Third-placed Brentford host an in-form Queens Park Rangers side in a Championship London derby on Saturday.

Mark Warburton's side are 15th in the league standings but are only six points off a playoff place and come into the game off the back of two emphatic wins.

Match preview

Brentford come into the game in good form, having won five of their last seven games across all competitions, losing just once.

The Bees boast the best defensive record in the league and kept clean sheets in each of their last two victories, taking them to 10 shutouts for the season.

Thomas Frank's side are also the fourth-highest scorers in the division, managing an impressive 41 goals in their 26 Championship games so far.

Brentford triumphed in the reverse fixture between these two earlier this season, winning 3-1 away at Loftus Road back in October.

QPR will be hoping to prevent their opponents from completing a league double over them and come into the contest in good heart after two thumping wins.

Warburton's side thrashed Cardiff City 6-1 in the Championship before inflicting a similar fate on another Welsh outfit in Swansea City, cruising to a 5-1 win in the FA Cup in their last game.

Despite being 15th, QPR have been a real force in attack this campaign; only West Bromwich Albion have managed more than their 44 goals in the Championship so far.

However, their defence is what is letting them down. QPR have conceded the most league goals of any team outside the bottom two and have recorded just two clean sheets in all competitions this term.

Brentford Championship form: WWDWLW
Brentford form (all competitions): WDWLWW

QPR Championship form: WLDLLW
QPR form (all competitions): LDLLWW

Team News

Brentford boss Frank is likely to be without three first-team players for this clash, as Josh Clarke, Nikos Karelis and Sergi Canos are all expected to miss the contest through injury.

QPR manager Warburton also is missing a trio of players as his team make the short trip to Griffin Park, with Toni Leistner, Charlie Owens and former Brentford defender Yoann Barbet all on the sidelines.

However, there are no further injury concerns for either side, giving both head coaches plenty of players to choose from.

Brentford possible starting lineup:
Raya; Roerslev, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen, Norgaard, Dasilva; Mbuemo, Watkins, Benrahma

QPR possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Kane, Cameron, Hall, Wallace; Amos, Ball; Osayi-Samuel, Chair, Eze; Wells

We say: Brentford 3-1 QPR

This game should see plenty of goals, given the attacking prowess of both teams, but QPR are significantly weaker at the back than Brentford and that could prove to be their undoing.