Preston North End vs Reading Prediction: Reading is fighting to avoid relegation

On Easter Monday, there will be an EFL Championship matchday 41 fixture between Preston North End and Reading, where both teams will strive to secure three points. The game promises to be entertaining, as a victory for either team holds significant importance.

Preston North End’s Form

The team playing at their home stadium enters the match having won 2-0 in an away game against QPR on Good Friday. Thomas Cannon scored two goals in rapid succession during the second half, which enabled the Lilywhites to secure a victory and take home all three points.

Preston North End’s possible starting lineup

T. Cannon, T. Parrott, D. Johnson, A. Browne, R. Brady, B. Potts, B. Whiteman, A. Hughes, L. Lindsay, J. Storey and F. Woodman

Reading’s Form

On their own ground, Reading split the points with Birmingham City in a 1-1 deadlock, marking their third consecutive 1-1 tie. The two goals were netted in the opening half, as Andy Carroll put his team ahead after just seven minutes, but Lukas Jutkiewicz equalized for Birmingham City at the one-hour mark. The draw resulted in Reading being positioned in the relegation zone, sitting in 22nd place with 41 points earned from 40 games, just one point away from safety. Meanwhile, Preston North End claimed the eighth spot in the rankings with 59 points to their credit, sitting just two points behind the playoff positions.

Reading’s predicted lineup

J. Lumley, A. Mbengue, T. Holmes, M. Sarr, Y. Méïté, C. Casadei, J. Hendrick, T. Fornah, A. Yiadom, A. Carroll and L. João

Preston North End vs Reading Expert Tips

Both teams have different motives to secure maximum points in their upcoming match. Reading is fighting to avoid relegation, while Preston is striving to qualify for the playoffs. Despite being only two points away from the top six, Preston is confident of making up the deficit in the remaining six league games. On the other hand, Reading is struggling due to their six-point deduction and poor away record, which may hinder their efforts to escape the relegation zone. Although Preston has been performing well at home, we predict that they will win comfortably, and the match may end with a low score of fewer than 2.5 goals.