BARNSLEY have worked on being more clinical during the international break and hope to show that at in-form Reading.
The Royals are tenth in the table but only Bournemouth have collected more points across the last six games.
The Reds are the joint lowest scorers in the Championship with seven goals in 11 games and the only times they have hit the net in six fixtures since August were Cauley Woodrow’s free-kick at Stoke City and his penalty at home to Nottingham Forest.
Head coach Markus Schopp said: “It’s all about being very clear with what we want. In almost none of the games we played did we have a bad plan off the ball.
“We have been doing this phase well and we need to do it again on Saturday.
“But we need to improve in possession and be more clinical in the last third.
“If we finish like we did in the previous 11 games, then we will struggle.
“We tried to make this better in the last two weeks.
“We have missed chances and the other teams are taking their chances.
“We have to be more clinical.
“At the moment, it is all going in the other direction but we have to stay focused because we are not far away.”
Having missed out on a play-off place to Barnsley last season, Reading lost five of their six games in August, including a 4-0 thrashing at Huddersfield Town which left them fourth-bottom during the first international break.
But, after blowing a 3-1 lead in a 3-3 draw with QPR, they have won four out of five matches.
They have won their last two games at home to Peterborough and Middlesbrough while also winning at Fulham and Cardiff City.
That is despite having up to 12 members of their first team squad injured.
Schopp said: “They are the total opposite from us, with their results.
“They have a coach with a possession-based approach.
“We have spent a couple of days getting a real good picture of this team.
“We have our plan.”
Only three Championship teams have scored more than Reading’s 11 home goals this season but only four have conceded more on their own turf this season than their eight.
Reading are reportedly at risk of a points deduction this season for breaching the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability rules. They have been under a transfer embargo for two years and lost key players in Michael Olise – an £8million signing for Crystal Palace – and Omar Richards who joined Bayern Munich.
They have brought in some high-profile free agents such as Danny Drinkwater – who impressed on loan to Barnsley in 2012 before playing for England, winning the Premier League with Leicester City and moving to Chelsea for £35million in 2017.
Former Reds captain Andy Yiadom has been an ever-present for the Royals this season, but is a doubt for tomorrow’s game with a foot injury.
Barnsley have not beaten the Royals in eight attempts – with four losses and four draws – since 2014 when they triumphed 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium.
Dale Jennings’ strike in that match was the time the Reds scored at the Berkshire club. They drew 0-0 in 2017 and have since lost 3-0, 2-0 and 2-0.
In the most recent loss, in September last year under Gerhard Struber, they had both debutant Michal Helik and Mads Andersen sent off.
Jordan Williams, who played in that game, said: “We actually played alright as a team but only had nine men and conceded two goals from corners. Hopefully we have a better result this time.
“Reading like to play football which will be good for us. Hopefully we can press them high get our shots off and score a few goals.”
In the return game in April at Oakwell – where Reading are unbeaten in nine games since 1998 – the play-off rivals drew 1-1 with Lucas Joao missing an extraordinary open goal.
