Match Preview: QPR v Sunderland - Can we book a place in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup?

---

Tuesday 26th October 2021

(CH) QPR v Sunderland (L1)

Carabao Cup

Fourth Round

Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium

Kick-Off: 19:45

---

Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are no longer available for purchase.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is not available.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

---

The build-up...

I doubt it was an aspiration to make the last 16 of the Carabao Cup this season for Lee Johnson and his management side, but here we are and in terms of timing, it’s a strange one.

On the back of our first home defeat of the season and four days ahead of a top of the table clash at Rotherham United, it’s maybe one we could do without, but being one result away from a quarter-final of a major competition is pretty tempting.

The league is clearly the priority so it will be interesting to see how many changes Lee Johnson makes after the weekends defeat, especially with one-eye on the trip to South Yorkshire on Saturday. But the pressure is off, and in knockout football you just never know.

Photo by Will Matthews/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

We have to go back to 2008-09 to find when QPR were in the last 16 of the League Cup, and way back to 1988-89 for the last time they reached the quarter-final, but they will no doubt be confident of progressing in the capital tonight.

They have been in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League in 2015 and have only managed a highest finish of 9th in those six seasons, but the start Mark Warburton’s side have made to the current campaign has increased the hope of a promotion push.

Currently sitting 7th in the Championship, only outside of the play-offs due to goal difference, they are incredibly one of seven clubs on 21 points stretching from 5th to 11th. There is also only four points separating 5th down to 16th, so this season still has the potential to go either way, and in a similar way to Sunderland a cup distraction could help or hinder reaching league targets.

---

Form Guide...

(In the Championship & League One only)

---

The betting...

Unsurprising that the bookies are siding with the side from the Championship tonight at 10/11, with a victory for Sunderland at 13/5 and the draw 5/2.

In terms of a final score, a 1-1 draw is favourite at 11/2, closely followed by a 2-1 home victory at 15/2, just ahead of a 1-0 win for QPR at 8/1.

A 2-1 win to Sunderland is on offer at 10/1, closely followed by a 1-0 win at 11/1 with a more convincing 2-0 priced at a longer 18/1.

---

Head to head... at QPR

(In all competitions)

Sunderland wins: 5

Draws: 3

QPR wins: 10

Sunderland goals: 21

QPR goals: 30

---

Last time we met... at QPR

Saturday 10th March 2021

Sky Bet Championship

QPR 1-0 Sunderland

(Eze 62’ - Steele sent-off 49’)

Sunderland: Steele, Matthews, Kone, O’Shea, Oviedo, Cattermole, Honeyman, Ejaria, Williams (McGeady), Asoro (Camp), Fletcher (Maja) Substitutes not used: Jones, Robson, Gooch, McManaman

QPR: Smithies, Furlong, Onuoha, Robinson (Lynch), Bidwell, Smyth (Osayi-Samuel), Scowen, Luongo, Eze (Manning), Smith, Freeman Substitutes not used: Ingram, Cousins, Wszolek, Washington

Attendance: 14,216

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

---

Played for both...

Danny Dichio

Dichio started his career at QPR, playing almost 100 games before moving to Sampdoria in Italy for a year in 1997-98 until Peter Reid brought him to Sunderland for around £750,000. He would play largely as understudy to Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips and stepped in where necessary until he moved to West Bromwich Albion in 2001.

He subsequently played for Millwall, Preston North End and Toronto FC, before hanging up his boots in 2009.

Photo by Steve Morton/EMPICS via Getty Images

John Byrne

Byrne started his career at York City under Denis Smith before making a big-money move to QPR in 1984. He would stay at Loftus Road until leaving for Le Harve in France in 1988 for two years before returning to join Brighton and Hove Albion despite Denis Smith’s efforts to bring him to Roker Park as we returned to the First Division in 1990.

He did eventually sign for Sunderland in 1992 and fired us to the FA Cup final, scoring in every round except the final, before leaving for Millwall only weeks later. Further spells at Oxford United and another at Brighton followed before he retired in 1999.

Photo by Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images

---