Newcastle United can make further ground on their attempts to get back into the Premier League tonight as they round off a ridiculously tough week away at Play-Off hopefuls Reading. Having managed to secure vital wins against both Brighton and Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town, the Magpies have the chance to at least maintain their five-point lead at the top of the league in Berkshire tonight.

Away from home, the Toon Army are amongst the best in England and three points against the Royals would surely make automatic promotion a formality, though manager Rafa Benitez has urged his side to remain calm and take things one game at a time. Considering the nature of their opposition this evening, it's easy to see why.

Jaap Stam has introduced a wonderful passing game to the team and, while they have struggled in the bigger games this season, Reading are more than capable of proving a big problem. The nature of a season in the Championship means nothing can be taken for granted, particularly when it involves Newcastle United, so here are three reasons the Toon should be careful.

Pass masters

One of the most interesting aspects of Reading under Stam's stewardship has been their aforementioned proficiency in keeping the ball. While that's all well and good, what makes the Royal so thrilling to watch at times is their ability to find outlets for all of their possession, often utilising wide attackers in Roy Beerens and Gareth McLeary with aplomb.

Too many sides knock the ball around simply for the sake of it, though Stam's side can find solutions in between full-backs and central defenders, allowing their wide men to wreak havoc.

Set-piece specialists

Newcastle have improved in defending corners and free-kicks of late after a mini-blip on that front, though Reading have the tools to cause damage in the box from deep crosses. Throughout their ranks, the Royals can harm a team when the ball is floated into the box, with the likes of Liam Moore, Yann Kermorgant and Paul McShane genuine threats.

Likely to be a close game when you consider just how good Reading are on the ball, a set-piece could prove the difference for either side.

Variety

It's clear that Newcastle United had a gameplan against Huddersfield, one executed to perfection. However, the idea of doing the same against Reading could be difficult for Rafa Benitez's side.

The Royals have wonderful strength in depth and have options to change games, often swapping Lewis Grabban for the aforementioned Kermorgant to help bring some pace to their attack. Reece Oxford can also be brought in to help dictate play and help mark Jonjo Shelvey out of the game, something that can really halt Newcastle.