Will Rangers advance to the next round of the cup?
Once a Premier League regular, the Black Cats are now languishing in League One, England’s third tier. Sunderland AFC have already had three attempts at promotion to the Championship. In two out of three seasons, SAFC failed to reach the play-offs.
This year, Sunderland have made a promising start to the season and are once again among the favourites for promotion. Last week they suffered a major setback in the promotion race with a defeat against Charlton. At least SAFC missed the jump to the top of the table. The next round of the EFL Cup will be played this week.
The Black Cats host Queens Park Rangers and are expectedly the underdogs against the Championship club.
The last time the two clubs met was just under three years ago. On that occasion, Rangers beat the Black Cats 1-0 at their own stadium. We don’t rule out a similar result in the last 16 of the EFL Cup.
QPR – Statistics & current form
In the Championship, more than half of all matches in the first half of the season have already been played. Queens Park Rangers in particular will hardly be able to complain about the current table situation. After all, QPR are seventh in the table, level on points with two other teams in the play-off places.
So far, Rangers of London have a record of 6-3-5. Two of QPR’s five defeats have come in the last three matchdays. This includes the most recent defeat against Peterborough, where the Londoners even squandered an interim lead. The last-minute goal in injury time was the coup de grace for Rangers.
In the EFL Cup, QPR will now benefit from home advantage and aim for a fifth home win in a row. Rangers have recently won against Blackburn, Preston and Birmingham. They also pulled off a surprise coup against Everton FC in the last round of the League Cup.
Do Rangers continue their recent cup run?
There was a slugfest against the English top flight club in regulation time, with QPR scoring two goals against Everton FC. Head coach Warburton’s side held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out, converting their eighth penalty to book their place in the last 16 of the EFL Cup.
This is the first time since the 2008/09 season that Rangers have reached the last 16 of the League Cup. Before that, QPR usually had to bow out in the second round of the cup. It is quite possible that the quarter-finals are in the offing. After all, Sunderland is a feasible, lower-class opponent in the upcoming cup round.
With QPR fighting for promotion in the league, changes in the starting eleven compared to the recent league performance cannot be ruled out. Injuries have left Warburton with only Wallace, McCallum and Field unavailable for the cup tie against the Black Cats. If Rangers prevail against SAFC, odds of 1.98 are paid out for tip 1 on QPR vs Sunderland.
Predicted line-up of QPR:
Dieng; Dickie, Dunne, de Wijs; Odubajo, Amos, Johansen, Kakay; Chair; Willock, Gray
Last matches played by QPR:
Championship
10/23 2021 – Peterboro 2 – 1 Queens Park Rangers
10/19 2021 – Queens Park Rangers 1 – 0 Blackburn
10/16 2021 – Fulham 4 – 1 Queens Park Rangers
10/02 2021 – Queens Park Rangers 3 – 2 Preston
09/28 2021 – Queens Park Rangers 2 – 0 Birmingham
Sunderland – Statistics & current form
Sunderland missed out on a move to the top of the League One table last weekend. The home-strong Black Cats suffered a surprising defeat against Charlton Athletic in what was supposed to be a must-win game. During the week, SAFC have the chance to make amends – at least in the cup competition.
In the EFL Cup, meanwhile, head coach Johnson & Co. are aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2013/14 season, when Sunderland AFC were still in the Premier League. Since then, the Black Cats have only qualified for the last 16 twice in their last seven attempts. This season will now be SAFC’s third appearance in the fourth round of the cup in the last eight years.
Because Sunderland play their cup tie away from home, it is more than bold to make a prediction on the Black Cats in QPR vs Sunderland on Tuesday night. In League One, Sunderland have already stumbled on foreign soil. Two of the three defeats came in away games.
Has SAFC already digested the defeat against Charlton?
Just like QPR, the Black Cats’ focus this year is on the promotion race. There is therefore no telling how Sunderland will approach the cup tie against Rangers. Rotation is probably not to be expected, after all, Sunderland already have only a slim chance in the best line-up to solve the quarter-final ticket at the home-strong QPR.
Head coach Johnson is only expected to be without Xhemajli, Willis, Huggins and Broadhead for the away game in London. There are no other absentees for the visitors from Sunderland. Ross Stewart is expected to continue up front. With nine goals in his 13 appearances, the 25-year-old is the Black Cats’ most prolific scorer
Predicted Sunderland line-up:
Burge; Winchester, Wright, Flanagan, Hume; O’Nien, Neil; Dajaku, Embleton, Gooch; Stewart
Last matches played by Sunderland:
League One
10/23 2021 – Sunderland 0 – 1 Charlton
10/19 2021 – Crewe 0 – 4 Sunderland
10/16 2021 – Gillingham 1 – 2 Sunderland
EFL Trophy Northern Grp. F
10/13 2021 – Sunderland 2 – 1 Manchester United Academy
10/05 2021 – Lincoln City 1 – 2 Sunderland
QPR – Sunderland Direct comparison / H2H record
This is the 37th time the two clubs have met. So far, the direct comparison is even with 14 wins each on the account, and there have also been eight draws. In the last six competitive matches between the two clubs, the Black Cats have only beaten QPR once. The London club, on the other hand, won four of the six competitive matches in that period.
The last time was in March 2018, where QPR won their home game against SAFC 1-0. Rangers have also only lost once at home to Sunderland since December 2011.
QPR – Sunderland Tip
Both clubs, meanwhile, are on course for promotion in the league. While the Black Cats are aiming for promotion to the Championship, QPR are targeting a return to the English top flight. With the current fixture list, the cup games during the week are not at all convenient. Rangers, in particular, can be expected to rotate in the EFL Cup.
In recent years, Queens Park Rangers have hardly been convincing in the League Cup anyway. For the first time since the 2008/09 season, QPR are back in the last 16 of the EFL Cup. Against Sunderland AFC there is now even the chance to enter the quarter-finals of the current cup competition.
Because it is currently impossible to predict with which starting eleven the two clubs will approach the cup match, bets on the 1X2 market are risky. Therefore, bets on the goal market are recommended. We expect a battle between the two offensives and would place a bet on QPR vs Sunderland at good odds of over 2.5 goals with a stake of five units.
