'Perfect' - QPR teenager praised for role in stunning West Brom with 'great' goal

QPR opened their goalscoring for the new Championship campaign with a beautifully worked goal against West Brom at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon.

The R's host the Baggies in an early kick-off to kickstart the second tier season and took just 16 minutes to open the scoring through midfielder Lucas Andersen. The 29-year-old nipped in from the edge of the box to nod home a Rayan Kolli cross.

The Dane, who joined QPR from AaB Aalborg in February, looked lively in the first half as he tried to be the creative force in the side's midfield. However, it was 19-year-old Kolli who turned provider early on.

Analysing the goal on Sky Sports, former Brighton and Bristol City star Adam Virgo heaped praise on the duo. He said: "The timing of goals can be so important and it is there for QPR. The quality of crossing hasn't quite been there for the majority of this game, but talk about a ball on a plate, a midfield run from deep, picking up space - Andersen does that perfectly.

"Kolli with a perfect ball in there, it's a perfectly timed run and all you need is that connection on the header which he does. Great goal. It's a brilliant ball in from Kolli the youngster, that'll be expected of him this season when given an opportunity to start."

A graduate of the QPR academy, Marti Cifuentes afforded Kolli a starting berth on the left with Ilais Chair absent through injury. The winger made his debut for the club last August in a Carabao Cup fixture and made 10 cameo Championship appearances after that.

The QPR lead lasted just 10 minutes with West Brom replying through a header of their own. Josh Maja, who scored just one league goal last season, was the man who nodded home past a scrambling R's defence to make it 1-1.