English Premier
2011-12-18 - QPR vs Manchester United
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 18 December 2011 - Kick Off 12pm
This game is live on TV
QPR
There are sure to be some big signings made at Loftus Road as soon as the January transfer window is open, but QPR will look for a final set of good results before then and give themselves something to build on.
Goals were always going to be the issue for this QPR side, but Heldur Helguson has been a revelation, while Rangers are being linked with Bobby Zamora heavily.
The team lost 1-0 at Anfield last week and that meant they dropped to 13th in the Premier League table, 4 points better off than Wigan in 18th. They have not quite got things going at Loftus Road where they are 1-4-2 this season, scoring 6 goals and conceding 10.
Even with that record, QPR can point to the fact that they have beaten Chelsea here and also pushed Manchester City all the way in a close 2-3 loss. They have won just 1 of their last 6 games since beating Chelsea at home, but they have only rarely been completely outclassed this season and will be confident they can spring a surprise here.
DJ Campbell returned to the squad last week and will be pushing for a starting berth in this game. Anton Ferdinand looks set to miss this game, while Paddy Kenny is hoping to make his return from injury. Adel Taarabt should return to the side after missing a couple of games.
Manchester United
Injuries have really begun to pile up at Old Trafford yet Sir Alex Ferguson insists he will not be making any forays into the transfer market in January. The exit from the Champions League at the Group Stage sent the media into a frenzy claiming United were finished as a force, but they have a chance to move to the top of the table for a couple of hours at least.
A 4-1 win over Wolves last weekend was made all the more sweeter when Manchester City lost at Chelsea, meaning United are now just 2 points behind their local rivals in the table. The Red Devils are 5-2-0 away from home this season, scoring 12 goals and conceding 3, meaning they have already matched the number of away wins they registered in all of last season. The team also have the best away defence in the League so far.
Manchester United have now won 2 of their last 6 games in all competitions, but their League form has really picked up since the defeat to Manchester City. United have won 5 and drawn 1 of their last 6 Premier League games, and they have only conceded 2 goals in those games. The team have won their last 3 away games in the League, all by the same 0-1 scoreline.
Darren Fletcher is the latest long term absentee for United, joining Anderson and Nemanja Vidic. Rafael, Fabio, Tom Cleverley, Javier Hernandez and Michael Owen are all expected to miss the Christmas period, although Dimitar Berbatov could provide more forward options this weekend.
Head to Head
Manchester United beat QPR 1-0 at Old Trafford in the League Cup in their last meeting in 2008.
They last played at Loftus Road in the 1995/96 season when Eric Cantona scored a 95th minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
Prediction
This is going to be a really big test for Manchester United at the weekend as they face a team that will be completely up for the game and in a venue where the fans essentially sit on top of the players.
Manchester United have a lot of injuries in their squad and this is the kind of game that could hurt them as QPR will work hard and cause a few problems of their own. United have kept things tight at the back in recent away games, but the loss of Nemanja Vidic is very big to overcome, especially in games like these when the opposition will load the box with crosses.
QPR have shown how much they can put the frighteners on the 'big' teams at Loftus Road by beating Chelsea and pushing Manchester City all the way, and if United are not awake for this early kick off, it could be a long day in the office.
There seems to be enough about this QPR side, especially at home, to think they can cause United a few problems and taking them with the Asian Handicap start looks the best way to go. I can see United trying to play this in a similar manner to the game at Swansea, but I think this may be a tougher place to play and there is a huge chance of the game ending with the Red Devils dropping some points here.
It has notoriously been a tough place for United to visit, so QPR with the start looks to be the call.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
QPR 1-1 Manchester United
