Queens Park Rangers 4-1 Leicester City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Ladbrokes’ post-match review of Queens Park Rangers 4-1 Leicester City in the Championship on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Queens Park Rangers won 4-1 against Leicester City. The hosts took an early lead when Koki Saito scored in the 2nd minute, assisted by R. Burrell, and they built on that with Richard Kone finding the net in the 29th minute. Karamoko Dembélé added a third in the 33rd minute, again assisted by R. Burrell, before Amadou Salif Mbengue’s goal in the 45+3rd minute gave QPR a commanding halftime advantage. Coming off a mixed run with wins over Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion but losses to Middlesbrough and Norwich City, QPR looked sharp in attack here.

Leicester City, who had won two of their last four league games including against Ipswich Town and Derby County but drew with Bristol City and lost to Sheffield United, struggled to respond effectively. They pulled one back through Silko Thomas in the 82nd minute, but a missed penalty by Bobby De Cordova-Reid in the same minute summed up their day. QPR’s recent home form proved decisive, as they held firm despite Leicester’s late push.

Leicester City edged possession with 55% compared to QPR’s 45%, suggesting they controlled more of the ball, but QPR made better use of their opportunities with three assists to Leicester’s none. The visitors dominated successful dribbles at 65 against QPR’s 18, indicating they were more effective in beating defenders, yet only managed three corners to QPR’s two, showing limited end product from that dominance. Discipline saw QPR pick up one yellow card while Leicester had two, with no reds for either side, and both teams used all five substitutions – for QPR, Steve Cook came on for Jake Clarke-Salter at 46’, Isaac Hayden for Jonathan Varane and Sam Field for Nicolas Madsen at 75’, plus Kwame Poku for Karamoko Dembélé and Paul Patrick Smyth for Koki Saito at 85’; Leicester brought on Silko Thomas for Jordan Ayew, Hamza Choudhury for Jordan James, and Aaron Ramsey for Jannik Vestergaard at 63’, Jeremy Monga for Issahaku Fatawu at 73’, and Louis Page for Ricardo Pereira at 85’.

Leicester took one penalty but failed to score it, while QPR had none, and there were no injury-time goals beyond the first half’s added time strike.

QPR struck first with Koki Saito’s goal in the 2nd minute, assisted by R. Burrell, setting an aggressive tone, and Richard Kone doubled the lead in the 29th minute. Karamoko Dembélé’s 33rd-minute strike, again assisted by R. Burrell, piled on the pressure, before Amadou Salif Mbengue’s header from Jimmy Dunne’s assist in the 45+3rd minute made it 4-0 at the break. Leicester’s Jordan Ayew picked up a yellow card in the 35th minute, and later Ricardo Pereira was booked in the 77th, while QPR’s Rhys Norrington-Davies saw yellow in the 90+4th.

The visitors’ triple substitution at 63’ saw Silko Thomas replace Jordan Ayew, Hamza Choudhury come on for Jordan James, and Aaron Ramsey for Jannik Vestergaard, which brought some spark as Thomas scored in the 82nd minute – though Bobby De Cordova-Reid missed a penalty in the same minute. QPR made defensive adjustments with Steve Cook replacing Jake Clarke-Salter at 46’, and later changes like Isaac Hayden for Jonathan Varane at 75’ helped them see out the win.

Queens Park Rangers lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Karamoko Dembélé and Koki Saito providing width and threat in attack, linking well with Richard Kone up front. Amadou Salif Mbengue offered solidity at the back, while partnerships like R. Burrell’s assists for Saito and Dembélé highlighted their attacking cohesion. Substitutes such as Steve Cook, who replaced Jake Clarke-Salter at halftime, and later arrivals like Isaac Hayden and Sam Field, bolstered the midfield without disrupting the shape.

Leicester City set up in a 4-2-3-1, relying on players like Issahaku Fatawu and Jordan Ayew for creativity behind the striker, with Ricardo Pereira pushing forward from defence. Silko Thomas made an impact after replacing Ayew at 63’, scoring their only goal, while changes like Hamza Choudhury for Jordan James and Aaron Ramsey for Jannik Vestergaard aimed to shore up the midfield. Jeremy Monga came on for Fatawu at 73’, and Louis Page replaced Pereira late on, but the setup couldn’t overcome the early deficit.

Karamoko Dembélé is Ladbrokes’ Man of the Match after a standout performance that included one goal, creating one big chance, and one key pass. His 33rd-minute strike helped QPR establish dominance, and his overall involvement in the attack was crucial before he was replaced by Kwame Poku at 85’. Dembélé’s energy and decision-making set him apart in a convincing team display.

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 4-1 vs Leicester City (H)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Middlesbrough (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Birmingham City (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs West Bromwich Albion (H)
• Loss: 1-3 vs Norwich City (A)

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-4 vs Queens Park Rangers (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Ipswich Town (H)
• Draw: 2-2 vs Bristol City (A)
• Win: 3-1 vs Derby County (A)
• Loss: 2-3 vs Sheffield United (H)

Queens Park Rangers have just beaten Leicester City 4-1, a result that builds on their recent home wins over Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, despite away losses to Middlesbrough and Norwich City. Currently sitting seventh on 34 points, they face Portsmouth next on 26 December 2025 at 15:00, with the opposition in 21st on 21 points and struggling near the bottom. This Boxing Day clash offers QPR a chance to push for the top six and widen the gap from mid-table.

Leicester City have just lost 4-1 to Queens Park Rangers, adding to a patchy run that includes a win over Ipswich Town, a draw with Bristol City, a victory at Derby County, but defeats to Sheffield United and now this. In 13th place on 31 points, they host Watford on 26 December 2025 at 15:00, with the visitors in 10th on 32 points and just ahead in the table. Leicester will need to bounce back quickly to close the gap on the playoff spots and avoid slipping further.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.