Home side Reading set out on a promotion drive at the start of this season like a whirling dervish.
Unbeaten in eight games with seven wins, it looked like promotion could be wrapped up by Christmas. Then came a fall from grace kickstarted by four losses on the spin.
They now sit in 8th place in the Sky Bet Championship table and enter today’s game against Luton on the back of a brace of losses against Norwich (2-1) and Brentford (3-1).
Boxing Day opponents – Luton Town
The Hatters arrive in Royal Berkshire on the back of a hard-fought, creditable 0-0 draw against promotion-challenging Bournemouth last time out.
That stalemate was enough to see Luton settle in 14th place in the Sky Bet Championship table on 27 points. It places them 11 clear of the drop zone but, more importantly, just two wins away from teh fringes of the play-off picture.
Three Reading players key to victory vs Luton Town
Lucas Joao: quite bluntly put, with 11 goals and fours assists before Christmas, 27-year-old Portuguese forward Joao is one of the key men for the Royals today. Would be one you’d expect in and amongst the goals.
Yakou Miete: Ivorian Miete has six goals to his name from just 12 appearances. He’s a player more than capable of causing Luton Town problems and one that will need a careful eye kept on him.
Michael Olise: 19-year-old Olise is another starlet coing out of the Championship who is being watched closely by Premier League sides. Could impress today and add to an impressive haul of four goals and seven assists.
