Preview: Queens Park Rangers vs Watford - prediction, team news, lineups

Watford make the trip to Loftus Road to play Queens Park Rangers knowing that a win is realistically required to retain hope of making the playoffs.

At a time when the Hornets sit in ninth position in the Championship table, the Hoops are three points adrift in 12th place.

Match preview

Julien Stephan appeared to be on course to lose his job at QPR when they put together a recent four-game losing streak.

QPR conceded 12 goals without reply against Southampton, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City to suggest that the Frenchman had lost the backing of his squad.

However, the West Londoners have incredibly bounced back by scoring nine times across a double-header with Leicester City and Portsmouth.

For a team that should have been focused on improving their defence, it is a sensational turnaround, particularly the manner in which they scored six against Pompey before the international break.

Facing a 10-point deficit to the playoffs, a bid for the top six may be beyond them, but ninth place - their highest finish since relegation from the Premier League in 2014-15 - is well within their reach.

As far as Watford are concerned, they make the trip to the capital as the dark horses to make the playoffs, with Edward Still having made a positive impact since his arrival at Vicarage Road.

A total of 12 points have been accumulated from eight matches, Watford suffering just two defeats during that period.

Watford have only lost one of their most recent five fixtures, with four points being accumulated from home contests versus Wrexham and Leicester City before the international break.

That all said, Watford's away form remains a major issue. Just one win - at Bristol City - has come in seven such matches during 2026.

Nevertheless, since the arrival of Still, five points have come from his four away fixtures, the solitary defeat coming by a 3-1 scoreline at Stoke City.

Queens Park Rangers Championship form:

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Watford Championship form:

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Team News

Jonathan Varane could return to the QPR midfield with Isaac Hayden having represented Jamaica during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Although Jimmy Dunne, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Harvey Vale and Paul Smyth were also on international duty on Tuesday, they were part of squads in games in Cardiff and Dublin respectively.

There are likely to be several changes made to the Watford XI given the amount of international call-ups that they received.

Edo Kayembe and Nestory Irankunda are the biggest doubts, the former representing DR Congo in the aforementioned game versus Jamaica and the latter having been Down Under with Australia.

Tom Ince and Mamadou Doumbia could be handed recalls on the flank and in attack respectively.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Walsh; Mbengue, Dunne, Edwards, Norrington-Davies; Vale, Morgan, Varane, Smyth; Kone, Kolli

Watford possible starting lineup:

Selvik; Abankwah, Pollock, Mendy, Bola; Ince, Louza, Ekwah, Chakvatadze; Kjerrumgaard, Doumbia

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Watford

With both teams unbeaten in two matches, this should prove to be a hard-fought fixture. However, when both teams require maximum points, they could be left disappointed in a competitive encounter, particularly Watford who need a win.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.