Good Friday brings us a full slate of fixtures in the Championship and we kick the action off with a look ahead to the clash between Bristol City and Reading at Ashton Gate with a precious three points at stake for both clubs.
This lunchtime encounter sees an improved Bristol City looking to hang onto the last remaining play-off spot and they occupy 6th place by a thread now following a 2-1 defeat away at play-off candidates, Aston Villa, which put an end to their recent five match revival that lifted them back into contention for a place in the play-offs.
Home form has also picked up again for Bristol City as the hosts have bounced back with draws against Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic as well as a 3-2 win over another play-off prospect, West Brom following back-to-back defeats to Birmingham City and Leeds United which threatened to de-rail The Robin’s push for a top six finish.
However, let’s not forget that Bristol City have managed just one win out of their last five at home, so perhaps the goal markets offer the best prospects; indeed, 13 of Bristol City’s 21 home matches have seen both teams score.
Reading further enhanced their chances of survival in the Championship with a 2-1 home win over Brentford on Saturday afternoon and Jose Gomes’s side have picked up points on a regular basis in recent weeks which has helped lift The Royals into 19th place and four points above the relegation zone.
The Berkshire club face a tough assignment though this Friday when they make their way to the west country to face a rejuvenated Bristol City outfit, but Reading are more resilient these days as the visitors have suffered just three defeats out of their last nine matches on their travels.
It’s true that Reading have recorded just one win during this nine-match sequence on the road (a 2-1 win at Ipswich Town), but midfielder Meite (11 goals) along with forwards Bodvarsson (7 goals), Baldock (5 goals) and Barrow (4 goals) have really helped the visitors out of a hole in recent weeks and they look set to give Bristol City a few headaches on Good Friday.
Just 12 of Reading’s 21 away matches have seen both teams score to date.
Both Bristol City and Reading need all three points for differing reasons here, so there’s a good chance that both teams will score in this clash.