Queens Park Rangers head coach Marti Cifuentes has issued a rallying call to his players ahead of this weekend’s crucial clash at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
The London outfit have been on impressive form over the past two weeks, picking up seven points from a possible nine to go six points clear of the relegation zone. Cifuentes’ men managed wins against Birmingham City and most recently Swansea City, putting them as firm favourites for this Saturday’s home clash.
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The last time these two teams met was back in mid-December. QPR took the lead late in the first half after a Bambo Diaby own goal but crumbled in the closing minutes. Bailey Cadamarteri equalised in the 86th minute of the game before Anthony Musaba bagged the winner for Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in stoppage time.
At the time, both Queens Park Rangers and the Owls were sitting inside the drop zone, with relegation to League One looking a likely prospect for the two clubs. However, this late in the campaign, there is a chance that both teams finish outside the bottom three – a testament to how well Cifuentes and Danny Rohl have done since taking charge mid-season.
Nevertheless, this weekend’s fixture at Loftus Road is a big game for the two sides and Cifuentes made no mistake in letting his players know the importance of picking up three points tomorrow afternoon to creep even closer to that 50-point mark.
Speaking to club media ahead of the relegation battle, the Spanish coach said:
“The biggest mistake we could make is to think the job is done.
“We have 46 points and we know this will not be enough. There are still a lot of games to be played and we need to keep performing well, starting on Saturday.
“The players and staff know that and I’m sure the fans understand we need more points,” he continued.
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The 41-year-old also called for his players to not underestimate their opposition heading into this crucial clash.
“It would be naïve to not understand how important the game is for us and for Sheffield Wednesday.
“They will not be happy after their last game and they will see this as a big opportunity to get closer to us and make things tighter at the bottom,” he added.
“We are aware we need to keep improving and build on the wins over Birmingham and Swansea. We have a big respect for Sheffield Wednesday, especially as we lost to them last time which is still in my mind.”
Writer’s View
This is a massive game for both clubs. For Queens Park Rangers, picking up three points would all but mathematically guarantee survival in the Championship for another season, while Sheffield Wednesday could lift themselves outside the bottom three with a win.
Neither side will want to lose this one as it is the very definition of a relegation six-pointer, which could make for a feisty, tense affair in West London. Nonetheless, QPR are certainly the favourites and can’t lose at home, given they have trickier games on the horizon to close out the campaign.
Deputy Head of Writing
