Stats and info for the Baggies' Boxing Day clash (ko 3pm)
All-time results record (League, FA Cup and League Cup)PLD | W | D | L | F | A | GD | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HOME | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 38
| 22 | 16 |
AWAY | 17 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
NEUTRAL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
TOTAL | 39 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 59 | 45 | 14 |
Harry Redknapp is set to become the 15th different person to manage QPR against the Baggies in only 18 league meetings between the two clubs at Loftus Road.
The Baggies have lost only one of their last nine meetings with Rangers – winning five and drawing three.
QPR have not won back-to-back home games since the final two games of last season.
The hosts will need to follow in the footsteps of the visitors if they are to avoid relegation this season. During the 2004/05 campaign the Baggies had only ten points on Christmas Day but five wins and nine draws in the second half of the season steered Bryan Robson’s men to safety.
The two sides did not meet in any competition until Saturday, November 6, 1948, when Jack Smith’s side overcame The R’s 2-0 at Loftus Road – some 70 years after Albion were founded in 1878 and 66 years after QPR were established.
Last time out
HOME: Barclays Premier League, Saturday, October 6, 2012, Albion 3 (Morrison, Gera, Mulumbu) QPR 2 (Taarabt, Granero)
AWAY: Barclays Premier League, Saturday, December 10, 2011, QPR 1 (Helguson 20) Albion 1 (Long 81)
Form guide (last six league matches)
ALBION:WLLLDW
QPR: LDDDWL
Last league match line-ups
ALBION (v Norwich - home W 2-1): Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Popov; Dorrans (Fortune HT), Brunt (c); Gera (Long 62), Morrison, Odemwingie; Lukaku (Tamas 84). Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Ridgewell, Rosenberg, Jara Reyes.
QPR (v Newcastle – away L 1-0): Green; Fabio, Ferdinand, Nelsen, Hill; Granero (Wright-Phillips 56), Faurlin, Mbia; Taarabt, Cisse (Hoilett 63), Mackie. Subs not used: Murphy (gk), Diakite, Traore, Derry, Onuoha.
QPR team news
Ji-Sung Park (knee), Julio Cesar and Jose Bosingwa (both back) all missed Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Newcastle at St James’ Park. Andrew Johnson (knee), Bobby Zamora (hip) and Kieran Dyer are all long-term absentees.
Ref watch
Chris Foy oversees the game. The Merseyside official refereed Albion’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle in October and September’s 1-0 victory over Reading at The Hawthorns. Foy has dished out no red cards and 30 yellow cards in 16 games this term.
Betting
Selected odds from Bet Butler:
Albion to win: 9/4
QPR to win: 7/5
Draw: 5/2
Shane Long to score the first goal: 7/1
Djibril Cisse to score the first goal: 6/1
Tickets
Fans are urged not to travel to Loftus Road with a ticket as no tickets will be available to Albion fans on the day of the game.
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