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Sports Mole previews Friday's Championship clash between Sheffield United and Reading, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Sheffield United will be looking to consolidate their place in the Championship playoffs when they welcome Reading to Bramall Lane on Good Friday.

The Blades have only lost two of their last 18 league matches on home soil, while the Royals head to South Yorkshire having won only one of their last 10 league games on the road.

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Match preview

Sheffield United extended their impressive unbeaten home run to 12 matches when they played out a goalless draw against Bournemouth last weekend.

The Blades suffered a 2-1 defeat against the Cherries earlier this season but they managed to hold on for a point this time around, which keeps them clinging on to a playoff spot.

Paul Heckingbottom's men have endured an inconsistent run of form in recent weeks, winning, drawing and losing three games each in their last nine, but this run has been enough for them to climb up to sixth in the table, two points clear of Blackburn Rovers in seventh and four points behind Huddersfield Town in third.

United's defensive resilience at Bramall Lane has been one of the key factors to their success during their unbeaten home run, as they have kept 10 clean sheets and conceded only twice since mid-November.

The Blades will be confident of more success on Friday against Reading, who they have beaten nine times in their last 10 meetings including the last six in succession. They have also won seven of their last eight league games on Good Friday, including a 1-0 away victory against the Royals back in 2009.

Reading were unable to extend their unbeaten league run to six matches as they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Cardiff City last weekend.

Lucas Joao ended his six-game goal drought by heading home the opener in the seventh minute, but the Bluebirds turned the game on its head in the second half, with strikes from Alfie Doughty and Will Vaulks condemning the Royals to their 22nd league defeat of the campaign.

Nevertheless, Paul Ince's men will be confident of maintaining their Championship status as they currently sit eight points clear of the relegation zone with only five fixtures remaining, though Barnsley do have one game in hand.

Another three points would seemingly all but secure second-tier football for the Royals next season, but collecting maximum points against Sheffield United will be challenging if they fail to rectify their defensive frailties. Only Peterborough United (51) and Bristol City (45) have conceded more goals than Reading (38) away from home in the Championship this season.

Both Posh and the Robins are also the only two teams who have kept fewer clean sheets (four) than the Royals (five) in both home and away league fixtures this term. Reading's opponents Sheffield United, however, have kept a league-high 18 clean sheets this season and have only conceded once in their last four meetings with the Royals.

Should Ince's side cause an upset at Bramall Lane, they would secure their first victory on Good Friday since 1959 – when they beat Wrexham 1-0 – and would end a 12-game winless away run on this day.

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Team News

Sheffield United attackers Billy Sharp, Rhian Brewster (both hamstring) and David McGoldrick (thigh) have all missed the last three games due to injury, and the trio could be absent again on Friday, with Morgan Gibbs-White set to support Oli McBurnie again up front.

Defensive quartet Jack O'Connell, Charlie Goode, Chris Basham and Jayden Bogle all remain sidelined with knee injuries.

Heckingbottom is unlikely to make too many changes, if any, to his starting lineup, but the likes of Conor Hourihane, Ben Osborn and Jack Robinson – who all began on the bench last time out – will be hoping to force their way into the first XI.

As for Reading, they are set to be without star midfielder John Swift for the next two to three weeks after he limped off with a calf injury against Cardiff.

The Royals will also be without Alen Halilovic (thigh), Dejan Tetek (hamstring), Yakou Meite (ankle) and Andy Rinomhota (knee) due to injury, with the latter two ruled out for the rest of the season.

The absence of Swift will likely see Ovie Ejaria return to the first XI, operating just behind striker Lucas Joao, while Tom Dele-Bashiru will be hoping to start ahead of either Danny Drinkwater or Josh Laurent in centre-midfield.

Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Davies, Egan, Uremovic; Baldock, Fleck, Norwood, Berge, Stevens; Gibbs-White; McBurnie

Reading possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Yiadom, Morrison, Holmes, Rahman; Dele-Bashiru, Drinkwater; Ince, Ejaria, Hoilett; Joao

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We say: Sheffield United 2-0 Reading

Both sides head into this fixture having only lost one of their last five in the Championship, but considering Sheffield United's impressive home form and Reading's poor away record, a routine win for the hosts seems to be on the cards on Good Friday.

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