Preston North End meet Reading on Friday evening, knowing victory will strengthen their bid for promotion from the Championship with kickoff at 11 pm.
Reading manager Paul Ince might be disappointed that his team have not managed to maintain their standing in the playoff positions.
Nevertheless, Reading’s record does not necessarily tell the whole story. Last weekend, the Royals were denied a penalty kick late in their match against Burnley and then conceded immediately at the other end of the pitch to lose 2-1.
To their credit, Reading bounced back with a credible draw at home against Luton Town on Tuesday night after losing three games in a row.
Preston North End have improved significantly in recent weeks. Earlier in the month, North End had suffered three defeats in four matches over 11 days, yet successive victories have transformed that return into 15 points from eight games.
Successive home wins have been recorded against Middlesbrough and Swansea City, the 1-0 triumph over the latter on Tuesday night moving the club to the verge of the playoff spots.
Manager Ryan Lowe has now witnessed his team record five 1-0 wins this campaign, and the challenge will now be to add more goals to their game while maintaining their solidity at the opposite end of the pitch.
Reading vs Preston Head to Head
Both sides have 20 games against each other, with the hosts taking eleven wins while the visitors with six wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Luton 0-0 Reading
- Burnley 2-1 Reading
- Reading 2-0 Preston
- Swansea 3-2 Reading
Away
- Preston 1-0 Swansea
- Preston 2-1 Middlesbrough
- Blackpool 4-2 Preston
- Huddersfield 0-1 Preston
Reading Team News
Mamadou Loum should return to Reading’s starting lineup after serving a one-match ban for five yellow cards. The quick turnaround could mean that Tyrese Fornah will return to the team for Ovie Ejaria.
Preston Team News
Preston manager Simon Grayson could draft midfielder Ryan Ledson into the starting eleven in place of Ben Whiteman, who sustained a thigh injury against Swansea. Although the remainder of the team may stay the same, Sean Maguire should replace Ched Evans, who played a full match against Bolton on Tuesday night.
Prediction and Odds
A clean sheet at home to Reading would be very important for us, and as a result, we predict another hard-fought draw.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 3.5
