QPR and Brentford have two of the better keepers in the Championship.

Alex Smithies and Dan Bentley should impress Sky Sports viewers seeing them for the first time when the two sides face each other at Loftus Road on Friday night.

Both have also deservedly earned a reputation as penalty savers.

Indeed, Smithies did a number on Fulham earlier this season when Whites missed two and Rangers won 2-1.

Bentley, and League Two play-off final heroics when it came down to the shoot-out saw Southend into League One at the expense of Wycombe in 2015.

Grab: Daniel Bentley saves

So, assuming there are lies, damned lies and statistics - here are a few more, bearing in mind none take into account the team in front of them.

Both keepers have played every minute of their club's league campaign.

Shots on target

Bentley has faced 63 shots on target so far this season this season. He has saved 49 of those, while conceding 14 goals. This gives him a saves to shots ratio of 77.8 per cent. He has kept six clean sheets.

Smithies has faced 47 shots on target during the campaign so far.

The QPR stopper has faced 47 shots on target has kept 28 of those out, but has been beaten on 19 occasions. This give him a saves to shots ratio of 59.6 per cent. The former Huddersfield man has kept four clean sheets.

Pen pals: Team-mates congratulate Alex Smithies at Fulham

Crosses

Bentley has caught 24, punched six clear and only dropped the ball once.

Smithies has caught 13 of them and punched 10 clear, making one drop as well.

Penalties

Like Bentley, the QPR keeper has also been the hero from the penalty spot – denying Fulham's Tom Cairney before Sone Aluko hit the post in the final minute.

QPR v Brentford - all the essential build up

It added to his reputation as a 12-yard expert having saved and scored from the spot in Huddersfield's triumphant 2012 League One play-off final.

Smithies, co-incidentally, has saved a penalty at Griffin Park playing for England U17s against Turkey 10 seasons ago.

Distribution and attack

Bentley has made 457 passes so far this campaign and, of those, 73 per cent have been judged to be long passes.

The Brentford goalkeeper has a passing accuracy of 47 per cent from those passes.

Smithies, on the other hand, has made 481 passes of which 89 per cent have been considered as long passes. His passing accuracy is only 38 per cent.

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