MX23RW : Saturday, January 18 04:01:19| >> :120:76518:76518:
[monks data]
Reading logo
Championship | Gameweek 16
Dec 5, 2020 at 12.30pm UK
Madejski Stadium
Nottingham Forest logo

Reading
2 - 0
Nott'm Forest

Joao (16' pen.), Morrison (53')
Richards (83')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Cafu (90+1')
Yates (15')

Preview: Reading vs. Nottingham Forest - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between Reading and Nottingham Forest, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Reading will welcome supporters to the Madejski Stadium for the first time since March when they host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Royals, who drew 1-1 against Sheffield Wednesday in midweek, are one of just nine Championship clubs in tier two, which will allow 2,000 fans to attend.


Match preview

Reading manager Veljko Paunovic pictured in October 2020© Reuters

Reading missed the chance to go top of the table at Hillsborough, playing against an Owls side who only had 10 men for the final hour after Liam Shaw's red card.

Lucas Joao provided the Royals equaliser after Callum Paterson had put the hosts ahead, but Veljko Paunovic's team could not find a winning goal and had several penalty appeals waved away in the second half.

They are though just a point behind league leaders Norwich City, which is not a bad place to be considering that a fortnight ago the Royals were in the middle of a four-game losing run.

They are searching for their first clean sheet in nine matches, but only Watford have won more home games in the Championship than the Berkshire side this season.

Nottingham Forest have not won on any of their last five trips to the Madejski Stadium and have one of the worst away records in the division this season.

Nottingham Forest's Scott McKenna celebrates with teammates after scoring against Coventry City on November 4, 2020© Reuters

The Reds have just four points from seven games on the road – only Coventry City have fewer – and have netted just twice.

However they earned a respectable point in a 0-0 draw at home to high-flying Watford in midweek, ending a three-game losing streak in the process.

Chris Hughton will have been encouraged by his team's performance, as they had the better of the chances across the 90 minutes and kept the Hornets' talented attack at bay.

Nonetheless, the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss still has plenty of work to do as he attempts to turn Forest's season around as they are still just one place and three points above the relegation zone.

The two games between Reading and Forest last season were played within 11 days of each other in January and both finished 1-1.

Reading Championship form: LLLDWD

Nottingham Forest Championship form: WWLLLD


Team News

Reading's Yakou Meite in action against Wycombe Wanderers on October 20, 2020© Reuters

Veljko Paunovic has said that he hopes to have Yakou Meite back available for the game after the Frenchman missed the trip to Sheffield Wednesday with a knock.

Meite could replace Alfa Semedo in the starting lineup to allow Reading to go with the same team that beat Bristol City so impressively last weekend.

The Royals have limited options to call upon from the bench, with John Swift and George Puscas currently out injured.

Scott McKenna missed Forest's stalemate with Watford with an ankle problem, but is expected to be back available.

However McKenna's replacement on Wednesday night, Joe Worrall, put in an excellent performance and could keep the Scottish international out of the team.

Tyler Blackett, Samba Sow and Lewis Grabban are all back in training after time on the sidelines, but it has been confirmed that Jack Colback's ankle injury will rule him out for a number of weeks.

Reading possible starting lineup:
Rafael; Holmes, Morrison, Moore, Richards; Rinomhota, Laurent; Meite, Olise, Ejaria; Joao

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Samba; Christie, Worrall, Figueiredo, Ribeiro; Yates, Cafu; Knockaert, Arter, Lolley; Taylor


SM words green background

We say: Reading 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Reading were unfortunate not to win in midweek so will be aiming to ensure they get three points this time around, particularly in front of their returning supporters. Add into the equation Forest's dismal away record and most of the signs point towards a Royals a victory.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home/Away:data



ID:424885:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect8046:
Written by
Olly Allen

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Reading win with a probability of 40.23%. A win for Nottingham Forest had a probability of 30.67% and a draw had a probability of 29.1%.

The most likely scoreline for a Reading win was 1-0 with a probability of 13.37%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (7.93%) and 2-1 (7.9%). The likeliest Nottingham Forest win was 0-1 (11.23%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.32%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with a 7.9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Reading would win this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Reading vs Nottingham Forest

Reading
68.8%
Draw
19.4%
Nottingham Forest
11.9%
160
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Reading manager Veljko Paunovic pictured in October 2020
Read Next:
Veljko Paunovic hails "complete performance" as Reading end winless run
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Birmingham CityBirmingham23165241172453
2Wycombe WanderersWycombe25156450272351
3Wrexham26156538201851
4Huddersfield TownHuddersfield24145537191847
5Barnsley2512673933642
6Reading2412573933641
7Stockport CountyStockport25108737271038
8Leyton Orient24114932221037
9Mansfield TownMansfield2311483126537
10Bolton WanderersBolton2411493637-137
11Charlton AthleticCharlton239772721634
12Lincoln CityLincoln258892830-232
13Rotherham UnitedRotherham248792424031
14Stevenage238781820-231
15Exeter CityExeter2494112831-331
16Blackpool247983235-330
17Wigan AthleticWigan2376102123-227
18Northampton TownNorthampton2568112439-1526
19Peterborough UnitedPeterborough2474134146-525
20Bristol Rovers2474132238-1625
21Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury2555152645-1920
22Crawley TownCrawley2355132443-1920
23Cambridge UnitedCambridge2445152243-2117
24Burton Albion2428142038-1814


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!