Reading 3-0 Cardiff City: George Puscas double gets Royals off mark
- Published
George Puscas joined Reading from Inter Milan this summer
George Puscas opened his Championship account for Reading in style, capping a fine display with two goals as the Royals dominated visitors Cardiff City.
The Romania forward showed pace, skill and poise for a fine opening solo goal, cutting in from the right to score.
Puscas then showed he can also be a poacher, nipping in at the near post to divert the ball into the net.
John Swift sealed Reading's first league win of the season, as Cardiff were caught exposed chasing the game.
It could have been even worse for Cardiff, but Yakou Meite's late penalty was well saved by Alex Smithies.
Cardiff were the first to offer a serious threat on goal as Joe Ralls - who had been a doubt after spending part of last week on a drip in hospital with a mystery illness - stung the hands of Rafael Cabral in the Royals goal.
But the tide started to turn against the visitors when holding midfielder Marlon Pack limped off with an early injury, forcing Cardiff boss Neil Warnock to send on Curtis Nelson for his competitive debut.
The enforced change seemed to unsettle the Bluebirds and Reading started to pick holes in their disjointed formation.
Puscas, signed from Serie A side Inter Milan this summer, in particular was enjoying the freedom being offered by Cardiff.
While his famous name has seen him mentioned in the same breath as Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas, the 23-year-old Romanian version showed just why Reading paid what is thought to be a club-record £8m fee for him.
A swift counter found Ralls in unfamiliar territory covering at left-back and Puscas showed no mercy, beating the midfielder before cutting in to beat Smithies with a left-foot shot into the far corner.
Cardiff's right flank was also getting a serious examination from Ovie Ejaria and it needed Aden Flint's diving header to clear a dangerous cross from the Liverpool loanee.
Smithies, deputising in the Cardiff goal for the injured Neil Etheridge, looked jittery and with good reason, as Puscas got across the front of Flint to poke the ball between the keeper's legs for his second.
Warnock's annoyance at his side's display saw him use his last two substitutions at half-time, sending on Callum Paterson and Isaac Vassell for Will Vaulks and Junior Hoilett as Cardiff switched to a back three.
The move did give Cardiff a more solid look and Reading's chance creation dropped, but the visitors continued to look stodgy in attack - although Robert Glatzel's fierce rising shot needed tipping over the crossbar by Rafael.
Puscas should have had his hat-trick when Leandro Bacuna was caught in possession, but put the ball wide with just Smithies to beat.
Cardiff failed to heed their warning and were again caught short-handed at the back, allowing Swift to cap his own fine display with a strong shot that the diving Smithies had little chance of saving.
Smithies did at least finish on a personal high, diving full-stretch to his left to save Meite's late penalty after Sean Morrison had brought down Andy Yiadom.
Reading leapfrog Cardiff in the table, rising to 17th while the Bluebirds fall to 19th.
Reading manager Jose Gomes told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"It was a very good, strong defensive performance in terms of our organisation.
"We didn't give Cardiff any space to find a way through to our goal and there were some good transitions between defence and midfield through to our strikers.
"Those two were always a danger to the Cardiff defence, but like a team we did well to improve a lot of our defensive mistakes from the first two games.
"But, we can't get too carried away, we have to refocus on what's next which is Wednesday night at West Brom."
On striker George Puscas' performance: "I celebrated his first goal quite a lot on the touchline.
"When he picked the ball up, there wasn't much on and I was shouting at him to 'go, go, go' towards goal and the penalty area, which he did.
"Then once he was in the box, it was a fantastic individual finish."
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock told BBC Radio Wales:
"I was quite comfortable for the first 20 minutes and thought this was a game to be won.
"But for whatever reason we go away from what we were doing, take a short free-kick and end up losing a goal. It's terrible defending.
"At half-time I thought if we get the next goal I could see a little bit of nervousness in their dug-out, but he [Rafael] made two or three good saves."