Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Middlesbrough 4th with 75 points, Reading 22nd with 44, 31 apart. The last five rounds placed Middlesbrough no better than 10th for form, against 4th in the standings. In league terms the two rates read 1.83/1.22 for Middlesbrough and 1/1.48 for Reading (scored/conceded per game); the competition average is 1.22.
The head-to-head ledger counts 23 games: 12 Middlesbrough wins, 7 for Reading, 4 draws, at 2.09 goals per meeting. Only 35% of the meetings produced more than two goals.
The venue was Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, with room for 34,988 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Middlesbrough led 2-0 at the break, before 3 more goals closed it at 5-0.