On Saturday Reading kick off their 2020/21 campaign with an EFL Cup First Round tie against League Two side Colchester United.

Below we take a look at what you should know about the Royals’ opponents.

Recent Background

The Essex-based club have spent the last four seasons in England’s fourth tier, but before that had spent the previous twelve campaigns in the second and third divisions.

Last season the side finished sixth and reached the end of season play-offs, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Exeter City.

They also had a good season in terms of the cup competitions too, reaching the EFL Cup Quarter-Final, knocking out Swindon Town, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspurs and Crawley Town en-route to a last eight defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Since they last played competitive football back in July, the sacked manager John McGreal after four years with the club and replaced him with his assistant Steve Ball. He has recently appointed former Reading midfielder Hayden Mullins as his assistant after leaving Watford.

They have endured a difficult pre-season, losing twice to Ipswich Town and Peterborough United respectively, as well as a defeat to Gillingham. In the most recent game they beat non-league Wealdstone 2-1.

Key Players

The U’s have a spine of long-serving players, with goalkeeper Dean Gerken, defender Tom Eastman, midfielder Tom Lapslie and attacker Courtney Senior having played almost 800 times for the club between them.

They also have a former Royal in their ranks, with winger Callum Harriott joining the club upon being released by the Royals. He has racked up 50 appearances for the side over two spells either side of his 30 appearances during an injury ravaged three years in Berkshire.

Luke Norris and Theo Robinson were the two main goal getters with both scoring 11 and 12 respectively last season; however Robinson has since left the club.

Head-to-Head

The two sides have faced each other 62 times, the first being a 5-0 Reading win in the FA Cup in 1946.

Overall Reading have won 29, lost 23 and drawn 14 times against Saturday’s opponents.

The last meeting between the two came back in the same competition in 2015, with Chris Gunter scoring an extra-time winner in Essex to set up a tie with Portsmouth.

Odds

Reading are 4/7 favourites to win the game according to Sky Bet, whilst a draw is 29/10 and a Colchester win 17/4.