QPR and Cardiff played out a goalless draw in a forgettable match between two struggling teams in the Sky Bet Championship.
The Welsh side remain third from bottom, while Rangers are now without a win in seven matches – a run which has included five defeats – and five points ahead of Saturday’s opponents in the table.
After a poor start to the season, an excellent spell in the middle of the campaign could prove to be enough to keep QPR in the English second tier.
Injuries to a number of key players, including playmaker Ilias Chair and striker Michael Frey, have been a factor in their slump.
Losing this game would have dragged Marti Cifuentes’ side into real trouble, but the draw maintains a five-point gap between them and the relegation zone.
Cardiff are now unbeaten in three matches – having previously lost four in a row – but a rare victory in London, where they have won on just four of their past 42 league visits, would have been a massive boost to their chances of staying up.
Both teams were understandably edgy in a game of few chances.
The hardworking Paul Smyth was at lively for Rangers on the right flank. The Northern Ireland international had a left-footed strike pushed away by goalkeeper Ethan Horvath early on and also set up a first-half chance for on-loan Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok, who dragged his shot wide.
At the other end, Rubin Colwill came close when he fired a right-footed shot just wide of the target.
It was an otherwise dour first half, prompting Cardiff boss Omer Riza to make an attacking change at the interval, sending on striker Callum Robinson and winger Ollie Tanner along with defender Jesper Daland.
With the stand-off continuing, Cifuentes made a triple substitution of his own early in the second half, sending Karamoko Dembele and Australian forward Daniel Bennie on in place of Alfie Lloyd and the ineffective Min-hyeok, and replacing Sam Field – back after injury – with Jonathan Varane in midfield.
Cardiff’s substitutes made more of an impact and the visitors enjoyed a decent spell, with Yousef Salech and Tanner shooting over, as QPR faded badly.
Rangers did manage a strong finish, though, with Smyth having another effort saved by Horvath late on, but they then had a major let-off when Robinson headed Will Fish’s cross over the crossbar.
And in stoppage-time, Yakou Meite had a great chance for Cardiff but headed over from Callum O’Dowda’s corner as the spoils were shared.
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
[(Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Strength]: 1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have achieved 14 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in the league so far this season. They have scored 30 goals and conceded 18 goals in 26 league matches, and currently rank 5th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game and have a strong desire to win.2. Naoto Arai, the main defender of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has performed stea...
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