What can Reading achieve in the Championship run-in?

Reading returned to Championship action yesterday with a 1-1 draw against Stoke City which sees them place 14th in the standings.

They stand both eight points clear of the drop zone as well as eight points behind Preston North End who currently hold the final play-off position.

All this means that there is very little to play for in the final eight games for Mark Bowen’s side, so let’s take a look at the run-in and what can be achieved.

However, if the Berkshire club can put a run of wins together then you never know what can happen, just look at Aston Villa last season they were nowhere to be seen in the play-off picture but went on a remarkable run towards the end of the last campaign and ended up earning promotion to the Premier League after seeing off West Brom and Derby County in the semi-final and final respectively.

Who do Reading have left to face?

Derby County (A)

Derby County is the next test for Bowen’s side, a team who are three points adrift of a play-off place and chasing a potential return to the Premier League. It will be a stern test but one which an inconsistent Reading side will need to be at their best for if they are to take all three points, particularly now with the Rams having Manchester United  legend Wayne Rooney among their ranks and winning their first match of the resumption yesterday, 3-2 against Millwall.

Brentford (H)

Brentford is the next home match which the Royals will face and is definitely their toughest game out of the remaining fixtures. The Bees are fourth in the table and right in the mix for promotion and secured a very impressive 2-0 win against fellow promotion hopefuls Fulham yesterday which underlines just how tough a game this will be for Reading. Brentford have scored the most goals in the division this season which further shows how much of a challenge it will for a Royals’ defence who have been pretty steady throughout the season but this will be put to the test here.

Luton Town (A)

On paper, this is the most winnable of the matches which Reading have left but this isn’t the case because The Hatters are facing a battle to stay in the division, currently five points adrift of safety. As a result, they will be fighting for their lives particularly at home which makes this a challenging proposition for Bowen and his side at  Kenilworth Road.

Huddersfield Town (H)

Another team right in the mix at the bottom is Huddersfield Town, they sit just one point clear of the drop zone and lost 2-0 in their first game following the resumption yesterday against Wigan Athletic. Like Luton, the Terriers will be fighting for their lives to avoid the drop to the third tier of English football which makes this a challenging game for Reading, albeit it is at home so provides a good opportunity for the Royals to claim all three points.

Charlton Athletic (A) 

The next in Reading’s run of fixtures sees them come up against another relegation struggler, Charlton. The Addicks have found life since promotion to the Championship tough this season but did claim a vital three points yesterday over fellow relegation rivals Hull City yesterday so will once again provide a difficult challenge for the Royals.

Middlesbrough (H)

Next up in the run-in for Reading is another team scraping at the bottom, Middlesbrough. Boro are another team struggling at the bottom, only out of the bottom three on goal difference. The North East club have conceded the second most goals in the division which underlines why they are where they are, but like the three previous clubs, they will be doing everything they can to ensure they maintain their status in the second tier of English football this season so will prove to be another tough challenge for Reading.

Blackburn Rovers (A)

Next up, is a team fighting for promotion to the Premier League, Blackburn Rovers who are out of the play-off positions by just one point and claimed an important three points yesterday against Bristol City. Like many of the teams Reading have left to play, there is plenty riding on this clash for Rovers and will be a tough fixture once again and one with it being on the penultimate day of the season which could have huge ramifications for the Lancashire-based side.

Swansea City (H)

The final day sees Reading host another promotion chasing side in the shape of Swansea City. The Welsh club, like Blackburn are just one point away from the top in the division, so there is likely to be plenty on the final game for the Swans which makes it another tough test for the Royals as they look to secure a comfortable finish in the remainder of the season.

Reading’s run-in is very mixed and in every game they face a side who has something to play for, both at the top and the bottom so the Royals could have a big say in developments at both parts of the table. Had they of secured a win over Stoke yesterday, the Berkshire club could have even have had an outside chance of a play-off run of their own, but this now seems unlikely, particularly with some of the games they have left.