MATCH PREVIEW: READING (A)

5 July 2020

All you need to know ahead of Huddersfield Town’s midweek encounter

- A preview ahead of Reading vs Huddersfield Town
- Royals’ ones to watch
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town make the midweek trip to the Madejski Stadium to face Reading in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday 7 July 2020; 6pm kick-off.

The Terriers will be looking to kick on from the last two games that has seen them take four points from encounters with Birmingham City and Preston North End.

After picking up three points at St. Andrew’s in the week, Danny Cowley’s side took a point from Saturday’s goalless clash with the Lilywhites at the John Smith’s Stadium.

It means that Town go into Tuesday’s game at the Madejski Stadium off the back of back-to-back clean sheets in the Sky Bet Championship for the first time since October.

The reverse fixture saw the Royals come out on top in an early season encounter in West Yorkshire, beating Town 2-0 during Mark Hudson’s reign as Caretaker Head Coach back in August.

THE OPPOSITION

The Royals come into the game off the back of a thumping 5-0 victory at Luton Town on Saturday; the first time they’ve scored five goals in a league match since September 2015.

It was a much-needed win for Mark Bowen’s side, who were winless in their first three games since the restart.

They returned to action by sharing the points with Stoke City on home soil before defeats at Derby County and against Brentford, prior to Saturday’s rout at Kenilworth Road.

Their post-restart form sees them currently occupy 14th place in the table with Tuesday evening’s game the first of their remaining five Sky Bet Championship fixtures this season.

The Royals had won three of their last five before the season’s temporary suspension, but they’ll be looking to be more consistent on home soil over the coming weeks, having won only once at the Madejski Stadium since the turn of the year.

ONES TO WATCH

John Swift

Swift came through the youth ranks at Chelsea, making one senior appearance for the Blues on the final day of the 2013/14 season. Following loan spells with Rotherham United, Swindon Town and Brentford in the two seasons after that, the midfielder moved to Reading on a permanent deal in 2016. Now in his fourth season at the Club, the 24-year-old has been a key creative figure in the Reading attack in 2019/20, providing 10 league assists, the joint-third highest tally in the Sky Bet Championship.

Ovie Ejaria

The midfielder is currently enjoying his second loan spell at the Madejski Stadium from parent club Liverpool, having also played for the Royals in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign. Prior to his spells with Reading, Ejaria went on loan to Sunderland before playing under Steven Gerrard at Scottish side Rangers. The current campaign has been the midfielder’s most frequent for minutes on the pitch so far in his career, totalling 3,113 across 36 Sky Bet Championship appearances so far this season.

Yakou Méïté

Born in the French capital of Paris, the 24-year-old started his career at Paris Saint-Germain, coming through the youth ranks of the French giants before playing for the Club’s second team between 2013 and 2016. Having also made his sole senior appearance in 2016, Méïté made the switch to Reading in the same year before going back to France on a season-long loan with Sochaux in 2017/18. In the last two seasons, the forward has become a mainstay in the Reading attack, topping the Club’s scoring charts in 2018/19, as well as in this season, with 12 goals to his name so far in 2019/20. Méïté comes into the game in fine scoring touch with four of those strikes coming in Saturday’s 5-0 win at Luton Town.

TEAM NEWS – TOWN

Manager Danny Cowley will provide an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of Tuesday’s game during his virtual press conference on Monday 6 July 2020.

Tommy Elphick and Jaden Brown are Town’s only absentees, whilst Juninho Bacuna will serve the third and final game of his suspension.

KIT

Town will be back in the fiery coral alternate kit for Tuesday’s trip to Berkshire – CLICK HERE to get yours!

iFollow HTAFC

2019/20 Season Card holders who have not taken a refund or e-credit will again have free access to the game.

Supporters who are not Season Card holders can buy a match pass to watch the game for £10 - CLICK HERE for more info!

Town's match previews are sponsored by Stafflex!

Match Reports

REPORT: READING 0-0 TOWN

7 July 2020

Another point secured at the Madejski Stadium

Huddersfield Town picked up another important Sky Bet Championship point following a 0-0 draw with Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

Town went close in both halves, through Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Pritchard respectively, but couldn’t break the deadlock as a third successive clean sheet at the other end secured another point towards Championship survival.

Three days on from the draw with Preston North End, Danny Cowley made five changes to his starting XI with Jon Gorenc Stanković and Steve Mounié both in for their first starts since the restart.

Andy King, Chris Willock and Emile Smith Rowe were also back in from the start whilst Karlan Grant brought up his 150th career appearance at the Madejski Stadium.
Town may have made five changes but the resolute defensive setup that had earned the Terriers four points from the last two games remained evident in the early minutes in Berkshire.

With the possession in the opening stages being held in Town’s half, the Terriers’ best attacking outlet came on the counter, with Steve Mounié and Chris Willock both springing attacks early on.

Town, sporting the fiery coral alternate kit on the road once again, began to grow into the game as the clock passed the 10-minute mark.

Willock, along with fellow returnees, Andy King and Emile Smith Rowe had Town’s first sighters on the Royals’ goal, with the latter coming closest after some good footwork, but Rafael Cabral was equal to the on-loan midfielder’s low effort.

With goals in both of Town’s away games since the restart, Karlan Grant was starting to find his range at the Madejski Stadium after the break. After lofting a left-footed strike over on the counter moments earlier, the Terriers’ top scorer drilled wide of the goal from a well-worked free-kick.

The hosts’ best opening of the encounter so far came on 36 minutes. Winger Jordan Obita was found in space on the edge of the box from the right but dragged his first-time effort wide of the goal.

Reading looked to gain confidence from that attack, putting together another that Jonas Lössl had to be alert to shortly after. The Town ‘keeper got down well to deny George Pușcaș’ chip after the Romanian had got in behind the Terriers’ defensive line, moments before the break.

After the interval, it was Town who had best chance before the second half drinks break. Grant’s lifted free-kick from a deep central position found the head of Mounié who’s downward header caused Cabral little problem in the Reading goal.

Smith Rowe’s driving runs from the heart of midfield had caused problems throughout the game for Reading, but it was a sprint without the ball that nearly gifted Grant with another opportunity on 65 minutes.

The midfielder’s swift closing down forced the Reading defender into a loose back-pass that Cabral had to rush out of his goal to cut off before Grant could get there.

Pushing for the breakthrough, Danny Cowley introduced Lewis O’Brien, Elias Kachunga and Alex Pritchard, with the latter nearly making an instant impact from the bench.

After combining with Willock on the right, Pritchard’s driven ball across the face of goal took a deflection and needed action from Cabral to prevent it breaking the deadlock, with just over 10 minutes to go at the Madejski Stadium.

In a tense last ten minutes, neither side could work any clear openings until Royals substitute Michael Olise found some space with the last kick of the game, but his effort was straight down Lössl’s throat.

Referee Steve Martin brought a close to the encounter immediately after, with the deadlock remaining intact and both sides sharing the points in Berkshire.

Next up for Town is a return to the John Smith’s Stadium to face Luton Town in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday 10 July 2020; 6pm kick-off.

READING (4-2-3-1)
Rafael Cabral; Tyler Blackett, Gabriel Osho (Chris Gunter, 86’), Tom McIntyre, Michael Morrison; John Swift, Andy Rinomhota; Jordan Obita (Lucas Boyé, 85’), Pelé (Garath McCleary, 85’), Yakou Méïté; George Pușcaș (Michael Olise, 65’)

Unused subs
Sam Walker; Liam Moore, Sam Baldock, Charlie Adam, Omar Richards

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-2-3-1)
Jonas Lössl; Harry Toffolo, Christopher Schindler (c), Jon Gorenc Stanković, Trevoh Chalobah; Andy King (Demeaco Duhaney, 90+1’), Jonathan Hogg (Lewis O’Brien, 66’); Karlan Grant, Emile Smith Rowe (Alex Pritchard, 71’), Chris Willock (Collin Quaner, 90’); Steve Mounié (Elias Kachunga, 71’)

Unused subs
Joel Coleman; Richard Stearman, Rekeil Pyke, Jaden Brown

REFEREE
Steve Martin

Standings