MK Dons V QPR
Saturday, 7 January 2012 – 15:00 GMT
FA Cup, Third Round
Stadium: MK welcomes Premiership opposition at the weekend, in the form of an ailing QPR whose form over Christmas was dire to say the very least. Neil Warnock’s men picked up just two points from their six December fixtures and, to top it all off, opened their accounts for 2012 with a home defeat to Norwich – their eleventh loss of the season, and their sixth in eight games.
Furthermore, Rangers are now set to be without midfield dynamo Joey Barton. The highly-strung 29-year-old had his appeal for wrongful dismissal rejected by the FA, for an attempted headbutt on Norwich’s Bradley Johnson, and will now serve a three-match domestic ban, which beings immediately with his side’s trip to the MK Dons in the Third Round of the FA Cup.
To be honest, the loss of Joey Barton isn’t massive. He hasn’t contributed for the Loftus Road outfit like many felt he would when he signed from Newcastle on a free transfer in the summer. But his presence alone may have put the frighteners on MK Dons, who are going great guns at the moment and will now take a lot of heart from the absence of the aforementioned.
MK sit prominently in League One, in fourth, having won seven and lost only once in nine league games. They’ve also notched a fair amount of goals during this run too, netting three on Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, away at Leyton Orient and Brentford respectively.
Meanwhile, at home, where they’ve been beaten just once all season (W6 D5 L1), Karl Robinson’s charges have averaged two goals per game. Only Charlton have plundered more goals in League One than the Dons (48 in 24 games), while Preston are the only side to have gone to the Stadium:MK and left with maximum points.
It could also be worth making a note of how MK Dons fared when they last pitted themselves against Premier League opposition? They went and put four past Norwich in a 4-0 whitewash at Carrow Road back in August, in the Second Round of the League Cup. Those same Canaries went and earned a 2-1 success at Loftus Road last Monday. Make of that what you will.
By no means an easy tie, this, for top flight Rangers. Their current form is woeful, but manager Neil Warnock posses far more quality in his ranks than his opposite number and that could prove decisive. Nevertheless, I reckon the lower league outfit will get the very best out of QPR, who will need to be just that on Saturday, at their very best, if they’re to avoid a replay, or worse; elimination!
Recommended Bet: Both Teams to Score @ 7/10 with bWin
Final score: 1:1
