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Millwall logo
Championship
Feb 1, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Reading logo

0-3

FT(HT: 0-1)
Pogbrenyak (39'), Pearce (72'), Williams (74')

Preview: Millwall vs. Reading

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship clash between struggling Millwall and playoff-chasing Reading.

Millwall will be looking to keep themselves out of the bottom three when they host Reading at The New Den on Saturday.

The Lions have made a decent start to life under Ian Holloway, narrowly losing their first game in the closing stages before beating Ipswich Town and drawing with Sheffield Wednesday.

Saturday will see them play their third home game in a row as Holloway looks to keep up his unbeaten record with Millwall at The Den.

Many of the teams around them in the table have begun showing improvement in their own form, making it even more important for Millwall to continue picking up points on a regular basis.

Holloway's side have had troubles at both ends of the pitch this season, scoring just four goals in their last eight games and conceding a league-high 51 over the whole campaign.

That leaves the team with the worst goal difference in the division, something that could prove important with such a tight relegation battle in store.

Their home form has been their saving grace so far this season with 19 of their 26 points coming in front of their own fans, something that will give them plenty of hope as they look to extend the two-point gap separating them from the bottom three.

DJ Campbell is expected to start up front, but fellow January arrival Shaun Williams is unlikely to join him in the first XI. David Forde and Richard Chaplow are also doubtful, while Shane Lowry is suspended.

Reading are in need of three points for very different reasons to their opponents as they look to strengthen their position in the playoff places.

They currently sit four points clear of seventh and victory on Saturday could see them move above Nottingham Forest into fifth in the Championship table.

The Royals have been in fine goalscoring form of late, hitting seven past Bolton Wanderers and five against Blackpool within the space of two weeks, although sandwiched between those wins was a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town.

They certainly haven't been scoring so freely on their travels, with just one goal in their last five away matches in all competitions.

Adam Le Fondre and Pavel Pogrebnyak are the duo expected to be charged with improving that record for Nigel Adkins's side, although Nick Blackman and Hal Robson-Kanu are also pushing for starts.

Jason Roberts, Sean Morrison and Mikele Leigertwood are all doubts for the match, while Wayne Bridge and Jem Karacan are both definitely out.

Recent form

Millwall: DLLLWD

Reading: DLWWLW

Possible starting lineups

Millwall: Bywater; Fredericks, Beevers, Shittu, Malone; Woolford, Bailey, Trotter, Feeney; Campbell, Morison

Reading: McCarthy; Gunter, Pearce, Gorkss, Obita; McCleary, Akpan, Williams, McAnuff; Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre

Sports Mole says: 1-1


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Reading manager Nigel Adkins looks on during the match against Ipswich on August 3, 2013
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