ROYALS RELEGATION BATTLE CONTINUES WITH MILLWALL TEST

READING FC’s fight for Championship survival continues when they host Millwall at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday.

The Royals are one place and six points above the drop zone, while the visitors come into the contest in 11th position.

The Lions still have an outside shot at making the top-six with 13 league games left to play.

Millwall have been in a rich vein of form with four wins from their last five to take them just five points outside of the play-offs in a tightly contested top half of the table.

Since being beaten by Fulham at the start of the month, Millwall have bounced back with victories over Cardiff City, QPR, Derby County and Sheffield United.

Gary Rowett’s team made it four consecutive wins by beating fellow top-six hopefuls Sheffield United at the weekend.

Former Reading academy graduate Jake Cooper netted the only goal of the game in the

61st minute to win the points for Millwall.

Millwall have found goals fairly hard to come by with just 36 in 33 games, six less than Reading despite the huge gap in the table between the teams.

Meanwhile, the South London side have been solid at the other end of the pitch and have conceded just 34 times compared to 67 from the Royals which gives them the worst defensive record in the league.

Forward Tom Bradshaw is currently their leading scorer with seven from 11 appearances, while midfielder Jed Wallace has six goals and eight assists from 24 games.

Reading were beaten earlier in the campaign on their trip to the Den in November.

Former Royals loanee Benik Afobe ensured the points stayed in the capital with his 71st minute goal.

Millwall also collected three points on their last visit to Berkshire which came in February 2021.

Reading went in front through Alfa Semedo but the away team hit back with late strikes from Matt Smith in the 76th minute and Mason Bennett in the 85th minute to complete a comeback.

Reading are winless in their last four matches against Millwall.