Two clubs in opposite halves of the English League Championship table will do battle today in a league match between Reading and Middlesbrough. The second-division clash scheduled for 3 p.m. ET will be held at Madejski Stadium. Information on how and where to stream the match can be found here.
After a shocking display at Wigan Athletic last Friday—one that resulted in a 3-0 loss to the Athletics—Reading boss Nigel Adkins is looking for improvement from his men (h/t Local Berkshire)."I've got to digest why that [the loss] was the case. In terms of one-on-one duels, we were set up similarly to them, so it should have been man for man all over the pitch," Adkins said.
"But we never got anywhere near winning our one-on-one duels. We didn't put a tackle in, we didn't make an interception, and when we got the ball, we gave it away cheaply," he added.
"They had a lot of quality on the football, a lot of movement, and let's make it perfectly clear, Wigan were very, very good. But we've got to look at ourselves and we were nowhere near the level we have to be if we have serious aspirations to get ourselves promoted."
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Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Reading's Jordan Obita has been a nuisance in the defensive midfield for the club this season. In addition to his four assists, the 20-year-old is averaging 2.1 tackles and 2.2 clearances per match. He'll look to dominate the midfield for Reading this afternoon.
Reading's Projected Lineup (4-3-2-1): McCarthy; Bridge, Gorkss, Pearce, Gunter; Hector, McAnuff, Obita; McCleary, Williams; Pogrebnyak
Middlesbrough's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Konstantopoulos; Friend, Omeruo, Woodgate, Varga; Butterfield, Chaloba; Williams, Tomlin, Adomah; Graham
| League Table | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Leicester | 43 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 45 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 34 | 21 | 28 | 9 | 6 | 79 | 43 | 36 | 93 |
| 2 | Burnley | 44 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 33 | 21 | 25 | 14 | 5 | 69 | 35 | 34 | 89 |
| 3 | Derby | 44 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 42 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 26 | 24 | 9 | 11 | 79 | 49 | 30 | 81 |
| 4 | QPR | 44 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 37 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 56 | 41 | 15 | 76 |
| 5 | Wigan | 43 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 35 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 10 | 13 | 57 | 42 | 15 | 70 |
| 6 | Brighton | 44 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 29 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 51 | 39 | 12 | 66 |
| 7 | Nottm Forest | 44 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 37 | 27 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 28 | 31 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 65 | 58 | 7 | 65 |
| 8 | Ipswich | 44 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 33 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 29 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 58 | 52 | 6 | 65 |
| 9 | Reading | 43 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 29 | 30 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 63 | 53 | 10 | 64 |
| 10 | Blackburn | 44 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 33 | 40 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 63 | 58 | 5 | 64 |
| 11 | Bournemouth | 44 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 36 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 27 | 38 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 63 | 64 | -1 | 63 |
| 12 | Watford | 43 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 38 | 21 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 32 | 32 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 70 | 53 | 17 | 60 |
| 13 | Middlesboro | 43 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 27 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 55 | 46 | 9 | 58 |
| 14 | Bolton | 43 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 27 | 36 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 54 | 56 | -2 | 55 |
| 15 | Sheff Wed | 44 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 38 | 30 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 23 | 30 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 61 | 60 | 1 | 53 |
| 16 | Leeds | 44 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 34 | 30 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 35 | 15 | 8 | 21 | 55 | 65 | -10 | 53 |
| 17 | Huddersfield | 44 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 34 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 32 | 13 | 11 | 20 | 54 | 62 | -8 | 50 |
| 18 | Charlton | 43 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 33 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 34 | 57 | -23 | 45 |
| 19 | Doncaster | 44 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 37 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 38 | 66 | -28 | 44 |
| 20 | Millwall | 44 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 40 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 44 | 73 | -29 | 44 |
| 21 | Birmingham | 43 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 28 | 36 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 27 | 32 | 11 | 10 | 22 | 55 | 68 | -13 | 43 |
| 22 | Blackpool | 44 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 24 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 39 | 10 | 13 | 21 | 36 | 63 | -27 | 43 |
| 23 | Barnsley | 44 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 21 | 38 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 41 | 71 | -30 | 39 |
| 24 | Yeovil | 44 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 28 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 25 | 41 | 8 | 13 | 23 | 43 | 69 | -26 | 37 |
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