BARNSLEY will hope to avoid a seventh straight Championship defeat when they host ‘good football team’ Queens Park Rangers from 3pm.

The Hoops are fourth, two points off the top two, while the Reds are last and eight points from safety. QPR are unbeaten in seven league games, with five wins.

They drew 2-2 at home to another in-form promotion-chaser Middlesbrough at home on Wednesday night, after taking the lead twice, so have one day fewer to recover than the Reds.

They have won their last four away league games, all by a 2-1 scoreline.

Only their near neighbours Fulham have more goals away this season.

Head coach Poya Asbaghi said: “They are a good football team.

“We have played against a lot of really direct teams, like Luton, Cardiff and Birmingham. QPR have skilled players who are comfortable on the ball. It’s a different kind of game. Even though they have good form in the Championship, they lost to Peterborough in the FA Cup which shows you can knock this team if you have a good game.”

Barnsley looked to be heading for a fifth successive win over QPR in August when they were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to goals by Dominik Frieser and Cauley Woodrow. But the hosts came back to draw 2-2 with goals in the 76th and 91st minutes from Ilias Chair and Charlie Austin. Asbaghi said: “It shows that we can do well. I know the capacity is there. I watched that game, it’s really clear it’s early in the season and the confidence in the players is a little bit different.

“Since then the results didn’t come and the confidence went away.”

The Reds have not scored at Oakwell in the league for more than two months since a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town on December 4. They are yet to take the lead in any of Asbaghi’s 11 league games.

“It’s really frustrating. It’s not like we didn’t have chances to take the lead, we just didn’t take them. It’s been too many games. When we concede in the first half, we can come back.

“But when they take the lead in the last half an hour, teams in this league are pretty good at killing time and seeing the game out.”

Rangers’ last win over Barnsley was at Loftus Road in 2018 when ex-Red Josh Scowen got the winner in Paul Heckingbottom’s final match. They have one point from the five meetings since.

Since winning 3-2 at Oakwell against an already relegated Reds side on the last day of the 2013/14 season, the Hoops have not won in four visits, losing three and conceding 12 goals. They lost 3-0 last season in Valerien Ismael’s first game in charge, with Rob Dickie being sent off midway through the first half.

Barnsley’s home games with Stoke City and Blackpool have been rearranged for March 8 and April 26 respectively.