The Reading v Cardiff match preview states:
Beaten by Blackpool in last year's Wembley showdown, Cardiff City make another attempt to reach the Premier League via the play-offs and end the Welsh club's long wait for a return to the top flight, which they last graced in 1962.
Boss Dave Jones - the Championship's longest serving manager - was a forlorn figure after last season's defeat, but tasted play-off success with Wolves in 2003 and would dearly love to repeat that feat with the Bluebirds. His Reading counterpart Brian McDermott, a former Cardiff player, led the Royals to the thick of the promotion race with a brilliant run during the second half of the campaign. Their season's tally of 77 goals was bettered only by Leeds and Norwich.
Cardiff, on the other hand, go into this tie having won only one of their last four matches - a run which saw them not only miss out on automatic promotion, but also leapfrogged by rivals Swansea, who finished above them in third.
Erm Reading also won just one of their last four matches. Both teams ended the season with 5 points from the last 12 available.
To be honest any of the four teams in the play offs can go on and win promotion. The mainstream media should give them the same, balanced level of credit.