In April 2008, when these teams last met, both were in trouble at the foot of the Premier League.
Fulham won 2-0 at the Madejski Stadium and it proved crucial as they stayed up just a few weeks later on goal difference while Reading were relegated, with both teams having ended on 36 points.
So will this weekend see Fulham continue their impressive start to the season, or will Reading finally get their first win since returning to the top division?
The Royals have yet to keep a clean sheet in their opening seven league games, and they'll face a difficult task against a Fulham side who are the fourth highest scorers in the Premier League this season, with 16 goals already.
It will be an interesting afternoon for Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, who was at Craven Cottage for the latter half of last season before deciding not to turn his temporary move from Stuttgart into a long-term deal.
Instead he joined Reading, and has so far scored twice in the league and twice in the League Cup. Had the Russian opted for Fulham, it's unlikely that Dimitar Berbatov would have been signed by Martin Jol.
Reading have scored in every home match since last January; if they can get their first league win of the campaign it will set them up nicely for the visit of Arsenal in the League Cup on Tuesday, while if the match is half as exciting as Fulham's last away game, the 2-2 draw at Southampton earlier this month, it will be a cracker.
Head-to-head
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These clubs have registered five wins apiece in the last 10 league meetings at Reading.
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There has not been a draw in the last eight league meetings between these sides, with Fulham winning five.
Reading
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This is Reading's worst start to a top-flight campaign, and their worst at any level since losing seven and drawing one of their opening eight Division Three fixtures in 1959.
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Should they fail to beat Fulham, it would mark the 13th time a team has failed to win any of its opening eight Premier League matches. Five of the previous 11 sides to endure that fate prior to this season went on to avoid relegation.
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Reading and Southampton are the only Premier League sides yet to keep a clean sheet.
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The Royals had the lowest pass completion in the division last weekend (67.5%).
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Pavel Pogrebnyak scored six times in 12 league appearances for Fulham last season, including five goals in his first three matches.
Fulham
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Victory on Saturday would equal the club's best ever start to a top-flight season. In 1960-61 they had the equivalent of 16 points from their first nine matches.
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Fulham are six points better off than at the same stage last season.
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Only the current top three sides have scored more Premier League goals than Fulham's 16.
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They have dropped eight points from winning positions this season, the second worst record in the top flight behind Southampton.
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Dimitar Berbatov scored four goals in his last Premier League match against Reading, in Tottenham's 6-4 home win in December 2007.
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Steve Sidwell played for Reading from 2003 to 2007.