Veljko Paunović’s Royals are out for redemption when they host Bournemouth on Friday evening at the Madejski Stadium in a clash of two top-six sides.
Both sides have their sights set on promotion after strong first halves to the Championship season.
The game will be under the spotlight of the Sky Sports cameras once again, as it was for the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium which proved to be a cracker.
Despite the entertaining affair, the Royals were on the wrong end of a Bournemouth comeback.
Having stormed into a two-goal lead after goals from Lucas Joao and Sone Aluko, the Royals had an advantage going into half-time.
However, it was a classic case of a ‘game of two halves’. The Cherries came out with renewed vigor and were level before the hour mark after Arnaut Danjuma clawed the first goal back before Dominic Solanke netted an equaliser.
Jason Tindall’s side scored twice more to complete a remarkable turnaround with a stunning strike from Lewis Cook before Solanke wrapped up the game in the 89th minute, with his second and Bournemouth’s fourth goal of the match.
Reading sit one place and two points above the Cherries after 25 matches after Bournemouth’s recent run of results which has seen them struggle, while the Royals are on a run of five games without defeat.
Bournemouth suffered surprise back to back defeats in their two previous Championship games, with a home loss to Luton Town before an away defeat at Wayne Rooney’s struggling Derby County.
Despite a recent run of poor results, Tindall has made a positive impact on their season since taking over from Eddie Howe after Bournemouth’s five-season stint in the Premier League came to an end last season.
The Cherries potent attack has scored 38 goals in 25 matches, one more than the Royals have managed, and boast a tighter defence having conceded just 21 goals compared to 28 conceded by Reading but are still a place behind in the standings.
Solanke is currently Bournemouth’s top scorer in the league with 10 goals and four assists, while Junior Stanislas has seven goals and three assists from 18 matches.
Reading are yet to bolster their squad in the January transfer window, meanwhile Bournemouth have added one player to their ranks.
Free agent Jack Wilshere joined the Cherries having impressed manager Tindall in a spell of training with the club after he was released from his contract at West Ham United. The England international will add experience, depth and leadership to the Bournemouth side despite his troubled injury record, and is already familiar with the club having spent the 2016/17 on loan with the Cherries, where he made 27 Premier League appearances.
The central midfielder has vast experience of top flight football having made 125 league appearances with Arsenal, as well as winning 34 international caps for England as he looks to help Bournemouth to achieve their aim of winning promotion back to the Premier League after relegation in the 2019/20 season.
Reading midfielder Josh Laurent, who won the man of the match award in the draw at Preston, wants the team to ‘finish the job’ this time around in Friday’s match.
“We will stand up to anyone, and then try to play and try to be better than them, which I thought we did against Preston.
“We can fight a team and we’ve got a lot about us.”
