Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Match Preview
A massive mid-table clash with playoff implications takes place at Loftus Road on Saturday, 20 December 2025. Both Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City sit level on 31 points, occupying 9th and 8th place respectively. Separated only by goal difference, this match is a direct battle for positioning in the top half. QPR will look to bounce back from a 3–1 defeat to Middlesbrough, while Leicester City arrive with renewed confidence after a convincing 3–1 victory over Ipswich Town.
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Match Info
- Competition: EFL Championship (Matchday 22)
- Venue: MATRADE Loftus Road, London (Capacity: 18,439)
- Date: Saturday, 20 December 2025
- Kickoff: 15:00 GMT | 16:00 CET | 10:00 ET
- Referee: Tom Nield (ENG)
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Match Stakes
Queens Park Rangers (9th — 31 pts):
- Win → Moves to 34 pts; leaps over Leicester and potentially cracks the playoff spots
- Draw → Keeps pace with the top half but fails to capitalize on home advantage
- Loss → Drops behind a direct rival; negative goal difference (-5) becomes a bigger concern
Leicester City (8th — 31 pts):
- Win → Moves to 34 pts; solidifies playoff credentials and builds a buffer over QPR
- Draw → A solid point away from home; maintains their superior goal difference (+3)
- Loss → Leapfrogged by QPR; momentum from the Ipswich win stalls
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Team News
Queens Park Rangers:
- Chair I. — Out (Injury – Major Creative Loss)
- Field S. — Out (Injury – Key Midfielder)
- Kolli R. — Out (Muscle Injury)
- Smith T. — Out (International Duty)
- Walsh J. — Out (Inactive)
Leicester City:
- Daka P. — Out (International Duty – Zambia)
- Souttar H. — Out (Achilles Tendon Injury – Long Term)
- Okoli C. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Kristiansen V. — Out (Knock)
- Soumaré B. — Questionable (Knee Injury)
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Queens Park Rangers
- 13/12 — 1–3 vs Middlesbrough (Championship)
- 10/12 — 2–1 vs Birmingham (Championship)
- 06/12 — 3–1 vs West Brom (Championship)
- 29/11 — 1–3 vs Norwich (Championship)
- 27/11 — 1–0 vs Blackburn (Championship)
Leicester City
- 13/12 — 3–1 vs Ipswich (Championship)
- 11/12 — 2–2 vs Bristol City (Championship)
- 06/12 — 3–1 vs Derby (Championship)
- 29/11 — 2–3 vs Sheffield Utd (Championship)
- 26/11 — 0–3 vs Southampton (Championship)
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 11/01/2025 — Leicester 6–2 QPR (FA Cup)
- 02/03/2024 — Leicester 1–2 QPR (Championship)
- 28/10/2023 — QPR 1–2 Leicester (Championship)
- 31/07/2021 — QPR 3–3 Leicester (Friendly)
- 24/05/2015 — Leicester 5–1 QPR (Premier League)
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Queens Park Rangers (4-2-3-1)
Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Varane, Colback; Dembele, Andersen, Saito; Frey
Leicester City (4-3-3)
Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Coady, Justin; Winks, Ndidi, Skipp; Fatawu, Vardy, Mavididi
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Impact Bench
Queens Park Rangers: Celar (Target man), Smyth (Pace on wing)
Leicester City: Ayew (Experience), Choudhury (Defensive lock)
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Tactical Analysis
Queens Park Rangers
Without the magic of Ilias Chair, QPR rely heavily on the collective work rate of their midfield. Martí Cifuentes will demand a high press to disrupt Leicester’s build-up. Their recent form is erratic (W-L-W-L), often struggling defensively against teams with pace. They will try to overload the wide areas through Paul Smyth or Saito to expose Leicester’s full-backs.
Leicester City
The Foxes are finding their scoring touch again, netting 8 goals in their last 3 games. Even without Patson Daka, the veteran Jamie Vardy remains a menace in the box. Leicester will look to dominate possession (a hallmark of their style) and utilize the explosive speed of Fatawu and Mavididi on the wings. Their weakness lies in defense, having conceded in 5 straight games.
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Key Battles
- Cook vs Vardy — physical center-back vs cunning veteran movement
- Paal vs Fatawu — dealing with Leicester’s most dangerous creative outlet
- Colback vs Winks — battle for midfield tempo
- Frey vs Faes — aerial duel for long balls
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Spotlight Players
Queens Park Rangers — Karamoko Dembele
With Chair injured, the creative burden falls on Dembele. His low center of gravity and dribbling ability make him the X-factor QPR needs to unlock a shaky Leicester defense.
Leicester City — Abdul Fatawu
The Ghanaian winger is electric. His ability to cut inside and shoot or deliver crosses makes him a constant threat. If QPR give him space, he will punish them.
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Prediction
Queens Park Rangers 1–2 Leicester City
Leicester seem to have turned a corner offensively, and QPR’s injury list—specifically missing Ilias Chair—removes their primary match-winner. The Foxes’ superior firepower and depth should be enough to edge a tight contest at Loftus Road.
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Betting Insights
- Leicester City to Win — Value Bet
- Over 2.5 Goals — Likely (Both defenses are leaky)
- Both Teams to Score — YES
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — Where to Watch
- UK: Sky Sports Football / Main Event
- International: ESPN+ (USA), DAZN (Select Regions)
Queens Park Rangers vs Leicester City — FAQs
Q: When is the QPR vs Leicester match?
A: The match kicks off on Saturday, 20 December 2025, at 15:00 GMT.
Q: Is Ilias Chair playing for QPR?
A: No. Ilias Chair is ruled out with an injury.
Q: Who is the favorite?
A: Leicester City are slight favorites due to QPR’s injury issues and Leicester’s recent goal-scoring form.
Q: What was the score in the last meeting?
A: Leicester thrashed QPR 6–2 in the FA Cup in January 2025.
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