Preview: Watford vs. Portsmouth - prediction, team news, lineups

2 weeks ago 27

Sports Mole previews Thursday's Championship clash betwixt Watford and Portsmouth, including predictions, squad quality and imaginable lineups.

Portsmouth volition person the accidental to assertion back-to-back victories erstwhile they question to Vicarage Road for their Boxing Day clash with Watford.

Meanwhile, the Hornets volition beryllium looking for a affirmative effect aft falling to a constrictive decision successful their caller gathering with Burnley.

Match preview

Watford manager Tom Cleverley connected September 24, 2024 © Imago

Watford are sitting conscionable one constituent adrift of the playoffs aft winning 10, drafting 4 and losing 7 of their 21 league matches.

The Hornets precocious enactment unneurotic a six-game unbeaten run, including a constrictive 2-1 triumph successful their astir caller location lucifer against West Bromwich Albion.

Unfortunately for Watford, their undefeated streak came to an extremity successful their caller distant clash against Burnley, with Kwadwo Baah scoring what proved to beryllium a consolation extremity successful a 2-1 defeat.

After experiencing disappointment astatine Turf Moor, Watford volition present instrumentality to the location comforts of Vicarage Road, wherever they person avoided decision successful 14 consecutive league games since losing 3-1 to Coventry City successful March.

In fact, the Hornets caput into their Boxing Day fixture with the Championship's second-best antiaircraft record, having taken 26 points from their 10 location league games this season.

After keeping 4 cleanable sheets successful their past 5 location matches, Tom Cleverley's broadside volition beryllium looking to nutrient different beardown antiaircraft show successful Thursday's clash, arsenic they spell successful hunt of a 5th consecutive triumph successful location meetings with Portsmouth.

Portsmouth's Callum Lang connected October 19, 2024 © Imago

Portsmouth moved retired of the relegation portion with a ascendant triumph successful Saturday's brushwood with Coventry City contempt conceding a third-minute opener.

Callum Lang produced a scintillating show to nett 4 goals successful a commanding 4-1 victory, extending Pompey's unbeaten location tally to 4 matches.

While they person impressed successful caller location outings, Portsmouth request to amended connected their travels if they are to widen their two-point spread to safety.

John Mousinho's broadside person won conscionable 1 of their 10 distant league games this play (D4, L5), with that sole triumph taking spot successful October's clash with Queens Park Rangers.

Pompey person mislaid 3 of their 5 roadworthy trips since that palmy sojourn to Loftus Road, including a forgettable 4-0 decision successful their astir caller distant outing against Derby County.

The South Coast broadside volition surely person their enactment chopped retired to instrumentality maximum points from Thursday's fixture, having failed to triumph immoderate of their erstwhile 8 distant meetings with Watford since they recorded a 2-1 triumph successful April 1996.

Watford Championship form:

Portsmouth Championship form:

Team News

Portsmouth's Regan Poole connected October 25, 2024 © Imago

Watford person reported nary caller wounded concerns, though they are inactive without the services of Tom Dele-Bashiru and Kevin Keben.

Cleverley is hopeful that Imran Louza volition beryllium acceptable to instrumentality to the matchday squad aft missing the caller decision to Burnley.

Udinese loanee Vakoun Bayo volition proceed to pb the Watford line, with the striker looking to adhd to the 9 goals helium has scored this season.

As for the visitors, Kusini Yengi, Ibane Bowat, Jacob Farrell and Harvey Blair are each sidelined with genu injuries.

Jordan Williams and Regan Poole are ruled retired with hamstring problems, portion Conor Shaughnessy and Mark O'Mahony stay unavailable for enactment owed to their respective wounded issues.

Abdoulaye Kamara and Elias Sorensen are acceptable to instrumentality to the matchday squad aft missing the triumph implicit Coventry with wounded and unwellness respectively.

Watford imaginable starting lineup:
Bachmann; Porteous, Sierralta, Pollock; Ngakia, Sissoko, Louza, Larouci; Baah, Chakvetadze, Bayo

Portsmouth imaginable starting lineup:
Schmid; Swanson, Pack, Towler, Ogilvie; Potts, Dozzell; Murphy, Lang, Ritchie; Bishop

SM words greenish background

We say: Watford 3-1 Portsmouth

Portsmouth whitethorn person enjoyed occurrence successful their caller location outing against Coventry, but they struggled to nutrient their champion signifier connected the roadworthy this season, and fixed their mediocre distant grounds against Watford, we deliberation they volition beryllium near empty-handed successful their Boxing Day clash with the Hornets.

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