Preview: Bristol City vs Watford - prediction, team news, lineups

Bristol City will be targeting a second consecutive victory when they take on Watford in Friday's Championship clash at Ashton Gate. 

The eighth-placed Robins are four points adrift of the playoff spots, while the Hornets are two points further back in 12th position. 

Match preview

Playoff hopefuls Bristol City have recorded three victories in their last six matches (D1, L2), including a narrow 2-1 success in Tuesday's away clash against Blackburn Rovers.

Emil Riis cancelled out Yuki Ohashi's early opener, before Scott Twine completed the first-half turnaround just after the half-hour mark.

Twine's ninth league goal of the season proved enough to seal Bristol City's second win in three away matches. 

The Robins will now return to Ashton Gate, where they have mustered just one point from their last two home outings, following a heavy 5-0 defeat to Derby County with a 2-2 draw against Wrexham.

However, they can take immense confidence from the fact that they hammered Watford 5-1 in last month's FA Cup third-round clash at Ashton Gate, courtesy of an Emil Riis hat-trick alongside efforts from Anis Mehmeti and Rob Atkinson. 

That emphatic result made it seven consecutive home matches without defeat against the Hornets (W3, D4). 

© Imago / Pro Sports Images

Watford's playoff push has lost significant momentum with just one win from their last nine Championship outings (D4, L4).

Edward Still at least started his tenure with four points from two matches, beginning his time in charge with a 2-2 draw against Preston North End and a 2-0 success over Derby.

However, Still suffered his first defeat as Watford boss in Tuesday's home clash against promotion-chasing Ipswich Town.

Sindre Walle Egeli and George Hirst grabbed a goal apiece to condemn Watford to a third defeat in five home matches. 

Looking to get their playoff bid back on track, the Hornets will head on their travels with hopes of claiming their first away win since December after drawing three and losing two of their five away matches in 2026.

That will require the visitors to pull off their first away victory against Bristol City since they ran out 2-0 winners in March 2012. 

Bristol City Championship form:

Watford Championship form:

Team News

© Imago

Bristol City are unable to call upon key defender Rob Dickie, who has been ruled out for eight to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.

Midfielder Joe Williams is unlikely to feature after sitting out the midweek win over Blackburn with a hamstring problem.

Centre-back Rob Atkinson is another injury concern after being forced off at half time at Ewood Park with an ankle issue.

As for the visitors, Hector Kyprianou and Rocco Vata remain sidelined with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively. 

The attacking duo of Kwadwo Baah and Othmane Maamma are battling to prove their fitness after missing Tuesday's defeat to Ipswich.

Jeremy Ngakia, Edoardo Bove and Mamadou Doumbia could all come into Still's thinking for Friday's Championship fixture. 

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

Vitek; Tanner, Eile, Borges; Sykes, Knight, Randell, Pring; Horvat, Twine; Riis

Watford possible starting lineup:

Selvik; Ngakia, Abankwah, Goglichidze, Mfuni, Bola; Irankunda, Louza, Mendy, Bove; Doumbia

We say: Bristol City 2-1 Watford

Bristol City tend to perform well in home games against Watford, and while we do not expect Friday's fixture to be as one-sided as January's FA Cup win, we think the hosts will do enough to pick up maximum points.

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