Could a run in the Carabao Cup prove to be beneficial for Reading this year?

This evening Reading host fellow Championship outfit Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

The home side will be looking to build on their good start to the 2020/21 season. Following their 3-1 victory over League Two Colchester in the first round of the cup, the Royals picked up an impressive 2-0 victory away at Derby County in their Championship opener.

There’s certainly a sense of unpredictability surrounding the Madjeski at the moment following the appointment of manager Veljko Paunovic just over two weeks ago, an individual unknown in the English game after a spell in the MLS as Chicago Fire boss. However, the general consensus remains that Reading will occupy a midtable spot in the second division come the end of the season.

Given that a play-off push is unlikely this season, Reading fans may be keen to see their side take the cup competitions seriously, as a decent cup run could provide a significant portion of their enjoyment this year. The excitement of seeing your side having a cup run is unmatched, especially for a side outside of the top-flight. You know you won’t win the whole thing, but coming up against Premier League opposition where a shock could be pulled off is what sides like Reading should want.

And that’s certainly what the Berkshire side will get if they’re victorious tonight, as the winner of the tie will host Manchester United next week in the third round. Albeit they won’t be able to attend the match, but Reading fans will certainly be keen to see how their team does against an English heavyweight like United, a side in fact they’ve faced twice in the last three years.

The same goes for Luton though. A club who are incredibly unlikely to push for promotion despite Nathan Jones’ return turning results around for the Hatters, they too could benefit from a cup run. However, being a side that flirted with relegation for the whole of last season, you’d be forgiven if you thought that Luton were in for a tough year once again. Because of this, the Carabao Cup certainly won’t be a priority for them this season.

Jones’ side have also started their season well though, with a 3-1 win against Norwich in the first round of the cup and opening their league campaign with a 1-0 victory at Barnsley. They also prove to be a difficult side to beat at the moment, losing just one of their last fourteen matches going into last season.

It’s unclear how strong a lineup will be selected by either manager at the Madjeski on Tuesday, but both sets of players will cherish the opportunity of testing themselves against Manchester United next week.

Our reporter Dan Hargraves will be at the Madjeski on Tuesday to report on the Carabao Cup tie between Reading and Luton Town.

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