Cardiff City and Reading square off in the Championship on Friday evening with both clubs having secured important victories earlier in the week.

While the home side now sit four points off the bottom of the standings, the visitors are in mid-table and back in the hunt for the playoffs.

Match preview

Having failed to instigate a change in fortunes upon his arrival, Sabri Lamouchi would have had concerns about the trajectory of Cardiff ahead of the trip to Birmingham City.

However, the Bluebirds were able to end a four-game losing streak on Tuesday night with two goals scored in the latter stages of the fixture at St Andrew's.

Efforts from Perry Ng and Callum Robinson ensured that Cardiff netted twice in a second-tier contest for the first time since December 10, also posting just their fourth away triumph of the campaign.

The Welsh outfit remain locked in a battle to remain out of the bottom three, but they now sit just one point adrift of 20th-placed Rotherham United, who were defeated by Reading on the same night.

With none of the current top seven to come until April 10, there is potential for Cardiff to kick on, although they will not get ahead of themselves when coming up against opponents who ended their own poor run of form this week.

While Reading have exceeded expectations this campaign, Paul Ince's team had gone six matches without success heading into their home encounter with Rotherham.

Trailing at half time, the Royals looked on course for another defeat, but goals from Andy Carroll and Tyrese Fornah, the latter coming in the closing minutes, secured a much-needed 2-1 victory.

Reading are now past the 40-point mark and within a couple of wins of contending for the playoffs again, something which will remain their target ahead of their trip to Cardiff.

Nevertheless, Reading will drop to within six points of their 21st-placed opponents with a defeat, highlighting that Reading will not feel that they are out of relegation trouble just yet.

Team News

Having come off the substitutes' bench to play a key role versus Blues, Robinson and new signing Connor Wickham will hope to feature in the starting lineup.

The latter may have to bide his time due to a lack of match fitness, however, and Joe Ralls appears to be the only other potential alteration if Lamouchi wishes to introduce fresh legs in midfield.

As for Reading, Nesta Guinness-Walker is expected to replace Baba Rahman after the former Chelsea man sustained an injury issue versus Rotherham.

Carroll has played back-to-back 90 minutes in three days having not done so all season, leaving it likely that the veteran may be replaced by Yakou Meite in attack.

Fornah will be considered for a start in midfield after his impact against the Millers as a replacement, as will Femi Azeez who supplied an assist.

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Allsop; Romeo, Ng, McGuinness, Kipre, O'Dowda; Rinomhota, Sawyers, Wintle; Etete, Robinson

Reading possible starting lineup:
Lumley; Yiadom, Sarr, Mbengue; Hoilett, Ince, McIntyre, Hendrick, Guinness-Walker; Meite, Long

We say: Cardiff City 1-0 Reading

There have generally been a lack of goals at the Cardiff City Stadium this season, and we expect that to continue here. Nevertheless, now that the Bluebirds have finally ended their losing streak, the home side could make it two wins in three days, prevailing with a clean sheet to boot.

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