- 1 QPR vs Cardiff: two unbeaten sides, two very different books
- 2 Queens Park Rangers: a knack for fighting back that’s becoming a habit
- 3 Cardiff City: three draws and a finishing problem
- 4 Football Prediction Queens Park Rangers vs Cardiff City
- 5 First, a word on our free tips
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
QPR vs Cardiff: two unbeaten sides, two very different books 
Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City head into round four without a defeat between them. The table, though, tells two different stories: seven points for the London side, three for the Welsh visitors.
Kick-off is on Wednesday September 2 at 7:45pm UK time, or 8:45pm in France, at MATRADE Loftus Road. A midweek trip from the Welsh capital to the English one.
QPR sit fourth after three games. Cardiff, up from League One, are still waiting for their first win after three straight draws.
Both clubs arrive off contrasting weekends. The Rs came from behind to win 2-1 at Ewood Park, while the Bluebirds threw away a lead in a wild 2-2 draw with Sheffield United at Cardiff City Stadium.
The head-to-head is pretty clear: 13 QPR wins from the 24 meetings between the two clubs. Cardiff have won only twice in their last 10 visits to Loftus Road.
Last season also gives us a useful marker. QPR finished 15th in the Championship, 11 points clear of the drop zone, while Cardiff cruised through League One with 91 points from 46 matches.
So the story here is simple enough: one side knows how to turn things around, the other can’t kill a game. That’s where this one should be decided.
Queens Park Rangers: a knack for fighting back that’s becoming a habit 
QPR have taken seven points from a possible nine with wins at Portsmouth and Blackburn, sandwiched around a 0-0 draw with Bolton. That is a better return than last season’s 15th-place finish suggested.
The detail in those two wins matters most. On both occasions, the Londoners trailed before flipping the script after the break, winning 3-1 at Fratton Park and 2-1 at Ewood Park thanks to Paul Smyth and Jimmy Dunne.
That edge has been backed by a sharp summer rebuild. Julien Stephan brought in full-backs Dennis Cirkin and Tariq Lamptey, both on frees, plus goalkeeper Pierce Charles and Glen Kamara on loan.
There has been one blot on the copybook: an early exit from the Carabao Cup, dumped out by Millwall on penalties after missing all four spot-kicks.
The injury room is still busy, but there were no fresh problems after Blackburn. Boy Kemper is still building up after only 20 minutes since his arrival, while Karamoko Dembele and Justin Obikwu have not featured since January.
The key theme is QPR’s ability to swing a game late on. Against a side that keeps surrendering leads, that’s a real edge.
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Cardiff City: three draws and a finishing problem 
Cardiff are back in the Championship after just one season in League One, where they finished second with 91 points and the division’s best attack. Back in the second tier, they’ve started with three draws from three.
The Sheffield United game summed up the issue neatly. Jack Moylan scored before the second minute, then the Bluebirds conceded twice in the next five minutes.
Cian Ashford levelled it up just before half-time, but Cardiff never found a way back in front. The 1-1 against Wrexham and the 2-2 at Derby followed a similar script.
Brian Barry-Murphy has still strengthened his squad, bringing in Moylan, a League One winner with Lincoln City, and making goalkeeper Nathan Trott’s move permanent after a strong loan spell.
The back line, though, is a mess. Krystian Bielik went off injured on debut and joins Dylan Lawlor, William Fish and Calum Chambers in the treatment room, which should open the door for Calum Scanlon.
Up front, Yousef Salech remains Cardiff’s main threat with four goals in all competitions. He should be supported by Ruben Colwill in the No 10 role.
Expected Queens Park Rangers line-up: Charles ; Lamptey, Dunne, Clarke-Slater, Cirkin ; Smyth, Edwards, Kamara, Chair ; Kone, Burrell
Expected Cardiff City line-up: Trott ; Ng, Scanlon, Osho, Bagan ; Robertson, Ashford ; Tanner, R. Colwill, Moylan, Salech
Football Prediction Queens Park Rangers vs Cardiff City
Our prediction: Queens Park Rangers to win
Cardiff have won only twice in their last 10 trips to Loftus Road, and the Welsh side still haven’t turned a draw into a win this season. Three draws from three is not a fluke. It’s a lack of killer instinct at the business end.
QPR are doing the opposite, coming from behind in both of their wins. Cardiff’s four defensive absences, including Krystian Bielik after his debut injury, also give Julien Stephan more room to work in the final third.
The Rs should get it done at home on Wednesday night, with a decent price around 1.91. That’s the call for round four.
in your pocket.
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