Boss Hughes predicts exciting derby

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QPR manager Mark Hughes says his players are relishing the prospect of facing Chelsea on Sunday and has predicted an exciting derby encounter.

Both teams need the points, with Chelsea chasing a top-four finish and Rangers battling against relegation.

A draw at Stamford Bridge would take the R’s a step towards safety, while a victory could even be enough to keep them in the Premier League – although their away form suggests that is highly unlikely to happen.

Hughes said: “We’re all looking forward to it. It’s a great local derby.

“Given the fact that we’re looking to get points from a very difficult fixture and Chelsea are going for a Champions League place, I expect it to be a very good football match.

“We’ve got the issue of our away form. We’ve got two very difficult away games left and we want to try and get positive results if we can.

“That’s our intention and our aim. We believe we’ve been playing well at home, we’ve just got to transfer that to our away travels.”

Rangers’ survival prospects looked grim given their tough run-in to the season, but victories over Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have left them within sight of the finish line.

“I think we’ve given ourselves a chance,” Hughes declared.

“With 10 games to go, given the opposition we had, most people didn’t think we had a cat in hells’ chance of navigating through that situation and acquiring enough points.

“As it is we’ve still got a very difficult situation, but in recent weeks we’ve shown what we’re capable of. When we get it right we’re a good team.”

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See also:
Di Matteo: Terry is ready to face QPR
Problems for QPR ahead of derby clash

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