Nottingham Forest vs Reading preview: Away side face a hard job at The City Ground

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Competition: England Championship
Competition: Sat 12.March
Match begins: 15:00 (UTC)
Venue: The City Ground (30603 seats)

Most people believe in Nottingham Forest in this match against Reading, but the away side will battle to the finish. Here's our match preview!

Insights:
  • Nottingham Forest have the fewest matches under the total-line (7) in Championship
  • Reading have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.

Both teams should be fairly well rested for this game, as they have had some quiet days to prepare. Hopefully this will translate into lots of action on the pitch.

W D W D D

Nottingham Forest form and stats

7 victories, 4 draws and 6 defeats. That’s what Nottingham Forest have to build on here at The City Ground in the Championship.

Yates (midfield was the top team player in that game with a rating of 8.93/10. Yates scored one goal, served one assist, hit one key pass, dribled past the opponent 2 of 2 times and had 48 successful passes (of 60 total).

1-1 away at Sheffield United before that.

Another home game is coming up fairly shortly for the hosts, as Queens Park Rangers are coming to town in four days.

Nottingham Forest has scored 23 league goals at home this season, in 17 matches. 20 goals have been conceded. There's been improvement defensively lately, as only 2 of these goals has been conceded in their last three home matches.

L L W W D

Reading form and stats

The hunting on away grounds haven’t been very fruitful for Reading so far with only 16 points returning home. The records show 5-1-11 (win-draw-lose).

The manager Ince was unhappy after their last game, played at their home ground Madejski Stadium. Reading suffered a 0-1 loss to Millwall (placed 10th). Drinkwater got a match rating of 7.41 in that game, top player of the team. Drinkwater hit one key pass.

A 1-4 defeat away at Blackpool before that.

Looking at the earlier recent performances of Reading when being an outsider away as they are today, we find four matches with the visitors losing three times, drawing zero and winning one game.

Reading have another fixture that requires travelling in just three days, a Championship match against AFC Bournemouth. A hard fixture list for the visitors!

As for defending, Reading rarely keep clean sheets as they have conceded 32 goals from these away matches.

Head 2 Head

Reading - Nottingham Forest 1-1 was the output when these two contenders previously did battle, earlier this season. Statistics for the preceeding ten meetings featuring these two squads are: two wins for Nottingham, five draws and three wins for Reading. Over 2,5 goals: two times; under 2,5 goals: eight games.

Top Goalscorers

Nottingham ForestL. Grabban
L. Grabban
12 goals
ReadingJ. Swift
J. Swift
11 goals
Nottingham ForestB. Johnson
B. Johnson
10 goals

Nottingham Forest missing players

Reading missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Nottingham Forest Reading
Total Home vs low Statistics Stat vs mid Away Total
34 17 6 Played P 7 17 35
14 7 5 Won W 2 5 10
10 4 0 Drew D 0 1 5
10 6 1 Lost L 5 11 20
46 23 12 Scored S 10 17 42
34 20 4 Conceded C 15 32 68
91% 94% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 100% 94% 97%
82% 88% 100% Over 1.5 O 1.5 71% 71% 74%
47% 59% 67% Over 2.5 O 2.5 71% 65% 60%
12% 12% 0% Over 3.5 O 3.5 57% 35% 40%
3% 0% 0% Over 4.5 O 4.5 57% 24% 29%
53% 53% 50% BTTS BTTS 71% 53% 57%
32% 29% 50% Clean Sheets C S 0% 12% 11%
24% 24% 0% Failed to Score F T 29% 41% 34%
 
5.6 5.7 6.8 Corners for (avg) C F 3.4 3.5 3.5
4.3 3.5 3.2 Corners against (avg) C A 5.9 5.5 5.6
1.9 2.2 1.3 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 1.4 1.5 1.5
3 3 0 Red cards R C 0 0 1
 
11.6 12.2 13.2 Shots (avg) S ( 9.4 10.5 10.5
3.6 3.5 4.2 Shots on Target (avg) S O 3.1 3.2 3.4
38% 39% 48% Goal Efficiency G E 45% 31% 35%
 
10.7 9.4 9 Shots against (avg) S A 20 17.6 15.4
3.7 3.1 2.2 Shots on Target against (avg) S O 7.4 6.3 5.7
Key stats in Championship this season:
  • Nottingham Forest have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Nottingham Forest have the fewest matches under the total-line (7) in Championship
  • Reading have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Fulham 34 22 7 5 84 29 19 12 4 3 45 16 15 10 3 2 39 13 55 73
2 Huddersfield Town 36 17 11 8 49 36 18 10 5 3 27 17 18 7 6 5 22 19 13 62
3 AFC Bournemouth 32 18 7 7 52 29 15 9 3 3 31 16 17 9 4 4 21 13 23 61
4 Blackburn Rovers 35 16 9 10 46 36 17 11 3 3 32 19 18 5 6 7 14 17 10 57
5 Queens Park Rangers 35 16 8 11 50 41 19 9 6 4 27 17 16 7 2 7 23 24 9 56
6 Middlesbrough 34 16 7 11 45 36 18 12 2 4 29 16 16 4 5 7 16 20 9 55
7 Sheffield United 34 15 9 10 45 35 16 8 4 4 25 12 18 7 5 6 20 23 10 54
8 Luton Town 34 15 9 10 47 39 17 9 5 3 27 17 17 6 4 7 20 22 8 54
9 Nottingham Forest 34 14 10 10 46 34 17 7 4 6 23 20 17 7 6 4 23 14 12 52
10 Millwall 34 14 10 10 37 34 17 9 5 3 21 13 17 5 5 7 16 21 3 52
11 Coventry City 34 14 9 11 44 41 17 9 4 4 25 15 17 5 5 7 19 26 3 51
12 Preston North End 36 12 14 10 40 40 18 6 9 3 24 21 18 6 5 7 16 19 0 50
13 West Bromwich Albion 35 13 10 12 37 32 16 8 6 2 21 10 19 5 4 10 16 22 5 49
14 Blackpool 35 13 9 13 41 41 18 9 2 7 21 19 17 4 7 6 20 22 0 48
15 Stoke City 34 12 8 14 42 39 18 7 4 7 25 21 16 5 4 7 17 18 3 44
16 Swansea City 33 12 8 13 37 44 16 8 4 4 22 15 17 4 4 9 15 29 -7 44
17 Cardiff City 36 12 6 18 43 55 18 6 2 10 19 22 18 6 4 8 24 33 -12 42
18 Birmingham City 36 10 10 16 42 56 17 6 4 7 21 23 19 4 6 9 21 33 -14 40
19 Bristol City 36 11 7 18 46 65 19 7 5 7 24 25 17 4 2 11 22 40 -19 40
20 Hull City 36 10 7 19 30 41 18 5 3 10 15 22 18 5 4 9 15 19 -11 37
21 Reading 35 10 5 20 42 68 18 5 4 9 25 36 17 5 1 11 17 32 -26 29
22 Derby County 36 11 12 13 36 39 18 9 6 3 25 16 18 2 6 10 11 23 -3 24
23 Barnsley 34 5 8 21 24 50 16 4 4 8 12 19 18 1 4 13 12 31 -26 23
24 Peterborough United 34 5 6 23 24 69 16 4 5 7 15 21 18 1 1 16 9 48 -45 21

Nottingham Forest:
Reading:
Championship:
England:
Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Fulham 34 22 7 5 84 29 19 12 4 3 45 16 15 10 3 2 39 13 55 73
2 Huddersfield Town 36 17 11 8 49 36 18 10 5 3 27 17 18 7 6 5 22 19 13 62
3 AFC Bournemouth 32 18 7 7 52 29 15 9 3 3 31 16 17 9 4 4 21 13 23 61
4 Blackburn Rovers 35 16 9 10 46 36 17 11 3 3 32 19 18 5 6 7 14 17 10 57
5 Queens Park Rangers 35 16 8 11 50 41 19 9 6 4 27 17 16 7 2 7 23 24 9 56
6 Middlesbrough 34 16 7 11 45 36 18 12 2 4 29 16 16 4 5 7 16 20 9 55
7 Sheffield United 34 15 9 10 45 35 16 8 4 4 25 12 18 7 5 6 20 23 10 54
8 Luton Town 34 15 9 10 47 39 17 9 5 3 27 17 17 6 4 7 20 22 8 54
9 Nottingham Forest 34 14 10 10 46 34 17 7 4 6 23 20 17 7 6 4 23 14 12 52
10 Millwall 34 14 10 10 37 34 17 9 5 3 21 13 17 5 5 7 16 21 3 52
11 Coventry City 34 14 9 11 44 41 17 9 4 4 25 15 17 5 5 7 19 26 3 51
12 Preston North End 36 12 14 10 40 40 18 6 9 3 24 21 18 6 5 7 16 19 0 50
13 West Bromwich Albion 35 13 10 12 37 32 16 8 6 2 21 10 19 5 4 10 16 22 5 49
14 Blackpool 35 13 9 13 41 41 18 9 2 7 21 19 17 4 7 6 20 22 0 48
15 Stoke City 34 12 8 14 42 39 18 7 4 7 25 21 16 5 4 7 17 18 3 44
16 Swansea City 33 12 8 13 37 44 16 8 4 4 22 15 17 4 4 9 15 29 -7 44
17 Cardiff City 36 12 6 18 43 55 18 6 2 10 19 22 18 6 4 8 24 33 -12 42
18 Birmingham City 36 10 10 16 42 56 17 6 4 7 21 23 19 4 6 9 21 33 -14 40
19 Bristol City 36 11 7 18 46 65 19 7 5 7 24 25 17 4 2 11 22 40 -19 40
20 Hull City 36 10 7 19 30 41 18 5 3 10 15 22 18 5 4 9 15 19 -11 37
21 Reading 35 10 5 20 42 68 18 5 4 9 25 36 17 5 1 11 17 32 -26 29
22 Derby County 36 11 12 13 36 39 18 9 6 3 25 16 18 2 6 10 11 23 -3 24
23 Barnsley 34 5 8 21 24 50 16 4 4 8 12 19 18 1 4 13 12 31 -26 23
24 Peterborough United 34 5 6 23 24 69 16 4 5 7 15 21 18 1 1 16 9 48 -45 21

More from England - Championship

Read more about Championship

The English Football League Championship (usually shortened to the Championship) is the second highest division in the English football league system. 24 teams play 46 fixtures from August to May, meeting each other twice. The Championship is the wealthiest second-level division in the world.