Championship side Reading will look to topple Cup holders Arsenal in their bid to make it to the final of the FA Cup for the first time.
Reading are the only English Championship side remaining in the FA Cup, and will have a mountain to climb if they have to beat current FA Cup holders Arsenal in their semi-final clash.
The English second tier club who have been disastrous in the Championship this season, have been the exact opposite in the oldest competition in the world. But manager Steve Clarke has called on his players to produce a "perfect game", if they have to beat a formidable Arsenal side.
Arsenal on the other hand have become the team to beat in the Premier League, as the Gunners are on the back of seven consecutive league victories. But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned his players to be cautious on the field, as anything can happen in the competition that is reputed for the major upsets it has staged over the years.
Reading who are bidding to be the only Championship side to make the final this year, will look to emulate the same performance that saw them breeze past Bradford in their quarter-final replay in a 3-0 win. But the Royals will realise that victory won't come easy against Wenger's men, who overcame Manchester United in their quarter-final tie.
Saturday's semi-final clash isn't the first time Reading and Arsenal lock horns in a cup competition. The last time these two sides competed in a cup clash was Arsenal's thrilling 7-5 win at the Madejski Stadium in October, 2012.
Reading took the game by storm in the first half if that game scoring four times, much to the delight of all the Reading fans. But Arsenal went rampant in the second half and scored four goals themselves and sent the game to extra time, thanks to two goals from Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott in the dying minutes of the second half.
Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh gave Arsenal the lead for the first time in the match in the 103rd minute, but Reading pulled the game back on level terms through Pavel Pogrebnyak's goal in the 115th minute. But Walcott stepped up yet again to give Arsenal the lead in the dying minutes of extra time and seal his hat-trick. Chamakh put the game to bed for Arsenal when he scooped the ball over the Reading keeper and scored the seventh goal for the Gunners.
Arsenal will draw inspiration from that Capital One Cup clash in 2012, as they look to emulate the same success that saw them lift the famous Cup last May. A win for Arsenal will take them to their second final in two years and a record 19th FA Cup final appearance.
A win for Reading on the other hand will take them to their first ever FA Cup final and could also prove to be the biggest upset in the FA Cup this season.
Kick Off: Apr 18, 22:00 (IST).
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