It feels weird not having a midweek game to focus on, but here we are.
Last time out the Royals shared the points with the Grecians – goals from Jack Marriott and Jayden Wareham cancelling each other out.
It was a very poor game yet again from the Royals and things are starting to look even more shallow than they were before.
Cardiff City didn’t play during the international break but their last match in the league was a 4-3 win against Leyton Orient, placing them third in the table, and they’re one of the favourites to go up. The newly relegated side are in great form but so are strikers Callum Robinson and Yousef Salech, with seven goals between them in 11 games.
Reading are five unbeaten in all competitions and slightly edge Cardiff on the head-to-head: eight wins to the Bluebirds’ seven. The Royals last won away to Cardiff in 2021, when former Bluebirds player Junior Hoilett scored the only goal of the game.
In this preview I will mention players who have played for both, give my predictions for key events and scores for the next five games, and provide my predictions for this match.
What? League One matchday 12
Season? 2025/26
Who? Cardiff City
Where? Cardiff City Stadium
When? Saturday October 17
Time? 15:00
Opposition manager? Brian Barry-Murphy
Players who have played for both
Here are five players who have played for both Reading and Cardiff:
A guy who had one of the greatest chants in football history in my opinion, Leandro Bacuna played 66 games for the Royals, managing five goals and six assists between 2017 and 2019.
He then signed for Cardiff, where he played 113 times, scoring four and assisting thre. He currently plays for Bandirmaspor in the Turkish second division.
One of my favourite Reading players of all time, Jobi McAnuff managed 206 games for the Royals, scoring 16 goals and assisting 40.
He had 48 games for Cardiff, joining them in the year I was born (2004), scoring three goals and getting two assists. He currently does punditry for EFL games.
Someone who everyone thought we were signing this summer, Yakou Meite, played 165 games for Reading, scoring 47 goals and getting nine assists.
He later signed for Cardiff in 2023, where he played 72 games, scoring five goals and getting one assist. He currently plays out in the Saudi Pro League for Damac.
A guy who famously in the 2014/15 season had one of the best goal-to-game ratios for Reading with one game, one goal, Sean Morrison played 45 games for the Royals where he managed five goals.
He signed for Cardiff, where he made 295 appearances for the club, scoring 33 goals and getting 23 assists.
Finally it’s the goalscorer the last time the Royals won in Cardiff, Junior Hoilett. He made 62 appearances for the Royals scoring four goals and getting two assists.
He played 184 games for Cardiff between 2016 and 2020, where he scored 25 goals and managed 22 assists.
The next five
Reading’s next five games are: Cardiff City (A), Northampton Town (H), Doncaster Rovers (H), Carlisle United (H, FA Cup) and Stevenage (H).
In the Cardiff game I expect ex-Reading player Gabriel Osho to manage a goal involvement from defence. He is one of our more talented graduates and League One is a division he should be taking by storm, given how well he was doing in Ligue 1 last season. I think the game will end up with another draw: 1-1.
Northampton are a side Reading comfortably beat at home last year, but this season the Royals are struggling. I reckon that whichever team wins, it will be from a goal scored after the 80th minute.
Doncaster are flying at the moment, being 10th after promotion last season, but they face Northampton this weekend and haven’t won any of their last five games. I reckon the Royals win that one but this game is where Jack Marriott’s streak will end.
Carlisle in the FA Cup will be an interesting one. Noel Hunt, if he’s still in charge, likes to play youth players in the cup and they tend to do well. But Reading notoriously lose to teams in lower divisions in this tournament. I think the first team will be used and it will go down to penalties, but the Royals will get through.
Finally Stevenage. They’ve rejuvenated themselves this year and currently sit top of League One with a game in hand on Bradford and Cardiff in second and third. This will be a game in which Reading could sneak a point. Paudie O’Connor and Derrick Williams will be playing together by then and we can stop whatever attacks they are going to bring. I also predict Finley Burns will get a goal playing in midfield.
My lineup
Joel Pereira will start in goal.
Ashqar Ahmed, Finley Burns, O’Connor and Matty Jacob will make up the defence.
Lewis Wing, Charlie Savage and Kamari Doyle will be the midfield.
Paddy Lane, Marriott and Daniel Kyerewaa will make up the attack.
Score prediction: 1-1
Good luck to those travelling to the game.
Come on you Royals!
