Manchester United vs Reading Prediction & Betting Tips - FA Cup

Prediction published on 26/01/2023, 18:31  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 26/01/2023 at 19:32 in FA Cup Prediction

Often before a club starts winning league trophies they do well in cup competitions. Manchester UnIted (fourth in the Premier League) host Championship team Reading in the fourth round of the FA Cup. They already look to have booked their place in the Carabao Cup final after winning the away semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest 3-0. Now their attention turns to the FA Cup, a competition in which they have reached at least the quarter finals in six of the last seven seasons. The third round of this season's FA Cup saw them beat fellow Premier League side Everton 3-1 at home. Their last 12 competitive fixtures have only seen United suffer one loss. That was the last gasp defeat at Arsenal last weekend. Home form is highly impressive with 11 wins and a draw in the last 12 played and nine clean sheets. Over 90 minutes they haven't lost a home FA Cup tie in eight years.

A tough task therefore for Reading who are 14th in the Championship. That's only five points behind the final promotion play-off position and 11 above the drop zone. Reading last reached the FA Cup fifth round in 2020 and beat fellow Championship side Watford 2-0 at home in the third round of this season's competition. That win ended a run of three successive FA Cup defeats, including one at non-league Kidderminster Harriers. The Championsnip side have only won two of their last ten FA Cup away ties. That record doesn't look like being improved on at Old Trafford. The win over Watford is the only success they've had in their last five games and last weekend they lost 4-0 at Stoke City. Back United to win this and lead at half and full time.