Preview: Watford vs Southampton - prediction, team news, lineups

Southampton will head to Vicarage Road on Sunday to take on Watford in the first round of 2026-27 Championship fixtures.

Both teams began their competitive campaigns with EFL Cup first-round wins last weekend and will now get underway in England's second tier.

Match preview

Watford will head into their first Championship match under the management of Alessio Dionisi on Sunday on the back of an opening cup win.

They will begin a fifth straight term in England's second tier on the back of a 16th-placed finish last time around, their joint-lowest league finish since 2005, in a term in which they spent time under four different managers.

The last 15 games came under Edward Still, in which they managed just three wins and eight defeats to end on 57 points after a closing five-match losing streak, leading the Hornets hierarchy to make a change over the summer and appoint Dionisi.

His tenure began with a pre-season run which produced one win, one draw and two defeats, before they got up and running in competitive action at home to fourth-tier Crawley Town in the EFL Cup first round, eventually progressing as Marc Bola broke the deadlock in the 99th minute to save his side a penalty shootout.

He will now take charge of a first league match as Watford look to kickstart an improved campaign and challenge at the right end of the division with an opening home victory on Sunday.

That will be no easy test, though, as the visitors arrive looking to get up and running and build on a fourth-placed finish in a 2025-26 season which was eventually overshadowed by its ending.

After a poor start to their first season back in the Championship following Premier League relegation, Southampton turned to new manager Tonda Eckert in November and enjoyed an eye-catching climb, picking up 68 points from his 33 league games at the helm to finish fourth and set up a playoff semi-final with Middlesbrough.

The Saints prevailed in that contest, winning 2-1 on aggregate after a pair of draws and a decisive goal in extra time, only to be denied a place in the final by the Spygate scandal, with Eckert later admitting to spying on training sessions of three opponents during the season including Middlesbrough in the playoffs.

Left to rue those actions which denied them a chance to return to the top flight at Wembley, but with positives to take from their second half to 2025-26, they enjoyed a strong pre-season with three wins from three friendlies, before opening in the EFL Cup against Colchester United last weekend and winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Cyle Larin and Romeo Akachukwu.

Southampton will now kick off a first full Championship season under Eckert with the hopes of fighting for automatic promotion, albeit while fighting from behind with a four-point deduction in relation to Spygate, starting with an away win at the weekend to get that tally to -1.

Watford form (all competitions):

L D W L W

Southampton form (all competitions):

W W W W

Team News

Alessio Dionisi will field a similar Watford starting XI to the one that played against Crawley last weekend, with Mattie Pollock and Kevin Keben remaining the only senior centre-backs currently at the club.

Star midfielder Imran Louza was an unused substitute in that cup game but should start at the weekend despite uncertainty around his future, likely joining either Hector Kyprianou or Edoardo Bove.

There is plenty of competition for attacking spots, despite the impending exit of Nestory Irankunda who will not feature, with summer signing Iker Bravo having joined Luca Kjerrumgaard, Kwadwo Baah and Othmane Maamma last weekend while Rocco Vata, Mamadou Doumbia and Martin Payero will compete to come in.

Tonda Eckert also fielded a strong Southampton XI for their competitive opener last week, with Shea Charles and Ross Stewart being their notable summer departures while they have strengthened with the signings of Divin Mubama and Lewis Dobbin.

The Saints also made the loan moves of Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin permanent, and they should start in net and up front respectively.

Ben Brereton Diaz, Leo Scienza, Dobbin, Tom Fellows, Finn Azaz, Mubama and Cameron Archer are among those also competing for spots at the top end of the pitch, while Kuryu Matsuki and Flynn Downes should again partner up in midfield following Charles's exit.

Watford possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Traore, Pollock, Keben, Bola; Kyprianou, Louza; Baah, Vata, Maamma; Kjerrumgaard

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Manning; Matsuki, Downes; Dobbin, Azaz, Scienza; Larin

We say: Watford 1-3 Southampton

Watford certainly have the attacking options to trouble Southampton, but questions can be asked about their defence.

We anticipate Southampton building on a strong run under Eckert and establishing themselves as early Championship frontrunners in the coming months despite their deduction thanks to the quality throughout their ranks, starting with an opening-day win at Vicarage Road.

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