Reading's recent form has dipped ahead of a key League One home fixture against Leyton Orient on Wednesday evening. The Royals have lost their last two matches, including a 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic last weekend, and now sit seventh in the league table with 15 points from 10 games.
They face an Orient side that has proven difficult to beat on the road this season. Richie Wellens's team are unbeaten in their four away league games, winning two and drawing two while conceding only one goal. That solidity presents a significant challenge for a Reading attack that, despite scoring 22 goals this term, has failed to find the net in its last two outings.
Recent results and form
Reading's recent results show a mix of high-scoring wins and frustrating blanks. Their last five games have yielded one win, two draws and two defeats. The 5-1 victory at Milton Keynes Dons on October 10 demonstrated their attacking potential, but consecutive 2-0 and 1-0 losses to Chelsea's Under-21s and Wigan have stalled momentum. J. Marriott remains the team's primary threat, leading the scoring charts with eight goals in seven appearances. The team's recent struggles are reflected in their goal minutes, with their last goal coming in the 78th minute of the match against MK Dons, meaning they have now gone 192 minutes of play without scoring.
Leyton Orient's own form has been more consistent, with wins against Blackpool and Stevenage and a draw with Bradford in their last four matches. Their most recent head-to-head meeting with Reading, a 3-1 victory at Brisbane Road in January, will give them confidence.
The Wednesday night test
The match kicks off at 8pm at the Madejski Stadium, where Reading have won three of their five home league games this season. Leyton Orient, currently ninth and just two points behind Reading, are expected to deploy their resilient 4-2-3-1 setup. The fixture is a key moment for Reading to arrest their slide and close the five-point gap to league leaders Bradford. Following this match, Reading's next fixture is an away trip to face Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday, 24 October.
