Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Queens Park Rangers – Prediction, Team News, Lineups
Blackburn Rovers will welcome Queens Park Rangers to Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon, aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven matches.
While Blackburn currently occupy fifth place in the standings, Queens Park Rangers are positioned in 14th, despite their own five-match unbeaten streak.
Match preview
Although Blackburn ended last season on a high note, their supporters might not have anticipated such a strong start to this campaign.
Despite the departure of Sammie Szmodics to Ipswich Town, John Eustace’s side has amassed 12 points from their first six matches.
Rovers have followed a win-draw pattern since their opening game, scoring in every match until last weekend’s goalless draw at Preston North End.
That draw marked Blackburn’s third consecutive away stalemate, with all three of their victories coming at Ewood Park.
They have netted nine goals in wins over Derby County, Oxford United, and Bristol City, while securing back-to-back clean sheets in their last two fixtures.
As for QPR, they arrive in the North-West with a five-match unbeaten streak, their only league defeat this season coming at home against leaders West Bromwich Albion.
Marti Cifuentes might be frustrated with the four draws in five games, but this run extends a streak of just one loss in nine matches, including the end of last season.
Since a 2-1 win at Luton Town before the international break, the Hoops have drawn 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall respectively.
A notable concern is that they have yet to keep a clean sheet in the Championship this season.
**Blackburn Rovers Championship form:**
W D W D W D
**Blackburn Rovers form (all competitions):**
D W L D W D
**Queens Park Rangers Championship form:**
L D D W D D
**Queens Park Rangers form (all competitions):**
D W W D L D
Team News
Eustace will need to make at least one change to the Blackburn lineup after left-back Owen Beck was sent off in the match against Preston.
Harry Pickering will likely replace Beck, and Eustace might also consider bringing back Andreas Weimann and Makhtar Gueye.
Todd Cantwell and Amario Cozier-Duberry are in line for their first starts since joining Ewood Park on deadline day.
For QPR, if Cifuentes decides to make adjustments to his starting XI, Paul Smyth could be chosen to play on the wing instead of Koki Saito.
The rest of the team might remain unchanged, with Morgan Fox and Ilias Chair still sidelined due to injury.
**Blackburn Rovers possible starting lineup:**
Pears; Carter, Batth, Hyam, Pickering; Tronstad, Travis; Hedges, Dolan, Cantwell; Gueye
**Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:**
Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Madsen, Field; Dembele, Andersen, Smyth; Frey
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