- Sunderland eyeing a return to Premier League for first time since 2017
- QPR have not won on home turf in the Championship since April
- Recommended bet: Sunderland to win

Two sides in contrasting form meet at Loftus Road in the Championship on Saturday as struggling QPR entertain league leaders Sunderland.

It has been a difficult start to the season for Rangers, who have won just one of their 12 league games, a run that leaves them second bottom of the standings and three points adrift of safety.

The Wearsiders have no such concerns as they are flying under Regis Le Bris, taking 13 points from the last 15 available to move five points clear at the top of the table.

Team news

After seeing his side claim a battling point away at Burnley last time out, QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes is not expected to make too many changes to his starting XI.

However, Karamako Dembele and Morgan Fox are both back in contention after missing the trip to Turf Moor with knocks.

Michael Frey (calf), Kenneth Paal (thigh) and Jack Colback (knee) all remain on the treatment table.

Sunderland look set to be without first-choice goalkeeper Anthony Patterson for the second game running due to a leg issue, so Simon Moore should continue between the sticks.

Dan Ballard is also still sidelined with an ankle injury, while the likes of Jenson Seelt, Niall Huggins and Aji Alese remain longer-term absentees, although Eliezer Mayenda should be available following his recent muscle issue.

The stats

Sunderland top the Championship standings after winning nine of their 12 games to date, including each of their last three at home to Oxford and away to Hull and Luton.

The Black Cats have picked up the most away points (12) and registered the highest number of away wins (four) of any team in the Championship this season.

QPR are yet to win at home this term, picking up just three points from their six games at Loftus Road.

The R's have not won any of their last eight Championship games, although they have drawn two on the bounce against Coventry and Burnley.

Sunderland are unbeaten in five against QPR, winning three of those games, while they have triumphed on their last two visits to Loftus Road.

Prediction

The Championship is a notoriously competitive division and it is usually hard to pick a winner in games, but given the form of these two sides and their positions in the table, Sunderland should emerge victorious.

Few could have predicted what a good start to the season the Black Cats would have made under Le Bris, who has defied his lack of experience of English football and has turned his side into genuine promotion contenders.

QPR will not make life easy for Sunderland, as despite their lowly position and failure to win on home soil this season, the R's have remained competitive, as proven with their draw away to Sunderland's nearest challengers at the top of the division, Burnley.

However, the Black Cats head to west London with plenty of momentum and a third-successive away win appears to be on the cards for Le Bris and co.

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