Two sides locked in the Championship promotion battle go head to head on Saturday as Reading host Bristol City.

After a magnificent start to the campaign, the Royals have slipped to sixth in the table, while the Robins are one point better off in third.

Match preview

Reading's Yakou Meite celebrates scoring against Rotherham United in the Championship on October 24, 2020 © Reuters

Reading drew 1-1 with Millwall on Wednesday, halting a run of four straight defeats that had led to them losing their spot at the top of the Championship.

Lucas Joao's second-half equaliser earned the Royals a point after Jed Wallace's superb free kick had put the Lions ahead.

But Veljko Paunovic's team are still searching for their first victory since the end of October – only bottom of the table Derby County are on a longer winless run.

Reading have been thrashed in each of their last two home games – losing 3-0 to both Preston North End and Stoke City – but those were the first league goals they have conceded at the Madejski Stadium this season.

Bristol City players celebrate after Jamie Paterson's goal against Huddersfield Town on November 3, 2020 © Reuters

Bristol City suffered a slump of their own last month, going five matches without a win after achieving maximum points from their opening four matches.

Yet the Robins are now firmly back on track, with a 0-0 draw with fellow promotion chasers Watford on Wednesday coming after three consecutive victories.

It was a game of half chances against the Hornets, and although Dean Holden bemoaned not being clinical enough, he also admitted that he could not have asked for more from his team.

Only league leaders Norwich City have picked up more points away from home this season than Bristol City, who have only been beaten by Bournemouth on the road.

Both of the games between these two sides last season ended 1-0 to Bristol City, while Reading have only won one of the last six meetings.

Reading Championship form: WLLLLD

Bristol City Championship form: LLWWWD

Team News

Middlesbrough's Marc Bola in action with Reading's Michael Olise in the Championship on October 17, 2020 © Reuters

Promising teenager Michael Olise has started the last three games on the bench for Reading, but after an influential performance as a substitute against Millwall, he is likely to replace Alfa Semedo in the starting lineup.

Fellow academy graduate Tom Holmes should keep his spot at right-back ahead of Tomas Esteves, with Andy Yiadom out injured.

Bristol City captain Tomas Kalas missed the draw with Watford due to a quad problem, making him a doubt for the trip to Berkshire.

Dean Holden went with a back three in Kalas's absence and could do so again, potentially handing a debut to Adrian Mariappa.

There may also be rotation upfront, with Nahki Wells and Chris Martin both eager to return to the starting lineup.

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

Bristol City possible starting lineup:
Bentley; Vyner, Moore, Mariappa; Hunt, Paterson, Nagy, O'Dowda, Dasilva; Semenyo, Wells

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We say: Reading 1-1 Bristol City

Stopping the rot in midweek was vital for Reading and it gives them something to build on against an in-form Bristol City side. The two teams have had similar campaigns so far and appear well-matched, so an entertaining contest is in store and it could end all square.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals 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.

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 Bristol City win with a probability of 38.52%. A win for Reading had a probability of 33.74% and a draw had a probability of 27.7%.

The most likely scoreline for a Bristol City win was 0-1 with a probability of 11.45%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.11%) and 0-2 (7.1%). The likeliest Reading win was 1-0 (10.54%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.08%). The actual scoreline of 3-1 was predicted with a 2.8% likelihood.