Reading v Bristol City: Solid Robins can relish Royal road trip

Mark O'Haire
27 November 2020
3 min read

Dean Holden's Bristol City are excelling on their travels

Join

View market

Twitter

Facebook

Previous Championship pace-setters Reading entertain high-flying Bristol City on Saturday. Mark O'Haire analyses the encounter.

"Bristol City have won four of their first six away league matches, the club’s best return on the road after six rounds of action since 1954/55"

Reading v Bristol City
Saturday November 28, 12:30
Sky Sports

Reading stop the rot in midweek

Reading had to come from behind to end their four-game losing run at Millwall in midweek. The former Championship leaders, who had a seven-point advantage at the summit just one month ago, had sunk to sixth in the standings but Lucas Joao's angled 53rd-minute equaliser cancelled out Jed Wallace's super first-half injury-time free-kick to earn an overdue point.

Both sides had chances to win it - the best falling to Joao in the dying embers of the encounter but the scoreline remained 1-1, a result that restored Reading's place inside the top-six, within four points of table-topping Norwich. Post-match, Royals boss Veljko Paunovic admitted the Berkshire boys were only deserving of a point from proceedings.

Paunovic said: "It was the worst month so far and we still haven't won so it's not great but I think it's important we moved from that spot that we were stuck on - 22 points."

The Reading head coach brought Tom Holmes and Yakou Meite into the side, at the expense of Tomas Esteves and Sone Aluko, but a recall for Michael Olise looks likely on Saturday.

Bristol City extend unbeaten streak

Bristol City extended their unbeaten Championship run to four games after a drab goalless draw at Ashton Gate against recently-relegated Watford on Wednesday night. The visitors controlled the first half without testing home goalkeeper Daniel Bentley and the Robins grew into the game after the interval with Antoine Semenyo looking the most likely.

Semenyo's low cross was tipped out of Famara Diedhiou's path by Watford keeper Ben Foster before the 20-year-old bent wide from a tight angle, and Foster was again called into action in stoppage time to tip over Tommy Rowe's scuffed effort. The point leaves Dean Holden's City side third - three points off the top - after a third consecutive clean sheet.

Holden said: "First half was a game of limited chances - I thought we had a real good structure to the way we set up. I think second half we were the better team - we had chances and if we were a little bit more clinical in those moments we could've won the game." Nakhi Wells and Chris Martin could come back into the starting XI this weekend.

Robins flying-high on their travels

Reading have lost four of their last six meetings with Bristol City (W1-D1-L4), including both contests last season where the Robins were 1-0 winners in home and away meetings against the Royals. While the duo have shared a W2-D0-L2 return in the most recent four fixtures at the Madjeski Stadium, Reading boast a W6-D0-L2 record against City here since 2010.

After making a record-breaking start to the season, Reading 2.6213/8 have taken a solitary point from the past four weeks of action (W0-D1-L4) and come into Saturday afternoon's clash having conceded two goals or more in five of their last six Championship contests. The Royals have also suffered back-to-back 3-0 losses on home soil to Stoke and Preston.

Bristol City 2.962/1 have won four of their first six away league matches, the club's best return on the road after six rounds of action since 1954/55.

The Robins have picked up W7-D1-L0 when taking on teams in eighth and below but earned only W0-D2-L3 when facing off against the top-seven thus far, although City have shipped two goals or more just twice.

Oppose hosts at the MadStad

Only Blackburn (3.08) and Stoke (3.00) are seeing more goals per-game than Reading (2.85) matches with six of the Royals most recent seven outings paying-out for Over 2.5 Goals backers 2.166/5. However, with Both Teams To Score yet to land at the Madjeski Stadium, and Bristol City performing with aplomb from a defensive view, a repeat looks unlikely.

The Robins have delivered Under 2.5 Goals 1.705/7 in eight of their 13 Championship encounters, silencing five of their opponents already. With five of City's six showdowns with top-half teams falling below the standard goal line, I'm happy to oppose a high-scoring contest whilst supporting the visitors to avoid defeat in Berkshire.

Heading to the Same Game Multi market on Betfair Sportsbook, we can support Bristol City Double Chance and Under 3.5 Goals at 1.85. It's a selection that's proven profitable in nine of the Robins' fixtures in 2020/21.