Royals to get 3 points at the Birmingham ice rink
Few fans of either Birmingham City or Reading will envy their teams taking to the St. Andrew's pitch on one of the coldest Friday nights in over a decade. The hosts have fared reasonably well under John Eustace since his appointment in July and currently sit in the middle of the EFL Championship pack, whereas the erratic visitors are equally as capable of delighting their supporters as depressing them this season. Read our preview here:
The legend of Troy
Naturally, Eustace has turned to experienced strikers Scott Hogan and Troy Deeney to work hard up top in a 3-5-2 and get the goals, though the collective output has been under one a game in the league. Tahith Chong should operate in a deeper role with the freedom to go beyond the rest of the midfield, with the wing-backs (Maxime Colin in particular) more conservative than many of their contemporaries in the second tier.
So far, Sarr good
Paul Ince has confirmed that towering stopper Naby Sarr will be fit enough to return to the heart of defence, which is especially timely given that Tom Holmes is set for his own spell on the sidelines. Having only featured in three games all term, the French centre back might be a little rusty, but will add a lot of steel to a backline that are conceding too many goals to sustain a play-off push. Lucas João will be an isolated figure up front unless Tom Ince and Yakou Meite can frequently join him in the final third.
Betting tip
With the weather conditions as they are, a low-scoring game is expected in the heart of England's second city, though Reading have more creativity in their ranks. betway have odds of 3.75 for the visitors to return to Berkshire with the three points.
