Norwich City hosted Reading in the EFL Championship looking to extend their lead at the top of the table and take one step closer to returning to the Premier League.
Reading have business of their own to attend to, as the Royals came into the fixture sitting precariously above the relegation zone. Manager José Manuel Gomes has overseen a slight improvement in results since taking the reins in December but faced a huge struggle coming up against Daniel Farke’s Canaries who have lost just one league game since the turn of the year.
This tactical analysis will examine how Norwich sought to assert their dominance as a Premier League team in waiting, and how Reading looked to contain the in-form team and get an unlikely result on their travels.
Lineups
The Canaries lined up as expected in their 4-2-3-1 system, with Teemu Pukki leading the line backed up by the dynamic and fluid movement of Todd Cantrell, Marco Stiepermann, and Onel Hernández behind the Finn.
Reading, on the other hand, changed from their usual 4-2-3-1 to a 5-3-2, an act of containment that respected the quality Norwich possess.
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