Football: Stoke City 3 - 1 Queens Park Rangers
QPR struggle as Stoke cruise to victory
Queens Park Rangers endured a dismal afternoon at the bet365 Stadium, falling to a 3-1 defeat against Stoke City.
The hosts seized control early on, taking a two-goal lead into the break thanks to strikes from Bae Junho and Junior Tchamadeu. Any hopes of a Rangers fightback were swiftly dashed when Million Manhoef added a third shortly after the restart.
Yang Min-Hyeok did at least mark his first QPR goal with a well-taken effort late on, but it proved little more than a consolation on a frustrating day for Martí Cifuentes’ side.
Stoke were dominant from the off
Stoke made their intentions clear from the outset, pressing QPR high and dictating the tempo. Their breakthrough came midway through the first half when Tchamadeu picked out Junho in the box, and the South Korean made no mistake from 12 yards.
The second arrived moments before the interval. Manhoef saw his initial effort saved by Radoslaw Majecki, but Tchamadeu was quickest to react, drilling a clinical strike into the bottom corner.
READ MORE: Millwall 1 - 0 Stoke City
READ MORE: EFL news from European Super Football and beyond
Cifuentes responded by making three changes at half-time in an effort to turn the tide, but any hope of a comeback was extinguished within minutes of the restart. Manhoef, a constant menace throughout, timed his run to perfection, skipping past Majecki before slotting home.
Min-Hyeok gave the travelling fans something to cheer with a well-placed finish into the far corner with 12 minutes to go, but there was no late resurgence from Rangers, who never truly looked like clawing their way back into the contest.
Selection and the bigger picture
Cifuentes made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Leeds United, bringing in Kieran Morgan, Jonathan Varane and Kaddie Dembele. Steve Cook and Michael Frey dropped out, while Koki Saito missed out through suspension, serving the first of a three-match ban following his red card a fortnight ago.
QPR set up with a back four of Jimmy Dunne, Ronnie Edwards, Morgan Fox and Kenneth Paal, protecting Majecki in goal. Varane and Jack Colback sat in midfield, flanked by Paul Smyth and Lucas Andersen. Morgan operated in a more advanced role, supporting Dembele up front.
Rangers arrived in Staffordshire hoping to build on a battling point against Leeds, but they knew this would be a tough test despite Stoke’s precarious league position. The Potters had lost just once in their last seven home games and had recorded consecutive clean sheets before this fixture.
With only eight matches remaining and QPR sitting just seven points above the relegation zone, Cifuentes’ side can ill afford many more afternoons like this.
Comments
Post a Comment