Southampton Vs Qpr: Saints rout QPR 5-0 as Matsuki stars in milestone night
The southampton vs qpr clash ended in a 5-0 victory for Southampton at St Mary's, a result that moved Tonda Eckert's side up to seventh in the Championship and kept their play-off push alive.
Five-goal night at St Mary's
Southampton scored five times against Queens Park Rangers at St Mary's, with Finn Azaz opening the scoring early on and Kuryu Matsuki hitting his first Championship goals. Azaz was played in on the edge of the box by Ryan Manning and curled a low, powerful right-footed shot into the far corner; accounts give the opener either in the ninth minute or after 10 minutes. Matsuki headed home from close range just before the break to open his league account and then struck again five minutes after half-time, slotting a rebound into the far corner after Joe Walsh had palmed a Leo Scienza shot straight to him.
Key moments that sealed the win
Scienza added a third goal shortly after the restart and then a fourth in the 59th minute, when Azaz played him through and the winger cut in from the left to curl into the far corner for his sixth Championship goal of the season. James Bree completed the scoring with a strike from outside the box that took a slight deflection and found the left-hand side of the net with around 20 minutes remaining. Saints have won four of their last five Championship games.
Refereeing calls, injuries and defensive incidents
Early penalty appeals from both sides were waved away by referee Oliver Langford after Amadou Mbengue went down having got past Ryan Manning, and moments later Taylor Harwood-Bellis appeared to be pulled back in the box by Ronnie Edwards but nothing was awarded. QPR suffered a physical blow when Nicolas Madsen sprinted after a cleared corner, pulled up clutching the back of his right leg just before the half-hour mark, and was substituted before heading down the St Mary's tunnel.
Predicted lineup notes that mattered
Pre-match lineup discussion had noted Daniel Peretz as Southampton’s goalkeeper, described as a strong addition since joining on loan from Bayern Munich in January, and James Bree was expected to hold the right-back role after returning from a loan at Charlton. Elias Jelert was mentioned as having played well against Leicester City and being considered, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis — capped by England in 2024 — kept his place at centre-back alongside Jack Stephens, who had been in the starting line-up for the Charlton match despite prior injury concerns. With Welington out for two weeks with a muscle injury, Ryan Manning was expected to continue at left-back on Tuesday night. Flynn Downes had been revitalised after a new role under Eckert and, if fit, was considered likely to start, though selection depended on how much the previous Saturday had taken out of him and other players could deputise.
Reactions: milestones and manager satisfaction
Kuryu Matsuki called it a great moment for him, saying he was very happy to score his first Championship goals, that the first half was very good and that he wanted more goals and assists after the gaffer gave him confidence. Tonda Eckert said, "I loved that we were sharp from the off. " The win lifted Southampton from 11th to seventh in the table, four points behind Wrexham, while QPR sit 13th.
For supporters, the club also advertised a limited-time offer on Saints Memberships at half price: £15 for Adults and £7. 50 for Juniors.
Southampton now face two fixtures in four days, a congested run noted before the QPR match, as the side looks to build on this 5-0 result and continue their push towards the Championship play-off places.
