PREVIEW: REVENGE IS THE AIM IN TOP SIX SHOWDOWN
VELJKO PAUNOVIĆ’S Royals are out for redemption when they host Bournemouth on Friday evening at the Madejski Stadium in a clash of two topsix sides.
Both sides have their sights set on promotion after strong first halves to the Championship season.
The gamewill be under the spotlight of the Sky Sports cameras once again, as it was for the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadiumwhich proved to be a cracker.
Despite the entertaining affair, the Royalswere on thewrong end of a Bournemouth comeback.
Having stormed into a two-goal lead after strikes from Lucas João 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 outwith renewed vigor andwere level before the hourmark 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 turnaroundwith a stunning strike from Lewis Cook before Solankewrapped 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 resultswhich has seen them struggle, while the Royals are on a run of five gameswithout defeat.
Bournemouth suffered surprise back- to-back defeats in their two previous Championship games, at h ome to Luton Town before an away defeat atWayne 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 fiveseason 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 the squad boasts 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 leaguewith
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 transferwindow, meanwhile Bournemouth have added one player to their ranks.
Free agent JackWilshere joined the Cherries having impressed manager Tindall in a spell of trainingwith the club after being released from his contract atWest HamUnited.
The England internationalwill 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 loanwith the Cherries, where he made 27 Premier League appearances.
The central midfielder has vast experience of top flight football having made 125 league appearanceswith Arsenal, aswell aswinning 34 international caps for England as he looks to help Bournemouth to achieve their aim ofwinning promotion back to the Premier League after relegation in the 2019/20 season.
Reading midfielder Josh Laurent, whowon the man of the match award in the drawat Preston, wants the team to ‘finish the job’ this time around in Friday’s match.
“Wewill stand up to anyone, and then try to play and try to be better then them, which I thoughtwe did against Preston.
“We can fight a team andwe’ve got a lot about us.
“It has been called payback month for a reason. It’s a big game andwewant the three points.
“Wewent toe-to-toewith them at their place butwewant to make surewe get the job done this time.”