Both looking for their second wins of the 2024-25 league season, Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers will meet at Hillsborough for a Championship clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Owls endured a difficult afternoon on the road prior to the international break, whilst the R's managed a statement success at the home of a recently-relegated side.
Match preview
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Taking to the field against Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle on the opening weekend of the Championship season, Sheffield Wednesday secured a comfortable four-goal victory, although the Yorkshire-based club have struggled since that high point, losing three straight league contests before the international pause.
The Owls suffered a humbling defeat last time out on the final day of August, when second-half strikes from former Middlesbrough man Josh Coburn, Duncan Watmore and centre-back Jake Cooper sealed a 3-0 win for Neil Harris's Millwall side at an intimidating and hostile Lions' den.
Following the collection of just three points from their opening quartet of Championship games, Sheffield Wednesday currently occupy 20th position in the second-tier standings, already four points behind recently-relegated Burnley, who are sitting in the lowest of the top-six positions.
Danny Rohl's side will need to improve on their away record if they wish to compete for an unlikely playoff berth this season, with Saturday's hosts losing 15 of their 23 matches on the road in the division last campaign - only whipping boys Rotherham United (19) suffered more defeats.
Looking to make that jump from relegation contenders to top-six hopefuls, Sheffield Wednesday made a number of eye-catching signings over the course of the summer transfer window, including the £2.7m acquisition of Ike Ugbo, who enjoyed a goal-laden loan spell at Hillsborough last term.
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Following fixtures against West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United and Plymouth yielded a total of two points, Queens Park Rangers enjoyed their first maximum of the 2024-25 term on August 30, when the London club produced a statement success over one of the favourites for promotion.
The R's Friday night trip to Luton Town's Loftus Road started off badly as Jimmy Dunne netted an own goal in the opening 20 minutes, but the visitors to Bedfordshire managed to complete a stellar second-half comeback, with 2024 arrivals Nicolas Madsen and Michael Frey finding the net.
Since a Josh Maja masterclass and subsequent 3-1 loss to West Brom on the opening weekend of the campaign, QPR have navigated five fixtures across the Championship and the EFL Cup unbeaten, leaving them in good stead ahead of a winnable match against Wednesday this weekend.
After scoring just once in nine second-tier appearances following his January arrival from Royal Antwerp in Belgium, Swiss striker Frey has netted three goals in five competitive contests at the beginning of the 2024-25 term, doing enough to keep Slovenia international Zan Celar out of the XI.
QPR will be aiming to write a new chapter in the history of matches between the two clubs after Sheffield Wednesday did the double over the R's last season, with the West Londoners' most recent win at Hillsborough coming back in August 2019 courtesy of a second-half Jordan Hugill brace.
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Team News
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Signing from Watford over the summer, Ben Hamer is yet to make his Sheffield Wednesday debut due to a finger injury sustained during pre-season.
As a result, England Under-21 international James Beadle is certain to keep his spot in between the sticks for Rohl's Owls in Yorkshire this weekend.
After firing a blank at Millwall last time out, Wednesday could opt for some attacking alterations, with the likes of Josh Windass and Michael Smith pushing for starts.
QPR remain without the services of talismanic playmaker Ilias Chair, who is yet to feature in the 2024-25 season owing to a troublesome back injury.
Karamoko Dembele will continue on the right flank for the R's, but there is set to be a toss-up between Alfie Lloyd and Paul Smyth for a berth on the left.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Beadle; Valery, Ihiekwe, Bernard, Lowe; Bannan, Charles, Kobacki, Windass, Lowe; Ugbo
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Colback, Field, Dembele, Madsen, Lloyd; Frey
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Queens Park Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday have lost each of their last three Championship matches by an aggregate scoreline of 9-0, so it might wise for home supporters at Hillsborough to prepare for the worst this weekend.
That being said, the Owls have shown the ability to produce an excellent home display already this season, meaning that we are expecting a share of the points versus QPR.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
