Match Preview
Huddersfield Town vrs Fulham
Championship Match Day 03 at John Smith's Stadium
Friday 16th August 2019 KO: 19:45
Referee: James Linington (Newport, IOW)
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It has been a poor start to the season for Huddersfield, losing 2-1 at home to Derby in their opening game and then being held to a 1-1 draw at QPR last Saturday.
In the Carabao Cup first round in midweek they were shocked 1-0 at home by League One Lincoln.
Fulham, meanwhile, suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Barnsley in their opener, before bouncing back to beat Blackburn at Craven Cottage at the weekend.
Fulham boss Scott Parker: "[Huddersfield] have started the season a little bit slow. In saying that, it's a wounded animal we're going to play, a team that's going to come out fighting, scrapping, and trying to do everything they can to get the result.
"We're fully aware of what we're going into. Last year we went there and it was a tough game with the crowd behind them, so we're not expecting anything different.
They've come down from the Premier League, they're a good outfit with some good individual players, and I'm sure they'll be around [the promotion race]."
Huddersfield boss Jan Siewert: "We face Fulham now and I will have a different squad on the pitch [to Lincoln], so think of QPR when we had many positive things there.
"It's a matter of managing expectations because, of course, we all want to win football matches and this is the most important thing I am working towards."
Huddersfield and Fulham started the season among the favourites for an immediate return to the Premier League, but bouncing back is not always easy as it seems.
Just 21 clubs of a possible 82 in the Premier League era have succeeded in winning a promotion at the first time of asking following relegation, with the most recent being Newcastle in 2017.
Last season West Brom finished fourth but failed to make it past the play-off semi-finals, and Swansea managed 10th and Stoke ended up 16th.
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Huddersfield Town have won just one of their last 13 league games against Fulham (W1 D4 L8), winning 1-0 in the Premier League at the John Smith's Stadium last season.
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In the Championship, Fulham's last visit to Huddersfield was in April 2017, winning 4-1 under Slavisa Jokanovic, with current manager Scott Parker an unused sub that day.
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Aleksandar Mitrovic is looking to score in consecutive league matches for Fulham for the first time since September 2018 - the Serbian has scored in one of his last 18 away league matches.
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Fulham have won just five points from their last 21 away league matches (W1 D2 L18).
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Huddersfield Town have scored just six goals in open-play in their 17 league matches under manager Jan Siewert, with both of their goals so far this season coming via Karlan Grant penalties.
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Since collecting seven points from three league games during November 2018 (W2 D1 L0), Huddersfield have collected just seven points from 27 league matches (W1 D4 L22).