Preview: Reading v United Women

Friday 11 March 2022 10:00

Next up for Manchester United Women is a trip to the Select Car Leasing Stadium this Saturday lunchtime to face Reading in the WSL.

The Reds head to the Berkshire club looking to make it back-to-back wins in the league, after we took all three points in convincing fashion at home to Leicester City last time out. 

The victory over the Foxes was the team’s 100th competitive outing, and we’ll now kick off our second century away to the Royals this weekend. 

With the countdown well and truly on to the game, let’s get you all that key pre-match information you need…

HOW TO WATCH 

Tickets for the game are available to purchase online here. Supporters in the UK that will not be making the trip to the Royals’ home can still watch live on TV, with it being broadcast via the Sky Sports Premier League channel. Coverage gets under way half an hour before the 11:30 GMT kick-off. Be sure to keep an eye out in the Manchester United App too, where we will have regular updates to keep you in the know. 

THE OPPOSITION

Managed by former captain Kelly Chambers, the Royals currently occupy sixth position in this season’s Women’s Super League table. Playing their home matches at the club’s Select Car Leasing (also known as Madejski) Stadium, they boast a strong record in the league in 2021/22, losing just two of eight matches on their own patch and keeping a clean sheet in all-but one of those other six games in which they’ve taken at least a point from. Top scorer so far this campaign is two-time WSL winner Natasha Dowie, who has seven goals from her 18 appearances across all competitions. 

TEAM NEWS

Marc Skinner has said in his pre-match interview with MUTV that the Reds will still definitely be without Aoife Mannion, Carrie Jones, Hayley Ladd, Kirsty Smith and Lucy Staniforth for the trip to Berkshire, while Signe Bruun will continue to be assessed. The boss did provide some more positive news on January signing Jade Moore’s return from injury, saying: “Jade is now complete in her first week of full training which is great. She probably won’t be ready for the game this weekend, but it’s really positive going forwards and we’ve already seen the qualities we wanted to bring her in for.”
Skinner: Reading are a very dangerous side Video

Skinner: Reading are a very dangerous side

Marc is under no illusions about the test that awaits his side this weekend, as he explains in his pre-match Q&A...

FORM GUIDE

The hosts come into Saturday’s contest looking to end a run of three games without a win in the WSL. Reading played out a stalemate with Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, off the back of defeats to Arsenal and Brighton. Chambers’s side did put together an eight-match unbeaten streak in the competition prior to that, which included a 1-0 home victory over champions Chelsea.

United will make the trip south seven days on from a 4-0 triumph versus Leicester City at Leigh Sports Village. That result provided the perfect response to successive derby defeats, in the FA Cup and WSL respectively. The loss to City is the only defeat Skinner’s side have suffered in the league since November. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

Saturday’s meeting will be the eighth between the two sides since 2018. The Royals got the better of our first two clashes, in various cup competitions in our inaugural season, but the Reds have since been unbeaten in the five league matches contested since. The most recent of those came on the opening day of the current season, in the reverse fixture, when United won 2-0 thanks to goals from Kirsty Hanson and Ona Batlle. 
 
Highlights: United Women 2 Reading 0 Video

Highlights: United Women 2 Reading 0

United Women took all three points from our WSL season opener on Friday evening...

RIVALS WATCH

Our game is one of six matches in the Women’s Super League this weekend across a full schedule of games in the division. Here is the slate in full…

SATURDAY 12 MARCH 

Reading v UNITED (11:30 GMT)
Everton v Leicester City (17:30 GMT)

SUNDAY 13 MARCH 

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City (12:30 GMT)
Chelsea v Aston Villa (13:00 GMT)
Birmingham City v West Ham United (14:00 GMT)
Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal (18:45 GMT)

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