Stevenage are six places behind Reading in the League One table heading into Saturday's gameweek 15 meeting at the Lamex Stadium.
The hosts are winless in the division since October 19, losing three on the trot, while their opponents seek to respond to a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Stockport County at the end of last month.
Match preview
When Stevenage beat Mansfield Town 1-0 last month, it was the perfect response to conceding late to lose 2-1 at Peterborough United before the international break.
However, Alex Revell's men have since struggled to string results in League One, losing three on the trot against Cambridge United (0-2), Rotherham United (0-2) and Bolton (1-4), having been beaten four times in 11 matches.
Instantly standing out is the leaky rearguard during the three-game losing league run, with Stevenage conceding eight in that period after keeping four clean sheets in the previous five league rounds.
They got some respite in the FA Cup last time out, even if penalties were required for Revell's men to avoid first-round elimination after William Longbottom's late strike pegged back the hosts, who took the lead through Jamie Reid minutes after the interlude.
While the Boro have created separation from the relegation zone — the 15th-placed side are six points ahead of Crawley in 21st — that could change if their downturn in results persists.
Given the hosts' struggles at both ends of the pitch, allied with their inability to beat this weekend's opponents in both match-ups last season, the Hertfordshire-based club need a change in fortune when they face the ninth-placed Royals.
A cursory look at the form table shows Reading have won three of the previous five League One fixtures, with the Royals' recent two defeats sandwiching a three-game winning sequence.
Ruben Selles' men faced Stockport after beating Crawley (4-1), Exeter City (2-1) and Bristol Rovers (1-0); however, they were powerless to resist at Edgeley Park despite levelling the match on the half-hour through Chem Campbell before letting in three to lose meekly.
Strikingly, such heavy defeats have not been unusual for Reading this term, evidenced by a 3-0 defeat by Wrexham in August and a 5-2 loss at Bolton in September before last month's reverse in Stockport.
The Royals' form has been inconsistent since their 4-1 league reverse; they followed that defeat with a 2-0 FA Cup victory against Fleetwood Town but then lost 1-0 to Cheltenham Town in the EFL Trophy.
Tuesday's Cheltenham disappointment follows a worrisome pattern in which Selles' men have claimed one away victory all season — their 2-1 league win at Exeter last month — with the team's only other positive road outcome a 1-1 draw at Birmingham in early August.
While 18 of their points have been accrued at the Madejski Stadium, making the Berkshire club the most impressive home side, struggles on the road could undermine any promotion challenge, and they aim to correct course this weekend.
Team News
Elliott List has a knack for scoring crucial goals, with two of his three goals for Stevenage match-winners, making him a potential threat for the home side.
The Boro await Jake Forster-Caskey's return to competitive action, having last appeared for the club in the off-season.
Murphy Mahoney could return in goal for the hosts, having been an unused substitute against Rotherham and Bolton before returning in the FA Cup, replacing Taye Ashby-Hammond.
Andy Yiadom has not played competitively for Reading since April, and the right-back is not anticipated to play any part on Saturday.
Charlie Savage has netted two match-winning goals from midfield; only four players with three game-clinching goals have more, and he aims to be decisive for Selles at Stevenage.
With the Royals' top scorer, Sam Smith, missing the club's last two games, Campbell and Savage (both have three goals each) have to step up if the forward is absent this weekend.
Stevenage possible starting lineup:
Mahoney; Smith, James-Wildin, Piergianni, Butler; Phillips, Thompson; Roberts, Kemp, List; Reid
Reading possible starting lineup:
Pereira; Craig, Mbengue, Bindon, Garcia; Knibbs, Wing, Savage; Akande, Wareham, Campbell
We say: Stevenage 2-1 Reading
Stevenage come into Saturday on the back of consecutive home losses following a three-match winning streak on their turf, while Reading have struggled with away results.
Given the history of just four away wins in League One since Selles took over in July 2023 (including last season's 1-0 triumph in the corresponding fixture), we back the hosts to secure a marginal success at the Royals' expense.
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