Saturday Championship Tips: The Royals to end Charlton's unbeaten start to the season

Jack Critchley
30 August 2019

Jose Gomes will be hoping his side can pick up consecutive home victories

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There's another full fixture list in the Championship this weekend, and Jack Critchley is expecting Reading to head into the international break with three points at the Madejski...

"John Swift has created more chances and registered more assists than any other Championship player so far this season"

Charlton to suffer their first defeat of the campaign in Berkshire

Reading 2.001/1 v Charlton 4.003/1; The Draw 3.65

Despite beginning the campaign with consecutive defeats, Reading sit comfortably in mid-table and Jose Gomes will be hoping that his side can go into the international break nestled inside the top ten. The Royals have certainly caught the eye in recent weeks, and their 3-0 dismantling of Cardiff in front of the Sky Sports cameras was one of the most impressive performances I've seen in a while.

The Royals have a number of players with individual quality, with George Puscas looking particularly impressive since his arrival from Palermo. Yakou Meite was also back amongst the goals in the EFL Cup in midweek, whilst John Swift has created more chances and registered more assists than any other Championship player so far this season. Ovie Ejaria also put in his best performance of the campaign last weekend against Huddersfield, and capped his fine display with the opening goal of the contest.

Reading chalked up an XG of 1.2 last weekend, and they will be confident of putting in another strong showing at the Madejski. They've scored six times in their last three matches, which is a significant improvement from the end of the last season, where they managed just nine goals in their final 10 Championship games.

Charlton are one of just four sides to go into this sixth set of fixtures unbeaten. The Addicks sit third in the table, and although they are yet to be defeated, they have rarely outplayed the opposition. They've taken the fewest shots in the division with just 37 so far, with today's opponents registering 61 in their opening five fixtures.

Lee Bowyer has done a magnificant job at the club, and there is an impressive collective spirit around the place. However, they don't have a great record at this stadium, and have won just one of their last 10 visits to the Madejski. They were also beaten twice during the 2015-16 campaign, which was the last time they faced the Royals.

The Addicks are one of this season's surprise packages, but they might be bumping into Reading at exactly the wrong time. Jose Gomes' men are playing with plenty of confidence, and they are currently priced at 2.001/1 on the Exchange. The hosts have more than enough in the final third to justify their position as favourites in this match, and should be able to make it three wins from four on Saturday.

Millwall to make it three home wins on the bounce

Millwall 2.166/5 v Hull 3.7511/4; The Draw 3.39/4

Very few sides enjoy playing at the Den, and very few teams come away from the Bermondsey venue with maximum points. Both Sheffield Wednesday and Preston have headed back north with nothing to show for their efforts so far this season, and Hull could become the third consecutive side to draw a blank in South East London. Neil Harris' men aren't a high-scoring side, and they haven't netted more than a single goal in a game since April 6. However, they are defensively sound at home, and the Tigers could struggle to find a way through.

Millwall were the better side last weekend at the Riverside Stadium, and despite a number of efforts from lofty striker Matt Smith, they were unable to grab a decisive second goal. It was the first time this season that they've won the XG battle, and although they are still without Jed Wallace, they should have enough to pick up three points against Grant McCann's side.

Only five sides have won at the Den since September 29 2018, and on current form, Hull look unlikely to add their name to that exclusive list.

The Tigers do have a good record against Millwall, losing just one of their last six games against the Lions, but it's hard to see that trend continuing on current form. The men from Humberside have lost three of their opening five matches, and although they still registered an XG of 1.4 last weekend, defensive lapses proved to be their undoing. They are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, and lost 12 of their 23 away games during the 2018-19 campaign.

It ended 2-2 here last season, but this encounter is unlikely to be quite as entertaining. Even with ten men, Millwall still managed to hold onto a one goal lead against Sheffield Wednesday, and they should be able to control this tie with a full complement of players. Hull could struggle to deal with the sheer amount of aerial bombardment from their opponents, and the Lions look very backable at a price of 2.166/5 on the Exchange.

Upwardly mobile to see off Preston at the City Ground

Nottingham Forest2.26/5 v Preston 3.55/2; The Draw 3.39/4

Nottingham Forest appointed Sabri Lamouchi this summer, with the Frenchman becoming the club's fifth permanant manager since 2016. The former Rennes head coach lost his first game in charge, but there are obvious signs of improvement, and his team remain unbeaten since that early-season defeat to West Brom. They impressively dispatched of East Midlands rivals Derby in the EFL Cup in midweek, and picked up a notable scalp at Craven Cottage seven days ago.

Lamouchi certainly has enough talent at his disposal, and he has been further boosted by the news that Joao Carvalho is fit enough to return to the squad this weekend. Joe Lolley has made an excellent start to the campaign whilst Lewis Grabban has taken just six shots so far this season, yet remarkably, he's managed to find the net on four occasions.

They were superb last weekend, and managed to register an XG of 1.3 against a decent Fulham outfit, whilst Birmingham were barely able to lay a glove on them seven days earlier. Forest will come into this tie with plenty of confidence despite not having a good record against the Lilywhites.

Preston have won their last two visits to this ground, and they have begun the season impressively. Alex Neil's side come off the back of consecutive victories, but they've lost each of their two away games so far. Last year, they lost twelve times on their travels, and are far more effective at Deepdale. They'll hope to take a point away from this tough-looking fixture, although the hosts rarely share the points at the City Ground. It's been 16 games since the Tricky Trees last drew a home match.

The visitors are tough to beat, so backing Nottingham Forest to Score Over 1.5 Team Goals could be the best option here, and it's currently available at 6/5 on the Sportsbook.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7

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