Match Pack: Saints vs QPR
It’s a quick-fire return to St Mary’s for Southampton, who host QPR under the lights on Tuesday night (8pm GMT). Get set for the latest instalment in the Championship promotion race with our Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Southampton vs Queens Park Rangers
Sky Bet Championship
St Mary’s Stadium
Tuesday 24th February, 8pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Oliver Langford
Assistants: Mark Stevens, Robert Hyde
Fourth official: Tom Nield
THE KITS
Saints will be in their traditional home colours of red-and-white-striped shirts, black shorts and white socks. QPR will be in their away strip of pink-and-black-halved shirts, black shorts and black socks.
TICKETS
This Category C fixture is on general sale, with prices starting from £20 for Adults and £10 for Juniors.
LIVE COVERAGE
The game will be screened live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage getting under way from 7.30pm GMT.
Saints Play match passes are also available to supporters in certain overseas territories.
THE PROGRAMME
The matchday programme is available to order online, as well as from the various sellers around St Mary’s.
This double edition is the same publication that was sold at Saturday’s home game with Charlton – that’s two in one for the usual price of £4.
Cover art is provided by 10-year-old Emma, from Fairisle Junior School, to celebrate our Saints Foundation Charity Matchday against Charlton. Inside you’ll find a feature interview with Shea Charles, who recalls Saints’ comeback for the ages at Leicester, while there’s also Tonda Eckert’s notes, the latest from our Women’s team, and coverage of both visiting sides.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
QPR arrive at St Mary’s level on points with their hosts after an impressive 3-1 win at Hull on Saturday.
That was only the Londoners’ third victory in their last 11 league matches, although they have only lost four of those, in what has been an inconsistent run of form.
Saints are unbeaten in their last six league games, winning four of those, and will want to go one better than Saturday’s frustrating home draw with Charlton.
For Tonda Eckert, it represents the reverse fixture of his first match in charge, a 2-1 triumph at Loftus Road back in November.
TEAM NEWS
Saints: Tonda Eckert does not foresee “a big turnover” in his starting line-up following Saturday’s draw, when many of his players played their first minutes since the thrilling 4-3 comeback win at Leicester 11 days prior.
Full-backs Welington and Mads Roerslev remain sidelined, while Jay Robinson has been struggling with a quad injury that forced him to miss the Charlton game.
QPR: New striker Justin Obikwu has still not recovered from an injury he picked up soon after joining the club, while top scorer Rumarn Burrell is still out with a hamstring problem.
Nicolas Madsen and Jonathan Varane returned to the squad at Hull, but Ilias Chair has suffered a new setback after returning to training, and will miss the trip to St Mary’s.
THE MANAGERS
Tonda Eckert: “They (QPR) are going to be coming with confidence based on the result they had [at Hull]. It’s a good team, I think they are very clear on the way that they play, 4-4-2, very clear structure. I think they have changed a little bit the way they play up top, so that’s something we’ll need to have another look at compared to the last time we played them, but it will be a good challenge for us on Tuesday.
“We are growing together and getting closer and closer, step after step, to that mentality and the way to win football games in different ways. That is the biggest development we’ve had over the last weeks and months.”
Julien Stéphan: "We have to congratulate the players because I think they did a very, very good game [against Hull]. Top discipline on the pitch, fantastic commitment and quality with the ball to use the space.
"I think it was very good in the second half, how the players managed the match. High press, they recovered some good balls, good pressure on the opponent, so I think the players deserve the credit for this win, so we have to congratulate them."
ONES TO WATCH
Leo Scienza: The Brazilian provided an assist for Ross Stewart against Charlton, prompting former Saints boss Nathan Jones to label him “probably the outstanding player in the Championship”.
Scienza produced a magical solo strike in the reverse fixture at QPR back in November, and will hope to produce more brilliance against the same opposition at St Mary’s.
Richard Kone: The striker scored his eighth goal of the season on Saturday, and continues to improve in his debut campaign at Championship level.
Called up to the Ivory Coast squad for the first time in November, the 22-year-old has climbed the English pyramid after scoring at a prolific rate in non-league, and then for Wycombe in League One, where he hit 21 goals last term.
TOP SCORERS
Saints
Goals:
Azaz 8
Manning, Scienza, Stewart 5
Harwood-Bellis, Archer 4
Assists:
Scienza 7
Fellows 5
Azaz 4
QPR
Goals:
Burrell 10
Kone 8
Madsen, Dunne, Saito, Smyth 3
Assists:
Madsen 6
Dunne, Burrell 3
Kone, Saito, Varane, Hayden, Chair 2
FORM GUIDE
Saints
Charlton (h) SBC: D 1-1 (Stewart)
Leicester (h) FAC4: W 2-1 AET (Larin, Bree)
Leicester (a) SBC: W 4-3 (Stewart, Stephens, Manning, Charles)
Watford (h) SBC: W 1-0 (Larin)
Stoke (a) SBC: W 2-0 (Azaz, Downes)
QPR
Hull (a) SBC: W 3-1 (McNair og, Bennie, Kone)
Blackburn (h) SBC: L 1-3 (Saito)
Charlton (a) SBC: D 0-0
Coventry (h) SBC: W 2-1 (Kone, Madsen)
Wrexham (h) SBC: L 2-3 (Vale, Cook)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 80
Saints wins: 32
Draws: 21
QPR wins: 27
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Nov 2025: QPR 1-2 Saints Championship (Robinson, Scienza)
Dec 2023: QPR 0-1 Saints Championship (Harwood-Bellis)
Aug 2023: Saints 2-1 QPR Championship (Edozie, Armstrong)
Feb 2015: QPR 0-1 Saints Premier League (Mané)
Sep 2014: Saints 2-1 QPR Premier League (Bertrand, Pellè)
KEEP UP TO DATE
Not able to make it to St Mary's this Saturday? Download the official Saints app to follow live in-match updates and follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Facebook
Don't miss Tuesday's clash with QPR at St Mary's (8pm GMT). Tickets start from £20 for Adults and £10 for Juniors.
