Match Pack: Saints vs QPR
Southampton return home for the last time before the November international break, welcoming QPR to St Mary's in the Sky Bet Championship. Get set for gameday with our Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Southampton vs QPR
Sky Bet Championship
St Mary's Stadium
Saturday 31st October, 3pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Tim Robinson
Assistant Referees: George Byrne, David Harrison
Fourth Official: Ed Duckworth
THE KITS
Saints will be in their usual home colours, while the visitors will be in their away kit of lilac shirts, royal blue shorts and royal blue socks.
TICKETS
Tickets remain on general sale at Category B pricing, but are in very short supply. Supporters are urged to purchase quickly to avoid disappointment, with limited numbers remaining.
LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's clash will be available worldwide on Saints Play except for the UK and the Nordic regions. Supporters can claim an annual or a matchday pass using the link below:
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
It’s a chance for Saints to build on their impressive recent form, culminating in last Saturday’s statement victory at West Ham.
Both teams are inside the play-off places coming into the weekend, level on 20 points, with 16 of Saints’ 24 coming at St Mary’s.
QPR will be buoyed by a stunning victory last time out, 5-0 at home to a Swansea side who arrived at Loftus Road second in the table.
The R’s have lost only two of their 12 league games so far but have not won on the road since August, so Saints will sense an opportunity to build on their red-hot home record.
TEAM NEWS
Saints: Tonda Eckert is "very positive" that "at least one" of Cyle Larin and Flynn Downes will be fit to return after both missed Saints' 3-2 win at West Ham last weekend.
Downes was also absent for the goalless draw at home to Bolton a fortnight ago, the game that saw Larin forced off in the first half following a collision with former teammate Gavin Bazunu.
QPR: Head coach Julien Stéphan is cautiously optimistic that Ilias Chair will be available for QPR’s trip to St Mary's, along with Boy Kemper and Alfie Lloyd.
Jake Clarke-Salter is a bigger concern for the visitors, with Stéphan hinting to the media that this weekend is likely to come too soon for the defender.
THE MANAGERS
Tonda Eckert: "It’s not a coincidence that they (QPR) are the joint-best defence in the league so far. They haven’t conceded much and they haven’t given many chances away, so I think it’s going to be a very, very tough game.
"It’s not so easy to score five goals in a game, and they’ve done that against top of the league last weekend, so we know it’s a big challenge that comes up for us."
Julien Stéphan: "They (Saints) had a penalty of four points at the beginning of the season, otherwise they could be second in the table with Middlesbrough. They had some difficulty at the beginning of the season, but now they are at 100 per cent in the last game against West Ham. They deserved their win.
"It's important to keep our ambition, for sure, but it's important as well to keep in our minds that we are the outsider. We know we have to play at 100 per cent in all parts of the pitch to try to have the best result."
ONES TO WATCH
Kuryu Matsuki: Tonda Eckert challenged Matsuki to score more goals this season, after contributing six in his debut campaign last term, and the Japanese international has responded in recent weeks.
His quick-fire opener at the London Stadium was the midfielder's fourth in his last eight games for club and country, enhancing his reputation as one of Eckert's most reliable and consistent performers.
Richard Kone: The QPR striker had not scored in seven previous appearances this season, but ended that barren run in some style with a record-breaking hat-trick last time out.
Kone became the first player in England's top four divisions to score three goals in the first 15 minutes of a game since records began in 2004/05, surpassing the previous record held by Sadio Mané, whose famous hat-trick goal against Aston Villa in 2015 was scored in the 16th minute.
TOP PERFORMERS
Saints
Goals:
Larin 8
Azaz, Scienza, Matsuki 3
Bree 2
Assists:
Azaz 7
Downes, Manning, Scienza 2
Mubama, Bree, Matsuki, Bragg, Edozie, Ward-Prowse 1
QPR
Goals:
Dunne, Smyth, Kone 3
Madsen, Burrell, Chair 2
Vale, Poku, Saito, Lloyd 1
Assists:
Vale 2
Ten players 1
FORM GUIDE
Saints
West Ham (a) SBC: W 3-2 (Matsuki, Bree, Dobbin)
Bolton (h) SBC: D 0-0
Norwich (a) SBC: W 1-0 (Matsuki)
Portsmouth (h) SBC: W 1-0 (Bree)
Wrexham (a) SBC: L 1-2 (Ward-Prowse)
QPR
Swansea (h) SBC: W 5-0 (Kone 3, Dunne 2)
Birmingham (a) SBC: L 0-3
Derby (h) SBC: W 4-1 (Lloyd, Madsen pen, Vale, Smyth)
West Ham (a) SBC: D 1-1 (Madsen pen)
Preston (h) SBC: D 2-2 (Poku, Smyth)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 81
Saints wins: 33
Draws: 21
Saints wins: 27
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Feb 2026: Saints 5-0 QPR Championship (Azaz, Matsuki 2, Scienza, Bree)
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)
KEEP UP TO DATE
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