sylla headed against the post late on for QPR, who suffered only their second defeat in eight games.
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Stats
- Derby have won their last three home league matches against QPR, all by a 1-0 scoreline
- No side in the Championship has been awarded more penalties than Derby County (4).
- Rangers haven’t won at Derby since October 2009, a 4-2 victory
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Ian Holloway: “Derby are in a good place under Gary. You hear a lot about the Derby way, but I think it’s looking a lot like the Gary Rowett way now. They’ve got great quality and great numbers. It’s a tough ask for us, on what is a massive pitch, but we’re heading there in good spirits."
Gary Rowett: "When you’re putting in such good work away from home, you need to capitalise by winning your home games, and we’ve got three home games coming up that we can be incredibly competitive in. We were feeling very confident about what we’ve been doing at home and I don’t think that the last game against Reading should change that mindset. If we can continue the progress that we’ve been making at home, that then adds significant magnitude to the away performances.”
Team News
QPR: Massimo Luongo (illness) misses out whilst Jordan Cousins (knee) won't be risked either. Darnell Furlong (knee) and Bright Oseyi-Samuel (ankle) also won't travel. Nedum Onuoha (hamstring) and James Perch (knee) continue their rehabilitation ahead of returns.
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Derby County: The Rams could be without the services of Bradley Johnson and Tom Lawrence. Gary Rowett has confirmed that Johnson is set to be sidelined because of a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Lawrence has picked up a couple of knocks and is a doubt for the clash at Pride Park.
Referee
Paul Tierney: Overseen eight games so far this season, producing a total of 26 yellow cards and no reds. He's also the ref who officiated when the squirrel was on the pitch v Leicester four years ago. He also sent Barton off in that game. Here he is again sending Dunne off v Sheff Weds.
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