Will QPR score against a shorthanded Sheffield?

The Blades from Sheffield are still on a high and are preparing for a return to the English top flight in their current form. After eleven matchdays in the Championship, Sheffield United are at the top of the table with a total of 24 points on their account, making them one of the favourites for direct promotion.

The Blades’ lead over rivals such as Norwich (2nd) and Reading (3rd) shrank because only one point was taken in the league match against Birmingham last weekend. The Championship leaders will have the chance to make amends in their home match against Queens Park Rangers this week.

Sheffield United are currently struggling with some personnel worries and will have to do without a total of six players due to injury on Monday evening. Nevertheless, the role of favourites in the encounter with QPR is understandable. The Blades have won each of their last three home games against Rangers since August 2010.

Sheffield United – Statistics & current form

The Blades’ winning streak is over for now. After scoring four trebles in a row, Sheffield United failed to beat Birmingham City last weekend, picking up just a point against the Blues despite home advantage. The result was disappointing, as Sheffield United not only had more of the game than their opponents, but also created more chances to score.

“Wipe your mouth and move on” is now the motto for the leaders of the second English league. The next league match is at home against QPR this week. With a win, Sheffield not only keeps the chasers at bay, but also lands a big point against a direct promotion rival.

Encouragingly, Monday’s fixture features home advantage against QPR. At Bramall Lane, Sheffield have lost only one of their last eight encounters against Tuesday’s opponents from London. Meanwhile, if the record is extended with another win, betting odds of up to 1.72 on Sheffield United vs QPR for tip 1 are on offer.

Best Offence in the Championship

The Blades currently boast the best attacking department in the league with a total of 20 goals in eleven matchdays. This means that on average almost two goals have been scored per league game. The offensive duo of Iliman Ndiaye and Oliver McBurnie played a major role in this. In total, the two offensive players of the Blades have scored ten goals – five on each account.

In the 3-5-2, McBurnie and Ndiaye therefore remain set up front, with the latter acting as a “false nine”. With the current injury woes in the Blades squad, major changes in the starting line-up are not expected anyway. It is expected that head coach Paul Heckingbottom will start the match against QPR with the same starting eleven as in the recent league match against Birmingham.

Sheffield have won each of their last five league games against Queens Park Rangers since October 2017. Last season, there was even an aggregate score of 4-1 against QPR after the first and second legs – a good omen ahead of Tuesday’s game?

Predicted Sheffield United line-up:
Foderingham; Basham, Egan, Norrington-Davies; Bogle, Berge, Norwood, Doyle, Khadra; Ndiaye, McBurnie

Last matches played by Sheffield United:

Championship
01/10/2022 – Sheffield United 1 – 1 Birmingham

17/09/2022 – Preston 0 – 2 Sheffield United

14/09/2022 – Swansea 0 – 1 Sheffield United

04/09/2022 – Hull 0 – 2 Sheffield United

31/08/2022 – Sheffield United 4 – 0 Reading

QPR – Statistics & current form

QPR, unlike the Blades from Sheffield, have only found their winning ways in recent weeks. A late bloomer in the Championship, Rangers have climbed to fifth in the English second division in recent weeks, meanwhile still five points off a direct promotion spot.

The minimum goal this season is to participate in the promotion play-offs. Rangers have not been involved in the promotion race since their relegation from the English top flight in 2015. A ninth-place finish in the table in the 2020/21 season was their best result in the fiercely competitive Championship since then.

Considering how strong the Londoners have been in recent weeks, there is nevertheless a realistic chance of at least participating in the promotion play-offs this season. In the last seven league games, Rangers have only conceded one defeat.

Can QPR keep the Blade’s offence in check?

Last weekend, QPR claimed maximum points for the fifth time this season with victory over Bristol City, also keeping them unbeaten for the third successive season. The Londoners now want to continue this winning trend against Tuesday’s opponents from Sheffield.

The performance of the defence will be particularly important. Although QPR have conceded only one goal in their last three matches at league level, the statistics should not be overestimated with regard to the upcoming match. Especially as QPR have always conceded at least one goal in their last five matches against Sheffield.

Compared to the Blades’ injury list, QPR’s personnel worries are manageable. Dickie and Richards are the only players expected to miss Tuesday’s game at Bramall Lane. There are no other absentees for Rangers.

Predicted line-up of QPR:
Dieng; Laird, Balogun, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Field, Amos, Johansen; Roberts, Willock, Chair

Last matches played by QPR:

Championship
01/10/2022 – Bristol City 1 – 2 Queens Park Rangers

17/09/2022 – Queens Park Rangers 0 – 0 Stoke

15/09/2022 – Millwall 0 – 2 Queens Park Rangers

03/09/2022 – Swansea 1 – 0 Queens Park Rangers

31/08/2022 – Queens Park Rangers 3 – 1 Hull

Sheffield United – QPR Direct comparison / H2H record

Sheffield already won first and second legs in the Championship against QPR last season, extending their current winning streak against the Londoners. The Blades have beaten Rangers in every league encounter since October 2017. In fact, Sheffield have not lost at home to QPR since August 2010.

The Blades have won three of their last three home games, twice keeping a clean sheet. Considering how strong the leaders have been in their five matches at Bramall Lane so far, it is obvious that Sheffield will score three times against QPR this time as well.

Sheffield United – QPR Tip

Sheffield were dealt a surprising blow in the promotion race last weekend. Despite home advantage, the Blades only picked up a point against the Blues from Birmingham in what was supposed to be a must-win game and thus squandered their comfortable lead over the competition again.

Chasers such as Reading FC and Norwich thus reduced the gap to the Blades. Therefore, it is all the more important for Sheffield to score three times during the week in order not to lose the pole position in the league. The match against QPR comes – at least after the latest H2H – quite handy.

The Blades have won the last five league encounters against QPR. On top of that, Sheffield have a strong home record of 4-1-0 this season anyway. We expect three points for Sheffield this time as well and therefore tend towards a win for the hosts. For Sheffield United vs. QPR, betting odds of 1.72 are currently offered for tip 1. We bet five units