Reading
- Reading have won 10 of 22 home games in League One 2025/2026.
- Reading boss Leam Richardson has been preaching a pragmatic message to his players since he took charge in October 2025 and it has paid dividends, although the Royals have dropped off a little with no wins, two draws and three defeats across their last five matches.
- The Royals are a compact, direct side with plenty of physicality in their game.
- Reading are strong on set pieces, particularly with tall players in the box, and Richardson has made his side tough to break down, while his players have plenty of pace to hurt sides on the break.
Blackpool
- Blackpool have won four of their last five games.
- Blackpool boss Ian Evatt has the opposite approach to Richardson and has instilled a high-tempo, possession-based ethos in the Tangerines since taking charge in October 2025.
- Blackpool have won just four of their 22 away games, losing 14.
Key Players
Ashley Fletcher has been a reliable source of goals for Blackpool with 15 in 42 games this season , while Lewis Wing has scored two of Reading’s last four goals in five games , but the talisman for the hosts is Jack Marriott with 16 in just 24 League One appearances this campaign .
Head-to-Head
The last two head-to-heads are split evenly with one win apiece , and in head-to-heads at Reading, Blackpool average 2.5 goals per game and Reading 1.5 .
Prediction
Blackpool will likely start this match on the front foot as they have a three-game winning streak behind them, but Reading will sit deep and look to disrupt the flow and catch Blackpool off guard on the counterattack.
