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Preview: Reading vs. Manchester City

Preview: Reading vs. Man City
© PA Photos
Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Premier League match as beaten FA Cup finalist Manchester City travel to relegated Reading.

Beaten FA Cup finalists Manchester City are back in Premier League action on Tuesday evening against already-relegated Reading without manager Roberto Mancini.

The former Premier League champions will be under the leadership of Brian Kidd for the remaining two games of the campaign following the club's decision to sack the Italian a year to the day that he guided them to title glory.

The side went down 1-0 to Wigan Athletic in one of the biggest shocks in recent memory and now they must concentrate on finishing second in the league.

City are currently three points clear of Chelsea but the Blues have a better goal difference so still have an outside chance of snatching second place on the final day.

A host of changes are expected to be made to the side that lost out to Wigan and could return to the starting XI that saw off West Bromwich Albion last time out in the league.

Reading boss Nigel Adkins, meanwhile, has no fresh selection concerns so is likely to retain the side that beat Fulham 4-2 last Saturday.

In the reverse fixture between these two sides in December, City scraped past Reading at home thanks to Gareth Barry's 93rd-minute winner.

Recent form

Reading: WDLDLL

City: LWDWLW

Possible starting lineups

Reading: McCarthy; Gunter, Mariappa, Morrison, Kelly; Robson-Kanu, Karacan, Guthrie, McCleary; McAnuff; Pogrebnyak

City: Hart; Richards, Kolo Toure, Lescott, Kolarov; Garcia, Rodwell, Milner, Nasri; Tevez, Dzeko

Sports Mole says: 1-2


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Written by
Pascal Lemesre

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Reading's manager Nigel Adkins during the Premier League match against Southampton on April 6, 2013
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3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
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18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


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