PREVIEW: READING (A)

5 May 2021

A look ahead to Huddersfield Town’s final game of 2020/2021

- Preview for Town’s match at the Madejski Stadium
- A look at Veljko Paunović’s side
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town travel to the Madejski Stadium for their final game of the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship season!

The match will take place on Saturday 8 May and will kick-off at 12.30pm

In their previous encounter Reading ran out 2-1 winners as they met at the John Smith’s Stadium back in January.

Ahead of Saturday’s game we take a look at everything you need to know…

THE OPPOSITION

Reading currently sit in 7th place but are unable to break into the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off places this season as they find themselves eight points behind 6th place Barnsley.

It was a difficult run of form since middle March that saw them miss out on the Play-Off places, only winning one game in their last 10.

Their best run of form actually came at the start of the 2020/21 campaign – they won seven of their eight opening fixtures!

FORM GUIDE

Carlos Corberán’s side will be looking to end the season on a positive note, after they secured their Sky Bet Championship status in the last round of fixtures with a 1-1 draw against Coventry City at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The Terriers’ most recent away win came against Nottingham Forest in April, winning 2-0 at the City Ground.

Reading will also be looking to end their season on a high, as they come into this fixture off the back of a 4-1 loss at the hands of Sky Bet Championship winners Norwich City.

The Royals are currently unbeaten in six at home and will be looking to keep that unbeaten run intact when the Terriers visit this Saturday.

ONES TO WATCH

Lucas João

Lucas João was signed by Reading from Sky Bet Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday in 2019 and is currently the Royals’ top scorer this season with 19 goals.

The Lisbon-born forward scored two impressive goals which led to Reading winning the match the last time the two sides met in January.

The Portuguese forward made his full return from injury last weekend after sustaining a dislocated shoulder against Cardiff City last month.

Rafael Cabral

Cabral signed for Reading from Sampdoria ahead of the 2019/20 season. The Brazilian went onto win the Club’s Player of the Season award after his tally of 13 clean sheets was the best for a Reading goalkeeper in their debut season this century.

The shot-stopper has kept 17 clean sheets so far this campaign, the joint-third highest in the Sky Bet Championship.

Michael Olise

After coming through Reading’s Academy Scholarship programme in 2018, the playmaker made his professional debut on 12 March 2019 and has not looked back since.

Olise, who represents France internationally, has contributed 11 assists so far this season which is more than anyone else at the Club. The 19-year-old is also third in Reading’s goalscoring charts, after scoring six goals in 43 appearances so far this season.

The youngster won the EA Sports Young Player of the Season award, and was also named as part of the Championship Team of the Season at this year's EFL Awards ceremony.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

The last time the two sides met was in the reverse fixture in January 2021 where Reading beat Town 2-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The Terriers have won 16 of their previous competitive encounters with the Royals, the first coming in 1976 where Town ran out 3-0 winners.

ACTION ELSEWHERE

Town’s match is one of 12 games on Saturday. Here is the full list of games:

Saturday 8 May 2021

Barnsley vs Norwich City – 12.30pm
Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City – 12.30pm
AFC Bournemouth vs Stoke City – 12.30pm
Bristol City vs Brentford – 12.30pm
Cardiff City vs Rotherham – 12.30pm
Derby County vs Sheffield Wednesday – 12.30pm
Middlesbrough vs Wycombe Wanderers – 12.30pm
Coventry City vs Millwall – 12.30pm
Nottingham Forest vs Preston North End – 12.30pm
Queens Park Rangers vs Luton Town – 12.30pm
Reading vs Huddersfield Town – 12.30pm
Watford vs Swansea City – 12.30pm

TEAM NEWS

Carlos Corberán will give an update on Town’s latest team news in his press conference on Thursday 6 May 2021.

KIT

Town will be sporting the yellow and purple away kit for their trip to the Madejski Stadium – CLICK HERE to get yours!

HOW TO WATCH

Huddersfield Town supporters can watch Saturday’s game against Reading on iFollow HTAFC.

The Terriers travel to the Madejski Stadium on Saturday 8 May, with the game kicking off at 12.30pm

As per the agreement between the EFL and Sky Sports, Season Card Holders will not be able to watch the game for free.

That means that all supporters have to purchase a match pass on iFollow HTAFC to watch the game.

The match pass will cost £10; CLICK HERE to get yours!

Match Reports

REPORT: READING 2–2 TOWN

8 May 2021

A late Rarmani Edmonds-Green strike ensured Huddersfield Town would take a point from the final game of the Sky Bet Championship season following a 2-2 draw with Reading.

The substitute’s late goal cancelled out what looked to be like the winner from Yakou Méïté who had built on Michael Olise’s equaliser for the hosts after Josh Koroma gave Town the lead early on from the spot.

The draw means the Terriers finish the season in 20th position in the table with 49 points from 46 matches in the league.

There were four changes to the Town line-up for the final game of the season, with 20-year-old Scott High coming in for his first Sky Bet Championship start, on the final day.

Danny Ward returned off the back of his goal from the bench in last weekend’s draw from Coventry while Álex Vallejo and Rolando Aarons were also named in the XI, the first time since late January for the latter following injury.

With Championship status secured in that game seven days ago, the Terriers were simply looking for a strong finish to the campaign on the final day.

Duane Holmes tried his luck at setting Town on to that early on, but powered an effort over having received the ball on the edge of the penalty area.

At the other end, Ryan Schofield had some early business to take care of in the Terriers’ goal. The ‘keeper got down to keep John Swift’s low effort from around 20 yards out from finding the bottom corner.

On Championship debut, High had enjoyed a positive start to the game in the middle of the pitch, nearly making an immediate impact with just over 10 minutes played. The Town Academy graduate drove forward, neatly played the ball off before receiving the it back and striking the post with a curling effort.

Moments later, the midfielder was fouled on the edge of the area after displaying some good footwork, with Josh Koroma stepping up to find the net with the free-kick from a central area, to give Town the lead with his eighth goal of the campaign.

That advantage lasted less than three minutes, however, with the hosts hitting back from the spot straight after. Jonathan Hogg brought down Alfa Semedo inside the penalty area with Michael Olise steeping up to send Schofield the wrong way to make it 1-1.

The goal looked to spark the hosts into life with Tomas Esteves flashing the ball just over the crossbar moments before Olise turned provider, crossing to the back post for Yakou Méïté who’s looping header found the net to complete the hosts’ turnaround.

After a frantic opening half-an-hour, chances became hard to come by but the introduction of Sorba Thomas after the break nearly paid dividends immediately for Town. The winger whipped a dangerous low cross into the box from the right, but his ball narrowly evaded the path of Danny Ward and was cleared.

Like Thomas, the Terriers’ substitutes were continuing to make an impact off the bench in the second half. Carel Eiting, having been brought off the bench in place of Duane Holmes, had an effort from inside the penalty area blocked well by Reading’s Andy Yiadom before fellow substitute Kieran Phillips curled inches wide of the post from range.

In the closing stages, Town’s efforts increased in pursuit of taking something from the final contest of the campaign. Having got on the scoresheet earlier in the afternoon, Koroma latched onto a ball over the top but skewed his effort over the bar.

That looked to be the last opportunity for Carlos Corberán’s visitors until substitute Rarmani Edmonds-Green popped up in stoppage time to rescue a point for Town.

The ball broke to the Terriers’ no.35 on the right side of the penalty area and he kept his composure to find the corner and ensure Town would finish the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship campaign with a draw.

READING (4-2-3-1)

Luke Southwood; Tomas Esteves, Andy Yiadom, Tom Holmes, Omar Richards; Alfa Semedo; Josh Laurent (c); Andy Rinomhota, John Swift (Dejan Tetek, 67’), Michael Olise (Liam Moore, 77’); Yakou Méïté (Lucas João, 67’)

Unused substitutes

Coniah Boyce-Clarke; Lewis Gibson, Mamadi Camará, Sone Aluko, Femi Azeez, Sam Baldock

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-3-3)

Ryan Schofield; Lewis O’Brien, Naby Sarr (Rarmani Edmonds-Green, 78’), Richard Keogh, Álex Vallejo; Jonathan Hogg (c), Scott High (Juninho Bacuna, 78’), Duane Holmes (Carel Eiting, 60’); Rolando Aarons (Sorba Thomas, 60’), Josh Koroma, Danny Ward (Kieran Phillips, 70’)

Unused substitutes

Joel Pereira; Richard Stearman, Romoney Crichlow, Jaheim Headley

REFEREE

Jarred Gillett