Queens Park Rangers v Middlesbrough: automatic promotion push meets play-off charge | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers host Middlesbrough in the Championship at Loftus Road on 5 September 2026, with second meeting fifth after four games in an early test of the promotion picture.

Queens Park Rangers have started with 10 points from four. Middlesbrough have seven and have dominated the recent head to head, including a 4-0 win at Loftus Road in March.

Queens Park Rangers are unbeaten (three wins, one draw), beating Blackburn and Cardiff either side of a stalemate with Bolton. Boro's last three brought two wins and a draw, though they have taken one point from two away trips.

For Queens Park Rangers, Boy Kemper and Karamoko Dembele are injured. Boro list Alex Bangura, Myles Peart-Harris and Jeremy Sarmiento as injured.

Boro average 61% possession with 88.39% pass accuracy and 76 open-play crosses at 14.47% accuracy, a platform to feed Championship top scorer Will Lankshear, who has four league goals. Queens Park Rangers have scored seven times, all from inside the box, with Illias Chair and Rumarn Burrell each on two and also supplying one assist.

A win would take Queens Park Rangers to 13 points and strengthen their grip on the automatic promotion places. Victory for Boro would move them to 10 points and keep them on course in the play-off race.