News and Views
Royals Look For Another Win As Derby Visit
15 September 2015
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Following their emphatic home victory on Friday night against Ipswich Town, Reading are back at the Madejski for their next Championship game against Derby. The Royals were able to put five goals past a strong Ipswich side and they will be hoping for more against an equally talented Derby team on Tuesday evening. A victory against the Rams would also make it four wins in a row for a Reading team that are now getting into their stride following the transfer period.
Orlando Sa was the hat-trick hero last time out, with Nick Blackman and Oliver Norwood also adding to the tally. It was the first time that Reading had scored at the Madejski since April 2015 and they put their recent struggles to bed in style. As a result, Blackman and Sa now see themselves up towards the top of the goalscorers table and look in fine form to move right to the summit.
Derby, meanwhile, recorded their first victory of the new Championship season with a 2-1 away win against newly promoted Preston North End. Goals came courtesy of Chris Martin, who was their top goalscorer last season and currently holds the same title for them this season. It has seemingly been a difficult start to this season for the side, however, having lost one and drawn four prior to their recent victory.
The two sides met on four occasions last season, with Derby winning the first two and Reading winning the last two. The last time they met in the Championship, Reading took all three points in a 3-0 victory away from home on the last weekend of the season. Kwesi Appiah, Michael Hector and Garath McCleary were the goal-scorers that day and the win gave Reading fans something to cheer about at the end of a generally disappointing year. It was also a result that devastated Derby fans as they narrowly missed out on a top six spot at the final hurdle. The Championship fixture earlier in the season at the Madejski also ended 3-0, but in this case to Derby. Martin got himself a brace while Jordon Ibe got the third. In the last ten games between the two, Reading have been the winning side on six occasions and lost only two.
In terms of starting line-up, Steve Clarke has plenty of options to be mulling over. With such an emphatic performance last time out, Clarke will surely be considering playing the same squad once more. There are, however, plenty of International options should the squad need freshening up in the form of Danny Williams, Paolo Hurtado, Michael Hector and Garath McCleary to name only a few.
Derby, meanwhile, will be without Craig Bryson after his injury suffered at Bolton on the opening day of the season and George Thorne who picked up a calf injury against Leeds. The Rams will also be without ex-Reading man, and current Derby captain, Chris Baird who was carried off on a stretcher with a head injury against Preston.
Based on current form, Reading will surely be favourites going into this one. Derby, however, are a strong team with individuals such as Chris Martin, Tom Ince, Andreas Weimann and Johnny Russell available to name only a few. With the home crowd back on side and an air of optimism around the Madejski, the Royals will fancy themselves to keep the winning streak going and make the Berkshire ground a fortress for the season.
| Reading and Derby - Head to head record (since August 1994) | |
| Games Between Reading and Derby | 30 |
| Reading Wins | 19 |
| Derby Wins | 8 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Reading Goals | 55 |
| Derby Goals | 35 |
| Average Goals Per Game | 3 |
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