QPR 2-1 Watford: QPR End Watford's Play Off Dreams

Match Details

• Competition: SkyBet Championship
• Date: Friday 3rd April 2026 (Good Friday)
• Venue: Matrade Loftus Road, London
• Final Score: QPR 2 - 1 Watford
• Attendance: 17,532
• Referee: Rueben Ricardo (4th Official: Samuel Allison)

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	QPR	Watford
Score	2	1
Half Time	1	0
Goalscorers	Kolli 26', Smyth 63'	Louza 85'
Formation	4-2-3-1	4-4-2
Yellow Cards	Kolli 29', Dunne 30', Smyth 61', Kone 84', Mbengue 87', Poku 90+1'	Bove 23', Ekwah 49', Goglichidze 62', Louza 90+1'
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Bennie 46' (Kolli), Saito 72' (Smyth), Poku 79' (Vale)	Doumbia 57' (Irankunda), Nabizada 57' (Bove), Mendy 57' (Ekwah), Baah 72' (Chakvetadze), Semedo 85' (Goglichidze)
Attendance	17,532

The Story of the Match

QUEENS PARK RANGERS continued their excellent recent spell with a good 2-1 home win over local rivals Watford at Matrade Loftus Road yesterday afternoon thanks to goals from Rayan Kolli with a close range header from a rare headed assist by Paul Smyth in the 26th minute and then the speedy Irishman turned goal scorer with a right footed shot inside the penalty area to make it 2-0 in the 63rd minute but Watford pulled a goal back from a delicious Imran Louza left-footed free kick from the edge of the penalty area in the 85th minute to make it 2-1 and that was how it stayed as QPR sealed the points in front of a crowd of 17,532 fans on Good Friday.

QPR came into the game after the international break with two wins against Portsmouth (home) 6-1 last time out and Leicester City (away) 3-1 and three losses to Birmingham City (away) 0-1, Middlesbrough (home) 0-4 and Sheffield United (home) 0-2.

Meanwhile, Watford came into the match off the back of a slightly better run with two wins against Wrexham (home) 3-1 and Bristol City (away) 2-1, two draws against Leicester City (home) 0-0 last time out and Sheffield Wednesday (away) 1-1 and a single defeat to Stoke City (away) 1-3.

QPR won this exact fixture 3-1 last season, last winning consecutive home league games against Watford between March 1985 and August 1986 (three games in a row) which they equalled today.

Watford had won three of their last five league games against QPR (drawn one, lost one), as many as they had in their previous 14 (drawn four, lost seven).

QPR's 6-1 home win last time out against Portsmouth was their biggest victory since New Year's Day January 2020 6-1 versus Cardiff City. The Hoops last won three in a row while scoring 3+ goals each time back in October 2009.

Since back-to-back draws against Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers in January, the Hornets haven't had the same result consecutively in their last eleven league games (won three, drawn four, lost four).

Watford have gained a league-high 26 points from losing positions in the Championship this season, though only Middlesbrough (two) have dropped fewer points when leading than QPR (five).

QPR manager Julien Stephan started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Joe Walsh in goal, then a back four of Amadou Mbengue, captain Jimmy Dunne, Ronnie Edwards and Rhys Norrington-Davies then a midfield of Paul Smyth, Jonathan Varane, Kieran Morgan and Harvey Vale with Richard Kone and Rayan Kolli up top.

Watford manager Ed Still started with a 4-4-2 formation with Egil Selvik in goal, then a back four of Jeremy Petris, Mattie Pollock, Kevin Keben and Saba Goglichidze then a four man midfield of Nestory Irankunda, captain Imran Louza, Pierre Ekwah and Giorgi Chakvetadze with Luca Kjerrumgaard and Eduardo Bove up front.

Watford kicked off the first half with Loftus Road at full capacity. QPR started off lively and took the early play to Watford. QPR forced a corner after a free kick by Paul Smyth was cleared by a Watford defender.

Luca Kjerrumgaard saw a left footed volley from the edge of the QPR penalty area saved well by Joe Walsh in the 13th minute as the Hornets started to express themselves with almost a quarter of an hour gone.

Rayan Kolli saw a right-footed shot on the turn saved by Egil Selvik in the 23rd minute as QPR pressed on the counter attack. Eduardo Bove was yellow carded in the 23rd minute. QPR came forward on the counter attack in the 25th minute and the move ended with Harvey Vale firing a left footed curling shot against the post with Egil Selvik beaten but Watford survived because of the woodwork.

QPR took the lead with their next move as Rayan Kolli headed home from close range from a headed assist by Paul Smyth to make it 1-0 in the 26th minute. It was no more than QPR deserved after the Vale effort.

Rayan Kolli was yellow carded in the 29th minute for a foul on Saba Goglichidze. Jimmy Dunne was yellow carded in the 30th minute for a foul on Nestory Irankunda as the Watford midfielder ran towards the QPR penalty area.

Nestory Irankunda took the free kick right footed from 22 yards out which was fired wide of the target and did not trouble Joe Walsh in the QPR goal in the 31st minute. QPR should have made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute but Kone and Kolli both saw efforts on goal saved by Selvik from close range.

QPR deserved the 1-0 half time lead thanks to the only goal from Kolli. QPR replaced Rayan Kolli with Daniel Bennie at half time.

QPR kicked off the second half. Pierre Ekwah was yellow carded for a foul on Paul Smyth in the 49th minute. Richard Kone saw a long range right footed shot from 35 yards out whistle over the cross bar in the 52nd minute.

Watford manager Ed Still made a triple substitution in the 57th minute with Nestory Irankunda, Eduardo Bove and Pierre Ekwah replaced by Amin Nabizada, Nampalys Mendy and Mamadou Doumbia. Paul Smyth was yellow carded in the 61st minute the third QPR player to be cautioned.

Saba Goglichidze was lucky to only see yellow after a poor challenge on Richard Kone saw referee Rueben Ricardo brandish another yellow card in the 62nd minute.

QPR went 2-0 up after Paul Smyth fired home from close range with a right footed shot from inside the penalty area in the 63rd minute. Substitute Daniel Bennie was through on goal, one on one with Selvik who denied the Australian with a save from his right footed shot from 8 yards out in the 65th minute.

Watford came forward in the 70th minute and forced a corner off Ronnie Edwards who had been excellent at the centre of the QPR defence with captain Jimmy Dunne - they are fast becoming the first choice central defenders.

Julien Stephan the QPR manager brought on Koki Saito for Paul Smyth in the 72nd minute.

Watford's fourth substitution saw Giorgi Chakvetadze replaced by Kwadwo Baah in the 72nd minute. QPR replaced Harvey Vale with Kwame Poku in the 79th minute. Watford replaced Saba Goglichidze with Vivaldi Semedo in the 84th minute.

Watford had a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the QPR penalty area after Richard Kone had fouled. The resultant free kick was fired home left footed by Imran Louza with a left footed curling free kick beyond the diving Joe Walsh to make it 2-1 in the 85th minute. Amadou Mbengue was yellow carded in the 87th minute for a strong challenge. Imran Louza and Kwame Poku were both yellow carded in the 90th+1 minute.

The game became end to end for the last few minutes and added time with both sides going for further goals. QPR ended the day in 10th spot on 56 points with Watford in 9th spot with the same points tally.

Half Time QPR 1 Watford 0 (3 minutes added time)

Full Time QPR 2 Watford 1 (6 minutes added time)

Timeline of Key Events

• 13' - Save (QPR) - Kjerrumgaard's left footed volley saved by Walsh.
• 23' - Save (Watford) - Kolli's right-footed shot on the turn saved by Selvik.
• 23' - Yellow Card (Watford) - Bove booked.
• 25' - Woodwork (QPR) - Vale's left footed curling shot hits the post with Selvik beaten.
• 26' - Goal (QPR) - Kolli heads home from close range from a Smyth headed assist. 1-0.
• 29' - Yellow Card (QPR) - Kolli booked for a foul on Goglichidze.
• 30' - Yellow Card (QPR) - Dunne booked for a foul on Irankunda.
• 31' - Free Kick (Watford) - Irankunda fires wide from 22 yards.
• 43' - Chances (QPR) - Kone and Kolli both denied by Selvik from close range.
• HT - QPR 1-0 Watford (3 minutes added time).
• 46' - Substitution (QPR) - Bennie replaces Kolli.
• 49' - Yellow Card (Watford) - Ekwah booked for fouling Smyth.
• 52' - Chance (QPR) - Kone's 35-yard shot whistles over the bar.
• 57' - Substitutions (Watford) - Nabizada, Mendy and Doumbia replace Irankunda, Bove and Ekwah.
• 61' - Yellow Card (QPR) - Smyth booked.
• 62' - Yellow Card (Watford) - Goglichidze booked for a poor challenge on Kone.
• 63' - Goal (QPR) - Smyth fires home right footed from inside the penalty area. 2-0.
• 65' - Save (Watford) - Selvik denies Bennie one-on-one from 8 yards.
• 72' - Substitution (QPR) - Saito replaces Smyth.
• 72' - Substitution (Watford) - Baah replaces Chakvetadze.
• 79' - Substitution (QPR) - Poku replaces Vale.
• 84' - Substitution (Watford) - Semedo replaces Goglichidze.
• 85' - Goal (Watford) - Louza curls home a left footed free kick from the edge of the area. 2-1.
• 87' - Yellow Card (QPR) - Mbengue booked for a strong challenge.
• 90+1' - Yellow Cards - Louza and Poku both booked.
• FT - QPR 2-1 Watford (6 minutes added time).

Author's Standout Players

• Paul Smyth (QPR) - The speedy Irishman was QPR's best player, providing the headed assist for Kolli's opener in the 26th minute before scoring himself with a clinical right footed finish in the 63rd minute. A superb all-round display.
• Rayan Kolli (QPR) - Opened the scoring with a well-taken close range header and was a constant threat before being replaced at half time by Daniel Bennie.
• Joe Walsh (QPR) - Made a fine early save from Kjerrumgaard's volley and was solid throughout, only beaten by Louza's excellent late free kick.
• Imran Louza (Watford) - The Watford captain scored a delicious left-footed curling free kick in the 85th minute to give the Hornets hope. His quality on set pieces remains a real threat.
• Harvey Vale (QPR) - Unlucky to see his curling left footed effort strike the post in the 25th minute. Impressed with his creativity from the left side of midfield before being replaced by Poku.