- Team form: Ipswich Town have won 13, drawn eight and lost only once at home in 22 Championship games this season.
- Away record: QPR have won six, drawn seven and lost nine of their 22 away games in the Championship this term.
- Recent H2H: Ipswich are unbeaten in their last two against QPR, who have failed to win their last two away from home.
Ipswich to maintain their dominance over QPR
Form and context
Ipswich are very clear favorites to beat 14th placed QPR on Saturday as the Tractor Boys currently sit second in the Championship table with 81 points from 45 games to their visitors' 58. Kieran McKenna’s side are a bit of a mixed bag having won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five, but their home form is superb and they are unbeaten in their last three, including a gritty 2-2 away draw at Southampton and a 1-2 win at Charlton Athletic.
Tactical battle
This game will be a fascinating clash of styles between McKenna’s high-energy, high-pressing game and that of Julien Stephan, whose QPR side prefer a more measured, central approach. McKenna’s team play in a vertically biased way and will press hard in the opposition half to try and overwhelm their opponents early on.
Stephan, meanwhile, is a pragmatist and his side will always look to control the ball in the centre of the field and make use of the space out wide. His tactics are flexible, but his structured pressing game and midfield emphasis are what have seen his side slide down the table in recent weeks with three straight defeats and no wins in their last five (two draws).
- Richard Kone, who has 10 goals in 43 Championship appearances, is their leading scorer and often their main threat on the break.
- Jack Clarke is the talisman for the hosts, who have been one of the most entertaining teams in the division to watch this year, netting 16 times in 45 appearances, while Stephan’s side struggle to score.
Stephan’s men could be outnumbered by Tractor Boys
Clarke has scored twice in Ipswich’s last five games and will be a big threat here, although QPR may be able to hold their own for large parts of the game. Ipswich have failed to beat the R’s in their last home game, but they have a superior home record, have dominated the recent H2H meetings and the visitors are on a bit of a slide.
With Stephan’s team averaging less than a goal a game away in the Championship (0.95), conceding 1.50 goals and failing to win their last two on the road, it’s worth having a bet on the hosts to come out on top in this one.
Ipswich have conceded only 17 goals in their 22 home games this term, so in the ‘Both teams to score’ market, the ‘No’ option looks alluring at 1.8 given QPR’s blunt attack. With Ipswich a high-energy side with promotion ambitions and contrasting styles, this could be a chess match or a war of attrition and given the Tractor Boys are clearly superior, we’re banking on them to come out on top.
