PREVIEW: READING (H)

31 December 2020

Everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s game

- Town vs Reading preview
- A look at Veljko Paunović’s side
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town welcome Reading to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday 2 January 2021 for their first Sky Bet Championship game of the new year; 3pm kick-off.

The Terriers will be looking to extend their unbeaten home run to seven, following their incredible 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday 29 December.

Saturday’s game is Town’s first match of the new calendar and second of three straight games at the John Smith’s Stadium.

THE OPPOSITION

Veljko Paunović’s side will be looking to build on their 0-0 draw against Swansea City when they travel to HD1 on Wednesday.

The Royals currently sit sixth in the Sky Bet Championship table, having picked up 37 points so far this season.

Veljko Paunović.jpg

Reading are also mid-table in the Championship’s away form table for this season. They’ll be hoping to build on it, having walked out with 16 points out of a possible 33 to date.

They’ll also be looking to add to their goal tally when they visit, they’re currently fourth top scorers in the 2020/21 campaign with 32 goals.

FORM GUIDE

Carlos Corberán’s side go into the first fixture of 2021 looking to build on their strong end to 2020 on home soil.

The Terriers have won each of the last five games in HD1 and are unbeaten in six.

As for the visitors, they impressed at the start at the season, going on a seven-game unbeaten run.

The end of 2020 saw them take 11 points out of a possible 24, so they’ll be hoping to get the New Year off to a successful start.

ONES TO WATCH

Rafael Cabral

Cabral signed for Reading on a three-year contract from Sampdoria ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. He made his debut against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup and saved two penalties in the penalty shootout win before going on to become the Club’s Player of the Season.

The Brazilian skipper has had a fine start to the current season, starting 22 games and keeping nine clean sheets.

Rafael Cabral Barbosa.jpg

Sone Aluko

Having helped Fulham to the Play-Offs in 2017, the 31-year-old moved to Reading ahead of the 2017/18 campaign. He went on to make 40 appearances for the Royals in his first season.

In January 2019 he joined Beijing Renhe on loan until the end of the 2019/20 season. Since being back in RG2 during the current campaign, he’s made 19 appearances and scored two goals.

Sone Aluko.jpg

Michael Olise

In July 2018, Olise was inducted into Reading’s Academy Scholarship programme. He went on to make his professional debut on 12 March 2019, in a 3-0 defeat to Leeds.

This season has seen the 19-year-old bag four goals in 21 appearances, his first of which came in the 76th minute in the Royals’ 2-0 win over Barnsley in September 2020.

Michael Olise.jpg

ACTION ELSEWHERE

Our game is one of 12 fixtures in the New Year set of Sky Bet Championship matches. Here’s the full slate with all games 15:00 GMT kick-off unless stated.

Friday 1 January 2021

Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County (17:30 GMT)

Saturday 2 January 2021

Luton Town v Queens Park Rangers
Preston v Nottingham Forest
Wycombe Wanderers v Middlesbrough
Millwall v Coventry City
Huddersfield Town v Reading
Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers
Rotherham United v Cardiff City
Brentford v Bristol City
Swansea City v Watford
Norwich City v Barnsley
Stoke City v Bournemouth (19:45 GMT)

TEAM NEWS

Carlos Corberán will give an update on his side’s fitness in his press conference on Thursday 31 December 2020.

KIT

Town will be in the blue-and-white striped home kit for the visit of the Royals – CLICK HERE to get your home shirt!

HOW TO WATCH

With the game being played behind-closed-doors, Town Season Card holders will be able to watch the match for FREE on iFollow HTAFC!

If you aren’t a Season Card Holder, then you can purchase a match pass for £10 by CLICKING HERE!

Match Reports

REPORT: TOWN 1–2 READING

2 January 2021

A second-half turnaround condemned Huddersfield Town to a 2-1 defeat against Reading at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Fraizer Campbell had nodded the Terriers into an early lead but a brace after the break from Lucas João saw the visitors leave West Yorkshire with all three Sky Bet Championship points.

Head Coach Carlos Corberán named an unchanged Huddersfield Town side for the fifth successive league game for the first time in the Club’s history since November 2009.

It meant that the only changes came on the bench where Kieran Phillips and Ben Jackson returned to the match day squad.

Following a spell of wintry showers throughout the morning and early afternoon in HD1, the encounter got underway in more settled surroundings at the John Smith’s Stadium.

It was Town who settled earliest for that matter and powered into a sixth-minute lead through Fraizer Campbell’s fifth goal of the campaign.

The forward towered above a Royals defender to nod in Isaac Mbenza’s pinpoint whipped cross from the right side.

Off the back of another impressive performance between the sticks in midweek, Ryan Schofield was called into action for the first time just after that opener for the Terriers.

The Huddersfield-born ‘keeper got down well to deny Sone Aluko’s low effort from inside the area.

It was Aluko again threatening the Town goal just after the half-hour mark. The forward dragged an effort wide from the edge of the box as the Royals continued their search for an equaliser.

Schofield again had cause to be alert with the final kick of the first half. A free-kick from the left found Tom Holmes at the back post who saw his header denied by the Town ‘keeper at point-blank range.

After the break, the visitors’ pressure continued, and they went close early in the half through John Swift who curled a free-kick just over from a central area just outside the box.

On the game’s next attack, the Royals drew level in West Yorkshire. A direct ball in-behind met the run of Lucas João who kept his composure to find the net with a placed finish into the bottom corner.

João made it a double in quick succession, picking out the bottom corner again with a powerful drive into the bottom corner to put Reading 2-1 up on 65 minutes.

Town’s best openings to get back into the encounter came courtesy of Isaac Mbenza who forced a good save out of Rafael Cabral with a volley before prodding inches wide of the goal on the run.

There was a positive for the Terriers late on as Academy graduate Kieran Phillips was introduced off the bench for his professional debut, but Town couldn’t find a way through meaning defeat for the first time in six home games for Carlos Corberán’s side.

Next up for Town is an Emirates FA Cup third round tie against Plymouth Argyle at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday 9 January 2020; 6pm kick-off.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-3-3)

Ryan Schofield; Harry Toffolo, Naby Sarr, Rarmani Edmonds-Green (Kieran Phillips, 87’), Pipa; Jonathan Hogg (c), Juninho Bacuna, Carel Eiting (Alex Pritchard, 70’); Lewis O’Brien, Fraizer Campbell, Isaac Mbenza

Unused subs

Ben Hamer; Álex Vallejo, Demeaco Duhaney, Romoney Crichlow, Jaden Brown, Aaron Rowe, Ben Jackson

READING (4-2-3-1)

Rafael Cabral; Omar Richards, Tom McIntyre, Michael Morrison (c), Tom Holmes; Josh Laurent, Andy Rinomhota; Ovie Ejaria (Sam Baldock, 86’), John Swift (Michael Olise, 60’), Sone Aluko (Tomás Esteves, 86’); Lucas João (Alfa Semedo, 81’)

Unused subs

Luke Southwood; Tennai Watson, Ryan East, George Pușcaș, Jeriel Dorsett

REFEREE

Jeremy Simpson