When : Monday 3rd January 2022, 3pm
Where : SCL Stadium, Reading, RG2 0FL
Capacity : 24,161
Presuming Reading are now out of the Covid nonsense that has wrecked the Christmas fixtures and Derby maintain being able to avoid it then there might actually be a game on Monday
Derby should be on 31 points and very safely ensconced in mid table however due to financial “goings on” 21 points have been taken away by the FL and consequently Derby are going to need near enough play off form to stay up this season.
The problem for Reading in this one though is that Derby appear to be fighting hard to achieve the “great escape” and do have a pretty decent squad to make a decent fist of things. This is borne out by the current form of 3 wins from the last 3 attempts (which include a home win v WBA and a win at Stoke last time out). If you extend their run over the last 14 games you also find they’ve only lost 4 times which leaves 6 draws and thus a team which is actually a bit difficult to beat - and probably more so given they’ve been playing regularly while Reading haven’t done anything since 11th December.
As we all know from previous encounters Tom Lawrence is the main irritant and he leads Derby’s scoring records so far with 5 goals. Curtis Davies has bulged the net on 3 occasions which would suggest some proficiency at set pieces (oh joy!). In addition there’s the returning player threat in Sam Baldock who has scored twice in 13 games, probably because he gets game time and plays in a system that suits, unlike the problems he had at Reading. Add to that the useful Graeme Shinnie and the ever youthful Phil Jagielka and you see a team with a good deal of experience and dangers.
Derby have 2 crocks in Krystian Bielik and Lee Buchanan while Reading were last reported with 12 injuries (Azeez, Clarke, Dann, Drinkwater, Ejaria, Joao, McIntyre, Meite, Morrison, Rinomhota, Swift and Yiadom) and of these expectation should be set at seeing Dann, Drinkwater, Ejaria, Swift and Yiadom being available although others could make the frame on the day. The biggest issue though - and this goes for the entire squad - will be one of match sharpness.
Referee
John Busby
Previously
29 Sep 21 > Derby County 1-0 Reading
Historically
This will be the 23rd visit from Derby for a league game in Reading and all have been played since September 1984.
Reading have the upper hand on Derby with almost as twice as many wins across all league games (23) as their more illustrious opponents. However while Reading have that upper hand, and have recorded 13 home wins to Derby’s 4 away wins, the fact remains that Reading have only won two of the previous eight home games against Derby.
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
