The midweek games in the Football League return on Tuesday and Wednesday as Queens Park Rangers welcomes Sunderland to Loftus Road this Tuesday night with the London club set to come into this for a battle towards the top six.
Sunderland have been very topsy-turvy in the league this season and they are now up into seventh and just outside of the playoff spots as a result of their great form since the World Cup.
🗣 The gaffer has been speaking to the media ahead of Sunderland’s visit on Tuesday night.We’ve the key points 💬#QPR | #QPRSUN pic.twitter.com/B2dqpg3Wih— QPR FC (@QPR) February 13, 2023
🗣 The gaffer has been speaking to the media ahead of Sunderland’s visit on Tuesday night.We’ve the key points 💬#QPR | #QPRSUN pic.twitter.com/B2dqpg3Wih
The Black Cats did lose to Fulham last Wednesday in a fantastic 3-2 game that saw them knocked out of the FA Cup fourth round after drawing with the Cottagers at Craven Cottage.
Sunderland returned to the win column straight after the loss, however, as Patrick Roberts continued his stunning form with another goal.
Roberts lined up with Amad Diallo in the attacking spots, as Sunderland now also have to deal with another injury to Ross Stewart and the departure of Ellis Simms back to Everton after the Toffees ended his loan spell at the club.
Stewart was the club's main man last season and has been injured for most of the Championship campaign, while Simms was the second top scorer behind Stewart.
In fact, Stewart has 11 goals and Simms seven, while Diallo has netted seven times too and played practically every game on loan from Manchester United.
QPR are down in 16th now after their worst run of form sees them winless since beating Preston North End just a week before Christmas.
It also means the R's have just one win since action resumed in the Championship, and they have even lost to League One's Fleetwood Town in the FA Cup third round.
QPR are still only six points behind Sunderland in seventh, despite being nine places behind them in the table.
They have actually only won two fewer games (10) than the Black Cats, while conceding just seven goals more too.
A win here for the London club would be their best of the season in terms of hopes for the playoffs, but in reality, it is just about getting back in the win column for Neil Critchley's men.
Critchley has so far proved to be a poor choice at the QPR helm, with just one win as head coach from 10 games that now means just a 10% win record.
Forebet predicts a win here for Sunderland and for the game to see under 2.5 goals.