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

Dive into Coral’s 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 got off to a flying start when Koki Saito scored in the 2nd minute, and they built on that with Richard Kone finding the net in the 29th before Karamoko Dembélé added a third in the 33rd. Amadou Salif Mbengue then made it four just before the break in the 45+3rd minute, capping a dominant first half for QPR who came into this on the back of mixed recent form including wins over Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion but losses to Middlesbrough and Norwich City.

Leicester City, who had been in decent shape with a win over Ipswich Town and a draw at Bristol City lately, struggled to respond after the interval despite making changes like Silko Thomas coming on for Jordan Ayew in the 63rd. They did pull one back through Silko Thomas in the 82nd, but a missed penalty from Bobby De Cordova-Reid in the same minute summed up their day. QPR held firm to secure the points, boosting their momentum after that recent up-and-down run.

Leicester City edged possession with 55% compared to QPR’s 45%, suggesting they saw more of the ball, but the hosts made their chances count better, racking up three assists while Leicester managed none. The visitors dominated successful dribbles with 65 to QPR’s 18, showing they were more threatening in one-on-one situations, yet only mustered three corners to QPR’s two, and their single penalty attempt was missed, highlighting a lack of cutting edge.

Both sides used all five substitutions, with QPR bringing on Steve Cook for Jake Clarke-Salter at half-time, Isaac Hayden for Jonathan Varane and Sam Field for Nicolas Madsen in the 75th, then Kwame Poku for Karamoko Dembélé and Paul Patrick Smyth for Koki Saito in the 85th. Leicester made a triple change in the 63rd with Silko Thomas replacing Jordan Ayew, Hamza Choudhury for Jordan James, and Aaron Ramsey for Jannik Vestergaard, followed by Jeremy Monga for Issahaku Fatawu in the 73rd and Louis Page for Ricardo Pereira in the 85th; cards were light with QPR picking up one yellow and Leicester two, but no reds disrupted the flow.

QPR struck early with Koki Saito’s goal in the 2nd minute, assisted by R. Burrell, setting a tone they maintained as Richard Kone scored in the 29th and Karamoko Dembélé added another in the 33rd, again with help from R. Burrell. The first half ended with Amadou Salif Mbengue’s effort in stoppage time, assisted by Jimmy Dunne, giving the hosts a commanding lead. Leicester’s yellow cards to Jordan Ayew in the 35th and Ricardo Pereira in the 77th didn’t help their cause, and while Silko Thomas scored in the 82nd after coming on earlier, Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s missed penalty right after proved costly.

Substitutions played a part too, with QPR steadying things by introducing Steve Cook for the injured Jake Clarke-Salter at the break, and later bolstering midfield with Isaac Hayden and Sam Field coming on in the 75th. Leicester tried to turn the tide with their changes around the hour mark, but it wasn’t enough to claw back the deficit.

Queens Park Rangers lined up in a 4-4-2 shape, with Karamoko Dembélé and Koki Saito providing width and threat on the flanks, linking well with forwards like Richard Kone. Defensively, partnerships such as Jimmy Dunne assisting Amadou Salif Mbengue stood out, while midfield saw changes like Jonathan Varane and Nicolas Madsen making way for Isaac Hayden and Sam Field later on. Rhys Norrington-Davies picked up a late yellow, but the setup allowed for strong attacking partnerships, evident in R. Burrell’s assists for Saito and Dembélé.

Leicester City set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, relying on players like Issahaku Fatawu in attacking roles before he was replaced by Jeremy Monga, with Jordan Ayew earning an early yellow and later making way for goalscorer Silko Thomas. The midfield featured Jordan James until Hamza Choudhury came on, and defensively Jannik Vestergaard was subbed for Aaron Ramsey, while Ricardo Pereira’s yellow led to Louis Page replacing him late. Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s missed penalty highlighted issues in the final third despite the shape’s intent to control play.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Karamoko Dembélé, who shone brightly with his goal in the 33rd minute, creating one big chance and delivering a key pass that helped QPR dominate. His all-round display was pivotal in breaking down Leicester’s defence, even though he was replaced by Kwame Poku late in the game. It’s no surprise he stood out, given how he drove the team’s attacking rhythm from the start.

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 wins at home against Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, despite away losses to Middlesbrough and Norwich City. Sitting seventh on 34 points, they’ll look to keep climbing when they face Portsmouth, who are 21st on 21 points, on 26 December 2025 at 15:00. With Portsmouth struggling near the bottom, this could be a chance for QPR to push for a higher spot and build some consistency.

Leicester City have just lost 4-1 to Queens Park Rangers, a setback after their recent win over Ipswich Town and draw at Bristol City, plus a victory at Derby County but a home defeat to Sheffield United. Currently 13th on 31 points, they’ll aim to bounce back against Watford, who sit 10th on 32 points, on 26 December 2025 at 15:00. It’s a tight mid-table clash, so picking up points here could help Leicester close the gap on the teams above and steady their form.

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