Queens Park Rangers do not need to have possession for 60 minutes to create chances. They just need to get the ball into the box quickly from wide areas. That approach could cause Burnley real problems: the visitors concede plenty away from home, and their defence often struggles to cope with opposition attacks.
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers come into this match after a defeat to Southampton (1:4). At home, though, it is a very different story. They have scored 13 goals and recorded three wins in six matches at Loftus Road. Their last two home games ended in emphatic victories over Derby County (4:1) and Swansea City (5:0). In the latter, the hosts created chances worth 3.3 xG. Richard Kone scored a hat-trick in 15 minutes: Paul Smyth and Kwame Poku supplied him from wide areas, while defender Jimmy Dunne added another two goals. Even with Nicolas Madsen and Rumarn Burrell missing, they still have options in attack. Kone also scored against Southampton. Queens Park Rangers are ninth, three points off the play-off places. They need a home win to keep pace with the top six.
Burnley
Burnley's problems extend well beyond one poor match. After 13 rounds, they sit 22nd with nine points. Their six away games have brought four defeats and 15 goals conceded. They lost to Lincoln City (1:4), having previously been beaten by Swansea City (1:3). There was also an emphatic win over Watford (4:0), but that remains their only league victory all season. Fabio Celestini is now in charge. In his first match, against Portsmouth (0:0), Burnley played reasonably well in the first half but failed to score. Changing their approach after a couple of training sessions, with another away trip coming up, is difficult. There is a risk for Queens Park Rangers, too: the visitors could well be more disciplined under their new manager.
Queens Park Rangers vs Burnley Prediction
A year ago, Burnley thrashed Queens Park Rangers at this ground (0:5). The situation is different now, though. Queens Park Rangers are scoring more than two goals per game at home, while the visitors have conceded an average of 2.5 across six away matches. If the hosts can keep finding Kone with deliveries from wide areas, they will create chances. The visitors still lack the defensive solidity to cope with matches like this. Our pick is Queens Park Rangers to win.
