Bristol City vs QPR predictions: Improving Hoops can offer stiff resistance
- Bristol City have won only one of their last five league matches
- QPR have taken 11 points from their last five league games
- Recommended bet: QPR or draw double chance
Things are slowly but surely looking up for QPR and they should have little to fear from Saturday’s lunchtime trip to Bristol City, who are going through a rocky patch.
The Hoops found themselves deep in relegation trouble following only one win from their opening 16 Championship assignments, but they are now unbeaten in five and have won three of their last four.
Manager Marti Cifuentes is finally starting to get a tune from his players and, having kept four straight clean sheets, they should be full of confidence for the trip to Ashton Gate.
Bristol City sit 11th, five points above QPR, and they will be pleased enough with Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at high-flying Sunderland.
However, the Robins’ only win in their last five league matches came at home to second-bottom Plymouth and they look on the short side against improving QPR.
Team news
Bristol City have had a rough ride with injuries this season but Scott Twine, Mark Sykes and George Tanner are all closing in on a return to action.
However, Liam Manning’s side remain without Joe Williams, Ayman Benarous, Ross McCrorie and Kal Naismith.
QPR saw Kenneth Paal and Zan Celar both pick up injuries in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Norwich, while Nicolas Madsen limped off in Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Oxford and is also a doubt.
Ilias Chair returned from the bench in midweek and could have a more significant role to play at Ashton Gate, but Jake Clarke-Salter, Jack Colback, Karamoko Dembele and Michael Frey remain sidelined.
The stats
QPR are unbeaten in five league games, winning three times in that period and keeping four straight clean sheets.
Bristol City have won only one of their last five league outings and have endured three defeats in that spell.
Eight of QPR’s last 10 league matches have gone under 2.5 goals, with both teams scoring in only three of those assignments.
The Robins have won only one of their last six home league matches and they have failed to score in three of those fixtures.
Prediction
It has been a remarkable turnaround from Cifuentes as QPR manager, with his side piecing together a five-game unbeaten run to move out of the relegation zone.
Four successive clean sheets underlines their marked improvement and they could pick up another positive result at mid-table Bristol City, who have won only one of their last five.
The Robins have suffered losses to nil against Burnley, Watford and Portsmouth during that run and are still suffering with a large number of injuries.
Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry and Cardiff, three bottom-half sides like QPR, have all avoided defeat at Ashton Gate this season and the Hoops are in good enough touch to repeat the trick.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
