Saturday 2nd October 2010
Npower Football League Championship
Selhurst Park Stadium
Referee: K Friend
Kick-off: 15:00
Crystal Palace (22nd) V Queens Park Rangers (1st)
By The Godfather

Queens Park Rangers will face their second London derby in two weeks on Saturday afternoon, coming up against Neil Warnock's former club, Crystal Palace. Once again, there is likely to be a hostile atmosphere, with Shaun Derry and Clint Hill also returning to Selhurst Park following their moves to the Super Hoops. However, George Burley's men have got the campaign off to a very poor start and I'm sure the Rs will fancy their chances.

Crystal Palace

Manager: George Burley

Season 2009-10 finish: 21st position.

For much of last season, it wasn't clear whether Crystal Palace would survive, let alone escape relegation from the Championship. After administration had been declared, Neil Warnock left Selhurst Park, with Paul Hart given the difficult task of keeping the Eagles in the division. Despite a run of bad form, a victory over fellow strugglers, Sheffield Wednesday, on the final day of the campaign ensured their safety. However, Palace were still on the brink of liquidation, with the CPFC2010 consortium seemingly unable to take control of the club. Fortunately, a deal was agreed just in time, with George Burley subsequently being appointed as manager.

As already mentioned, Crystal Palace have made a disappointing start to the campaign. They currently lie in 22nd position, following recent humiliating losses to Scunthorpe (3-0) and Derby (5-0). However, Tuesday night's result, a 0-0 draw against Cardiff, will have boosted fans' hopes that the club can avoid another relegation battle. They must produce another decent defensive display in order to prevent the likes of Adel Taraabt and Jamie Mackie from adding to their goalscoring tallies.

Men to watch

1. It will be interesting to see how veteran midfielder, Edgar Davids, plays on Saturday afternoon. Davids, of course, has enjoyed an illustrious career, having played for AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Tottenham. He was a Champions League Winner in 1994 and was once considered to be one of the greatest footballers on the planet. The 37 year-old joined Palace on a pay-as-you-play deal and has since occupied the defensive midfield role for the Eagles. I wonder if the former Dutch international will be able to cope against the pace and skill of Adel Taraabt...

2. Up front, Burley will be relying upon Pablo Counago, who joined Palace on loan from Ipswich Town. The 31 year-old is a talented striker, who has a lot of experience at this level having enjoyed two successful spells with the Tractor Boys. The Spaniard also lists Celta Vigo and Malaga among his former teams.

3. Palace's star player, Darren Ambrose, could return from injury on Saturday afternoon. Like Danns, it seemed that the winger would move to Loftus Road during the summer. However, rather than join his old manager, Warnock, he chose to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park. Ambrose is a set-piece specialist, who could pose a threat to the Rs' defence.

Previous Match

April 2010 - In this Championship relegation showdown, Queens Park Rangers came out on top at Selhurst Park, beating Paul Hart's men comfortably by two goals to nil. The away team dominated the opening exchanges and deservedly took the lead through an outstanding 25-yard striker from Akos Buzsaky. Gorkss sealed the victory on the hour mark, heading in Taraabt's corner (although the referee probably should have awarded a goal kick).

QPR Manager, Neil Warnock: "We got the points but I haven't really enjoyed anything about today.I was amazed with the reception I got - I expected a lot more boos, so I was quite emotional. I worked my socks off while I was here, so that meant a lot. The neurosurgeon is on his way and they are worried about Damion Stewart [a scan on whom revealed a slight crack in the skull]. It was a savage collision."

Crystal Palace 0-2 Queens Park Rangers

Team News

Bradley Orr, Fitz Hall and Rob Hulse are all unavailable due to injuries. Lee Cook and Peter Ramage, meanwhile, remain long-term absentees. Alejandro Faurlin is likely to return after the international break. For Crystal Palace, Claude Davis and Neil Danns will both miss this fixture, with striker, James Vaughan, suspended.

Prediction

Despite Tuesday night's draw with Millwall, I am quietly confident about this fixture. Neil Warnock will know where Palace's weaknesses lie and I think that the likes of Taraabt will be able to expose Davids' lack of pace. However, Crystal Palace do have some decent youngsters at their disposal and therefore could score. I am going to predict a 2-1 away victory, in what will be a large crowd at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace 1-2 Queens Park Rangers