London enemies QPR and Millwall have struggled to secure victories in the Championship this season as they get ready to face each other at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Both teams have managed to win only one game each out of their first five league matches. However, while QPR have suffered only one defeat, Millwall have lost three times, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone early in the season.
Team updates
QPR's main injury concern is attacking midfielder Ilias Chair, who is not expected to recover from a back problem until the end of the month.
Millwall's head coach Neil Harris will be missing Josh Coburn for Saturday's match after the player, on loan from Middlesbrough, picked up a calf injury in last week's loss to Luton. Coburn is expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Defender Jake Cooper also sustained a similar injury in that game and is likely to be sidelined, along with Billy Mitchell who is recovering from a hip issue.
Match statistics
QPR have won their last two encounters with Millwall by a 2-0 margin, with last season's game producing goals from Chair and Sinclair Armstrong to secure the victory.
In the last five meetings between these teams, four have ended in a 2-0 scoreline, except for Millwall's 2-1 win at Loftus Road in February 2023.
Both of QPR's wins this season — one in the league and one in the cup — have seen them score two goals each.
Millwall have only won once in their last 14 trips to QPR, a record stretching back to 1989.
The Lions have failed to score in three of their last four matches in all competitions.
Prediction
Following their defeat against current Championship leaders West Brom on the first weekend of the season, QPR have gone unbeaten in four league matches. Despite struggling to convert draws into wins, they will feel confident about overcoming London rivals Millwall.
Millwall have won just one of their last five games in all competitions and have not scored in three of the last four matches. The absence of forward Coburn due to injury has further hindered their goal-scoring efforts.
QPR's 2-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last season suggests a familiar result could be on the cards this weekend. Head coach Marti Cifuentes will anticipate a similar outcome on Saturday.
Although both teams have only won once in the league this season, QPR's form seems to be on the rise compared to Millwall's, making a relatively comfortable victory likely for QPR, possibly with a 2-0 scoreline once more.