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Championship · Matchday 17

Watford vs Blackburn Rovers: Match Preview & Stats

Watford crest Watford
vs
Blackburn Rovers crest Blackburn Rovers
Vicarage Road, Watford

Our picks

Model predictions are published 48 hours before kick-off

To take in the latest form and rest days, the predictions for this match come out on . (If either team plays another match in between, they come out once that match is over.)

See today's ready predictions →

Our record

  • Watford: 5 of 7 right
  • Blackburn Rovers: 2 of 7 right

Our result picks in each club's earlier matches on this site.

Match facts

Competition
Championship, Matchday 17
Kick-off
Venue
Vicarage Road, Watford
Since last match
Watford: 4 days (Championship) · Sheffield United Blackburn Rovers: 3 days (Championship) · Burnley
Next match
Watford: 2 days (Championship) later Blackburn Rovers: 2 days (Championship) later

Last starting XI

Watford 5-3-2

  1. 1 Ravaglia
  2. 4 Keben
  3. 6 Pollock
  4. 29 Mlačić
  5. 15 Diatta
  6. 33 Zemura
  7. 39 Kayembe
  8. 22 Payero
  9. 17 Bravo
  10. 21 Nabizada
  11. 20 Doumbia

Coach: Alessio Dionisi vs Middlesbrough, 0-0 · Championship · 7 Nov

Blackburn Rovers 4-2-3-1

  1. 22 Tóth
  2. 27 Beyuku
  3. 17 Carter
  4. 15 McLoughlin
  5. 3 Pickering
  6. 8 Morsy
  7. 31 Montgomery
  8. 11 Fevrier
  9. 10 Cantwell
  10. 21 Afolayan
  11. 9 Guðjohnsen

Coach: Tony Mowbray vs West Ham United, 2-1 · Championship · 7 Nov

Our predicted line-ups come with our picks, 48 hours before kick-off. Until then: each club's last starting XI.

Injuries and suspensions

Watford

  • DF Jeremy NgakiaInjured · Late November 2026
  • DF Krépin DiattaInjured · Doubtful
  • MF Edoardo BoveInjured · Back in training
  • MF Kwadwo BaahInjured · Back in training
  • FW Michail AntonioInjured · Return unknown

Blackburn Rovers

  • DF Lewis MillerInjured · Return unknown
  • DF Ryan AlebiosuInjured · Doubtful
  • MF Adam ForshawInjured · Late November 2026
  • FW Ryoya MorishitaInjured · Late November 2026

Players listed as injured, suspended or away with their national team, with their expected return.

Missing Players Impact

Watford

Moderate impact
Missing attack share 2.0%
Missing minutes share 3.0%
5 players out 1 regular starter out

Blackburn Rovers

Moderate impact
Missing attack share 7.0%
Missing minutes share 11.0%
4 players out 2 regular starters out
Key absences:
  • FW Ryoya Morishita 5% attack · 4% mins
  • DF Ryan Alebiosu 3% attack · 7% mins

Share of team playing time and attacking output over the last 10 matches accounted for by unavailable players.

Tactical Profile & Play Quality (0–100)

Watford Blackburn Rovers
Box & Territory Pressure 31 40
Set-Piece & Corner Threat 38 46
Finishing Efficiency 50 66
Defensive & Goalkeeper Wall 23 15
Underlying Play Power 24 31
Watford Balanced (results match underlying play)
Blackburn Rovers Results above play quality (running hot)

OptimaGoal 0–100 performance indices built from the last 10 matches before kick-off.

Game-State Scenarios & Goal Timing

Watford

When scoring first 50% won · 83% unbeaten (6 matches)
When conceding first 12% points rescued · 12% won (8 matches)
1st Half: 46% 2nd Half: 54%
First 15': 23% Last 15' (76-90'): 31%

Blackburn Rovers

When scoring first 62% won · 62% unbeaten (8 matches)
When conceding first 50% points rescued · 17% won (6 matches)
1st Half: 45% 2nd Half: 55%
First 15': 14% Last 15' (76-90'): 14%

Reaction to scoring or conceding first and goal distribution across the last 15 matches.

Key Attacking Threats

Watford

  1. 1. MF Edo Kayembe 1G · 1A
    Team attack 13.0% Team shots 17.0%
  2. 2. MF Iker Bravo 0G · 3A
    Team attack 11.0% Team shots 8.0%
  3. 3. FW Myron Boadu 2G · 1A
    Team attack 10.0% Team shots 7.0%

Blackburn Rovers

  1. 1. FW Oladapo Afolayan 5G · 1A
    Team attack 17.0% Team shots 21.0%
  2. 2. FW Andri Guðjohnsen 8G · 0A
    Team attack 17.0% Team shots 13.0%
  3. 3. MF Todd Cantwell 1G · 1A
    Team attack 14.0% Team shots 10.0%

Top available players by share of team attacking production and shot volume over the last 10 matches.

Watford Blackburn Rovers
Over 1.5 goals 6/10 9/10
Over 2.5 goals 5/10 8/10
Over 3.5 goals 3/10 4/10
Both teams scored 4/10 7/10
Clean sheet 3/10 2/10
Failed to score 4/10 1/10
Goals per match (scored / conceded) 0.9 / 1.7 1.6 / 1.6

Last 10 matches, all competitions, results after 90 minutes.

Form guide

Watford

  • D 0-0 vs Middlesbrough (H) Championship · 7 Nov
  • W 1-0 vs Lincoln City (H) Championship · 3 Nov
  • L 2-3 at Norwich City (A) Championship · 31 Oct
  • L 0-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) Championship · 24 Oct
  • W 2-0 vs Charlton Athletic (H) Championship · 17 Oct

Blackburn Rovers

  • W 2-1 vs West Ham United (H) Championship · 7 Nov
  • L 1-2 vs Stoke City (H) Championship · 3 Nov
  • L 0-4 at Swansea City (A) Championship · 31 Oct
  • W 2-0 vs Wrexham (H) Championship · 24 Oct
  • L 2-3 at West Bromwich Albion (A) Championship · 17 Oct

Last five competitive matches before kick-off, all competitions, results after 90 minutes.

When the goals come

ScoredConceded

Watford

Blackburn Rovers

Goals in each 15-minute period, Championship this season. Stoppage time counts with its half.

Top scorers

Watford

Player G A
Amin Nabizada 3 0
Myron Boadu 2 1
Luca Kjerrumgaard 2 0
Iker Bravo 1 3
Edo Kayembe 1 1

Blackburn Rovers

Player G A
Andri Guðjohnsen 10 1
Oladapo Afolayan 5 2
Ryoya Morishita 2 2
Todd Cantwell 2 1
Kristi Montgomery 1 1

Goals and assists in the Championship this season.

Corners and yellow cards

Watford Blackburn Rovers
  • 3.7 Corners won 5.8
  • 6.6 Corners conceded 5.9
  • 2.7 Yellow cards 2.3
  • 2.2 Opponents' yellow cards 1.7

Per match in the Championship this season. Average per club and match: 5.2 corners, 1.9 yellow cards.

Attack and defence ratings

WatfordBlackburn Rovers
Attack 9 13 0.9 goals per match this season1.5 goals per match this season
Defence 13 61 1.5 conceded per match this season1.5 conceded per match this season

0 to 100 against this season's Championship clubs (100 = best). The rating is our model's long-run strength before this match: it uses the last three years and counts recent matches most, so a few results do not move it at once. Under each rating: this season's actual goals per match.

1599Elo #331 Elo rating 1656Elo #290

Head-to-head

6Watford wins
4draws
6Blackburn Rovers wins

16 meetings since 2010, results after 90 minutes.

  • 24 Jan 2026 · Championship Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Watford
  • 13 Sep 2025 · Championship Watford 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
  • 26 Apr 2025 · Championship Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Watford
  • 26 Oct 2024 · Championship Watford 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
  • 23 Dec 2023 · Championship Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Watford

Table

#Team PWDLGoalsGDPts
1 Birmingham City 15 852 28:14 +14 29
2 Middlesbrough 15 852 30:19 +11 29
3 Stoke City 15 924 24:18 +6 29
4 Southampton 15 843 29:15 +14 28
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 15 843 26:18 +8 28
6 West Bromwich Albion 15 843 23:15 +8 28
7 Swansea City 15 825 22:18 +4 26
8 Queens Park Rangers 15 663 24:18 +6 24
9 West Ham United 15 654 37:23 +14 23
10 Sheffield United 15 645 21:19 +2 22
11 Portsmouth 15 645 20:18 +2 22
12 Norwich City 15 708 32:24 +8 21
13 Blackburn Rovers 15 636 22:23 -1 21
14 Cardiff City 15 465 27:27 0 18
15 Wrexham 15 465 18:20 -2 18
16 Millwall 15 537 23:27 -4 18
17 Bristol City 15 537 16:24 -8 18
18 Bolton Wanderers 15 528 20:29 -9 17
19 Charlton Athletic 15 456 13:23 -10 17
20 Watford 15 438 13:23 -10 15
21 Lincoln City 15 438 15:26 -11 15
22 Burnley 15 177 22:31 -9 10
23 Derby County 15 249 14:30 -16 10
24 Preston North End 15 2211 13:30 -17 8

Our table from the results; the two clubs of this match are highlighted. Full table

Season projection

Members

Where these two clubs are projected to finish in the Championship: average points, likely range and chances.

ClubPts Avg ptsLikely TitlePromotedPlay-offsRelegated
Watford 15
Blackburn Rovers 21

For members

Every club's chance of every place, from our simulated seasons, updated daily.

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Times are UTC.