Watford vs Portsmouth Preview
- Tournament: EFL Championship 2024-25
- Date: Thursday, December 26, 2024
- Time: 3:00 pm GMT
- Venue: Vicarage Road
Watford will host Portsmouth in an important EFL Championship clash on Boxing Day (December 26). While they both find themselves in different parts of the table, three points could be crucial for both.
Watford are currently eighth in the Championship standings. They finished 15th last season and will be keen to continue their progress this season. They have won 10, lost seven and drawn four of their 21 league games so far. They sit nine points behind fourth-placed Sunderland with a game in hand.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, earned promotion to the Championship last season. They are 20th after 20 games this season with four wins, eight draws and eight defeats. They are just two points above the relegation zone and will be desperate to stay in the Championship this season.
Both sides have shown decent form in recent weeks which makes this clash even more interesting. However, Watford will arguably be the favorites due to their position in the table and experience in the league.
Watford Team News
Watford will be without Tom Dele-Bashiru and Kevin Keben due to their respective injuries. Imran Louza, meanwhile, is a doubt for the clash and could feature on the bench against Portsmouth.
Portsmouth Team News
Portsmouth are without Conor Shaughnessy, Jacob Farrell, Jordan Williams, Kusini Yengi, Mark O’Mahony, and Will Norris due to their respective injuries. Regan Poole is a doubt for the clash on Thursday while Ibane Bowat is out for the season.
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Predicted Lineups
Watford predicted lineup (4-1-4-1):
Goalkeeper: Daniel Bachmann
Defenders: Yasser Larouci, Matthew Pollock, Ryan Porteous, Jeremy Ngakia
Midfielders: Pierre Dwomoh, Giorgi Chakvetadze, Moussa Sissoko
Attackers: Rocco Vata, Vakoun Issouf Bayo, Kwadwo Baah
Portsmouth predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Nicolas Schmid
Defenders: Zak Swanson, Marlon Pack, Ryley Towler, Connor Ogilvie
Midfielders: Andre Dozzell, Freddie Potts, Callum Lang
Attackers: Josh Murphy, Colby Bishop, Matt Ritchie
Watford vs Portsmouth H2H Record
In their previous four meetings across competitions, both teams have won two matches each.
Last 5 results:
| Portsmouth 2-0 Watford | Championship | January 2, 2012 |
| Watford 2-0 Portsmouth | Championship | November 19, 2011 |
| Watford 3-0 Portsmouth | Championship | January 1, 2011 |
| Portsmouth 3-2 Watford | Championship | October 16, 2010 |
Key Players to watch in Watford vs Portsmouth
Vakoun Issouf Bayo
The Ivory Coast international joined Watford from Belgian side R Charleroi SC in 2022 but spent multiple spells out on loan at different clubs. He then joined Udinese in the summer of 2024 but is set for this season on loan at Watford.
Vakoun Issouf Bayo has been brilliant this season and is the Hornets’ top scorer with nine goals in 20 games across competitions. Only two players have scored more goals than him in the league, highlighting his brilliant form.
Bayo scored twice in Watford’s 2-1 win over West Brom last week but drew a blank against Burnley. He will be keen to get back to scoring ways on Thursday.
Callum Lang
The English forward has been excellent for Portsmouth since arriving from Wigan Athletic in January 2024. He’s scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 29 games for them.
However, it’s the 2024-25 season where Callum Lang has been able to show his prowess in. He is Portsmouth’s top scorer with nine goals and one assist in 17 games. He scored all four goals in their 4-1 win over Coventry City last time out.
However, Lang would’ve still remained Portsmouth’s top scorer without this outlier, highlighting his importance to the team this season.
Watford vs Portsmouth Prediction
Watford have one defeat, three wins and three draws in their last seven games across competitions. However, they just one win in their last four games. They drew 0-0 against QPR, and 1-1 against Hull City before beating West Brom 2-1. They then, however, lost 2-1 against Burnley last time out.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, have one defeat, three wins and two draws in their last six games. They drew 0-0 against Norwich City, lost 4-0 against Derby County but then hammered Coventry 4-1 at home in their last three games.
Both sides are in a similar vein of form but Portsmouth have a crazy injury list at the moment. They have so many players out, which also leads to exhaustion for the players who are available. This could be a big factor as they visit Vicarage Road on Thursday. Watford should be able to grind out all three points.
Predicted Score: Watford 2-1Portsmouth
Where to watch Watford vs Portsmouth Live?
| Country | Where to Watch |
| USA | NBC Sports |
| UK | Sky Sports |
| India | FanCode |
FAQs
Q. When is Watford vs Portsmouth?
A. It’s on Thursday (December 26) at 3:00 pm GMT at Vicarage Road
Q. Where to watch Watford vs Portsmouth for free?
A. Soccerstreams, Footybite, etc.
Q. What is the predicted score for Watford vs Portsmouth?
A. The predicted score is Watford 2-1 Portsmouth
Q. What is the head-to-head record for Watford vs Portsmouth?
A. In their last four meetings, both teams have won two matches each.