Boro play their third home game in eight days at the Riverside on Saturday and will be looking to make home advantage count when going head to head with Reading. Kick off 3pm.

This will certainly be no easy match as Aitor Karanka fully expects Reading to be pushing for promotion as the season progresses. It is only a couple of seasons since the Royals graced the top flight and they have ambitions and parachute budget to quickly return to that top level. Boro must aim to stunt their progress this weekend.

Boro's victory against Preston in midweek has done much to wipe away the memories of what Aitor Karanka still describes as a “horrible” performance against Sheff Wed. We were 3-0 down in that game and lets face it flattered by the 2 penalty goals of Grant Leadbitter, scored against a team taking their foot off the gas and subbing players.

Yet we did bounce back in some style in that second half v Preston and destroyed their unbeaten record in the process. Now we can bury the horror show memories for good with a powerful performance and victory on Saturday.

This is what manager Aitor Karanka had to say in looking forward to the fixture.

“I expect a difficult game because Reading are a good team.” He then reflected on last seasons meetings. “They beat us very easy at the end of last season. They are a team below us in the table now but I'm sure they are going to be in a high position at the end of the season and I think it is going to be a difficult game.”

Karanka thinks establishing a real fortress at home will play a big part in any success we achieve.

“I think not just in the Championship in all competitions it is important to be strong at home because you are playing in your house with your crowd and I think if you win as much as you can you feel stronger at home, your crowd is with you and the opponents come here with respect and I think it is very, very important to be strong at home.”

So, lets play to banish the memories of Sheff Wed then but Reading come packing a real threat.

Nigel Adkins squad contains some familiar names. Forward Jamie Mackie fired holes in our backline for Plymouth before his promotion adventures at QPR. Fellow forward Simon Cox was a reported target for Boro during his time at Nottingham Forest. The Irish international is always a formidable opponent.

The Boro boss had a few words to say about Adkins side.

“Yes I think it is a difficult side to play because Reading has very good forwards and are a good team who try to play,” Aitor added and unlike Sheff Wed and Preston Reading might pose as much threat from their football on the deck as lofting the ball in the air. “But I think we have to play our style, our pressure, our intensity and forget the other teams.”

That will be the message to the Boro players, play your own game and pressure the opposition and keep it intense and we can and probably will succeed.

“If we play the way we played them in Reading last season they are going to beat us easy and if we play the way we know how to play and the way we played them at the Riverside last season we can beat them again.”

Fmttm Prediction: Boro to complete the bounce back and win 2-1.

