Watfordvs.Cardiff

Tom Cleverley's side are sixth in the Championship table, picking up 37 points from their opening 22 matches of the campaign, while Cardiff are 23rd, with the visitors only collecting 18 points from their 22 games this term.

Match preview

Watford secured all three points against Portsmouth on Boxing Day courtesy of a 95th-minute winner from Rocco Vata, with the 19-year-old handing the Hornets their 11th Championship success of the 2024-25 campaign.

Cleverley's side are back inside the playoff spots, collecting 37 points from their 22 matches courtesy of a record of 11 wins, four draws and seven defeats, and they are only one point behind fifth-placed Blackburn Rovers.

Watford's success this season has been built on excellent home form, picking up 29 points from their 11 games, which is the second-best record in the Championship behind Leeds United (31).

The Hornets are unbeaten at Vicarage Road in the league this term and have conceded just six times, so they will be the heavy favourites to overcome a struggling Cardiff outfit this weekend.

Watford are on a three-game winless run against Cardiff, though, suffering two defeats in the process, including a 1-0 reverse when the two teams last locked horns at Vicarage Road back in February.

Cardiff will enter the match off the back of a 3-2 defeat to Oxford United, with the result stretching the team's winless run in the second tier of English football to nine matches.

Indeed, the Bluebirds have not secured all three points since a 2-1 win over Norwich City at the start of November, losing six and drawing three of their nine games since then.

Omer Riza's side are 23rd in the Championship table, picking up only 18 points from their 22 matches this season, but they are just two points behind 21st-placed Portsmouth.

Finding the back of the net has been a real issue for Cardiff this season, only scoring 21 times in their 22 matches, which is the joint-worst attacking record in the division alongside Hull City.

Watford Championship form:

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D

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Cardiff City Championship form:

L

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L

Team News

Watford will again be without the services of Kevin Keben and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru for the clash against Cardiff, while Kwadwo Baah is suspended following his red card after the final whistle against Portsmouth.

Baah was sent off for taunting the Portsmouth supporters after his side's late win, and he will now serve a suspension, which is likely to open the door for Vata to come into the XI.

It is a relatively quick turnaround, but head coach Cleverley is unlikely to shuffle his pack, with Daniel Jebbison once again expected to lead the line for the Hornets, who are chasing promotion this term.

As for Cardiff, Joe Ralls, Kion Etete, Michael Reindorf, David Turnbull, Ryotaro Tsunoda, Perry Ng, Ollie Tanner, Aaron Ramsey and Isaak Davies are all out of the contest due to injury problems.

The visitors did not pick up any fresh issues against Oxford, but there could be a change in the final third of the field, with Callum Robinson potentially coming into the side for Chris Willock.

Robinson is the team's leading goalscorer this season with six, and having found the back of the net off the bench on Boxing Day, there is set to be a spot in the XI for the 29-year-old against Watford.

Watford possible starting lineup:

Bachmann; Porteous, Pollock, Morris; Ngakia, Kayembe, Louza, Larouci; Vata, Jebbison, Chakvetadze

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:

Alnwick; Chambers, Goutas, Bagan; Rinomhota, Siopis, Robertson, O'Dowda; R Colwill, Meite, Willock

We say: Watford 2-0 Cardiff City

Cardiff are yet to win on their travels this season, and they will be coming up against the team with the second-best home record in the Championship during the 2024-25 campaign, so we can only see one result on Sunday afternoon.

Written by

Matt Law

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