Leicester City vs. QPR: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Despite this tie being a Premier League side vs. a lower league opponent, this isn't an easy game to call. With five losses from their last five outings, Leicester are in woeful form and their results match the quality of their performances. On the other side, QPR are in great form - with three wins and one draw from their last five - and look to be very much in the ascendency.

Both teams to score has occurred in two of Leicester's last three games and four of QPR's last five, so we fancy both sides to register on the scoresheet here, but we think that the Championship club will have enough to force extra time, only to lose the game before penalties come around. Leicester 2-1 QPR (a.e.t).

Leicester City are looking for some reprieve from their dismal league form as they take on Championship club QPR in the FA Cup third round this weekend.

• Date: 11/01/2025
• Kick-off time: 14:00
• Location: King Power Stadium, Leicester

Leicester City currently sit 19th in the Premier League with 14 points from 20 games. The Foxes are having a rough time in England’s top tier as they come into this game as one of the favourites for relegation. Leicester parted ways with manager Steve Cooper in late November and brought in Premier League legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, but since the Dutchman’s arrival, Leicester’s fortunes are yet to transform, with the team amidst a steady decline. The Foxes will, then, be hoping a decent run in the FA Cup can inspire them to improve their performance levels as they look to pick up what would be a first win in seven games for Van Nistelrooy’s side.

Leicester have an impressive recent history in this competition, with the Midlands-based club winning the competition in the 2020-21 season while also reaching the quarter-finals twice in the last five seasons. Leicester did, in fact, reach the quarter-final stage last season, but they were thwarted by Chelsea in a 4-2 defeat away from home.

Despite their poor form, Leicester are the favourites to win this game by virtue of plying their trade in a higher league than their Championship counterparts, but this is potentially a very tricky tie for the Foxes.

QPR come into this game in 13th place in the Championship with 32 points from 26 games. So far, this season has not quite gone to plan for a QPR side that many fancied to make a playoff push following a strong end to last season. After appointing Spanish manager Martí Cifuentes, QPR gradually improved last season as the campaign wore on and picked up eight wins and three draws from their final 14 games.

However, QPR found themselves struggling in the early part of this season, winning only one of their first 16 league games of the campaign, sparking fears that the team may have regressed back to their mean. Such fears look to be premature, though, with the team having picked up six wins and three draws from their last ten games, as they look to drive up the league table.

The FA Cup is a competition that’s provided QPR with very little joy in recent history, with the Hoops progressing beyond the fourth round only once since 1996-97 season, which was a fifth round berth in the 2018-19 season, where they were beaten 1-0 by Watford.

QPR would likely welcome a cup run, but with their league form now improving, their concentration will be fixed on putting themselves in a position where they can make a late playoff run come March.

This game will not be televised live in the UK, but full radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Leicester.

Leicester Team News:

The Foxes come into this game unable to call upon a number of first-team players, with Abdul Fatawu, Wilfred Ndidi, Ricardo Pereira, Victor Kristiansen, Kasey McAteer and Mads Hermansen all out injured.

The likes of Wout Faes, Oliver Skipp and Facundo Buonanotte are all likely to come into the starting lineup here, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to make a number of changes.

Predicted lineup: Iversen; Justin, Faes, Okoli, Thomas; Skipp, Choudhury; De Cordova-Reid, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Daka.

QPR Team News:

The Hoops are dealing with a few injuries of their own, with Karamoko Dembélé, Lucas Andersen, Liam Morrison, Steve Cook and Zan Celar all in the treatment room.

Amidst a good run of form, QPR could go full strength here as they target a handy Premier League scalp.

Predicted lineup: Nardi; Ashby, Dunne, Fox, Paal; Varane, Field; Smyth, Morgan, Chair; Frey.

Leicester:

Having lost their last five on the bounce, the Foxes are woefully out of form heading into this game. Last time out, Leicester were beaten 2-1 away at Aston Villa, where despite drawing level in the second half through Stephy Mavididi, they were ultimately foiled by a Ross Barkley winner.

That result followed a 0-2 loss to Manchester City and a 3-1 defeat away at Liverpool, which came after a damning 0-3 loss to Wolves and an uncompetitive 4-0 loss away at Newcastle United.

QPR:

QPR, by contrast, are in very good shape as they come into this one with three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five. On Monday night, QPR ran out 2-1 winners of Luton Town thanks to goals from Michael Frey and Morgan Fox.

Prior to that, Frey, James Dunne and Sam Field produced the goals in a 3-1 win over Watford, which was preceded by a 1-1 draw at Norwich, where an own goal opened the scoring for the Hoops.

Those results were preceded by a 3-0 defeat away at Swansea City and a 2-1 win over Preston North End, where Rayan Kolli and Dunne scored the goals.

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