The hosts suffered a 4-2 loss to Everton in their final pre-season friendly of the summer last weekend, while Reading were defeated 2-1 by Brighton in their recent outing.
Follow Us
Blackpool will host Reading in their opening match of the new Championship season at Bloomfield Road on Saturday. Both the sides are heading into the match on the back of defeats in their recent outings. The hosts suffered a 4-2 loss to Everton in their final pre-season friendly of the summer last weekend, while Reading were defeated 2-1 by Brighton in their recent outing, a day earlier. Blackpool managed to secure a respectable 16th spot in the Championship standings last season with 60 points from 46 games, while the Royals finished five places below them, just four points above the relegation zone.
???’? ??? ???????! ?
? #UTMP pic.twitter.com/9ThgNk4zx3
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) July 30, 2022
Blackpool didn’t have a great pre-season, registering just two wins from five games while the remaining three ended in defeats. However Michael Appleton’s side put up a good show against the likes of Rangers(2-1) and Everton despite ending up on the losing side. The Seasiders have bolstered their squad by signing Dominic Thompson, Rhys Wiliams and Lewis Fiorini. Reading on the other hand, have brought in some experienced names to add more balance to their squad, including former Premier League striker Shane Long and Tyrese Fornah on loan from Nottingham Forest. Reading had a solid pre-season, earning two wins, one draw and two defeats. The draw came up against West Ham United.
Reading:
Middlesbrough vs West Bromwich Albion: Championship Live stream, Schedule, Fixture, Probable Lineups
Blackpool-man Williams is likely to partner Keogh in the central defence, while Fiorini could join Virtue, Carey and Bowler in the midfield. Keshi Anderson is likely to partener Gary Madine up front. Reading on the other hand, may be without Lucas Joao, as the forward nursing a knee injury. The likes of Joe Lumley, Sam hutchinson, Fornah and Jeff Hendrick feature against the Royals
Blackpool probable starting lineup: Grimshaw; Connolly, Keogh, Williams, Garbutt; virtue, Fiorini, Carey, Bowler, Anderson; Madine
Reading probable starting lineup: Lumley; Holmes, Hutchinson, Mcintyre, Yiadom, Fornao, Hendrick; Hoilett, Ejaria, Ince; Meite
The EFL Championship match between Blackpool and Reading will take place at Bloomfield Road on Saturday at 7:30 pm IST.
The live coverage of the match is available on Sky Sports network.
