Soccer match preview: Home crowd has high hopes when Watford welcomes Birmingham City

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Competition: England Championship
Competition: Sat 20.March
Match begins: 15:00 (UTC)
Venue: Vicarage Road (22200 seats)

A home win is expected from this fixture if the league table is anything to judge by. The Watford fans are optimistic that the difference between 2nd and Birmingham City's 21st place in the table will show on the pitch.

Insights:
  • Watford have the fewest conceded goals in the first half (10) in Championship
  • Watford have scored at least twice as many goals at home as Birmingham City have scored away.

It's no vacation for neither Watford nor Birmingham City as both were in action only a few days ago. Expect some tired legs on the pitch and/or possibly some changes to the lineups.

W W W W L

Watford form and stats

Watford, who have the most points (44) at home in Championship, are steadily winning Championship games and points here at Vicarage Road. 14 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats is the summary from 18 games. Ever since the Queens Park Rangers game Watford has been unbeatable here at Vicarage Road producing four straight wins. The team is doing great wherever they are playing as Watford has won four games in a row. The AFC Bournemouth match was the last time out without a victory.

Watford are returning here after visiting Rotherham United in a Championship game and winning with a 4-1 scoreline. Ismaïla Sarr, Francisco Sierralta, Ken Sema and Dan Gosling scored the goal(s). A strong away win before that one, visiting Cardiff City and winning 2-1.

The Watford fans have had their share of opportunities to cheer home goals this season, having seen 35 goals in 18 league matches. Watford have only conceded 12 from their league home games. For more goal stats, check the Statistics tab above. There's been improvement defensively lately, as only 1 of these goals has been conceded in their last 3 home matches.

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Birmingham City form and stats

The visitors are W5-D8-L5 on the road this term. That's in the Championship.

Birmingham City are travelling after their nice 2-1 home win in the Championship against Reading (placed 6th). A 0-3 loss hosting Bristol City before that.

The visitors have scored 14 goals from 18 away games in the league, an average of less than one per game. Birmingham are defending well in their away games, having conceded only 15 times in 18 matches. For more goal statistics, check out the Statistics tab above.

Head 2 Head

Watford and Birmingham City have met before this season: Birmingham City - Watford 0-1. H2H stats regardless of arena (last ten matches): Watford six wins, one draw and Birmingham City three victories. As for goals, four matches ended with three or more goals (over 2,5), six games had two or less.

Top Goalscorers

WatfordJ. Junqueira de Jesus
J. Junqueira de Jesus
9 goals
WatfordI. Sarr
I. Sarr
9 goals
WatfordT. Deeney
T. Deeney
7 goals

Watford missing players

Birmingham City missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Watford Birmingham City
Total Home vs low Statistics Stat vs top Away Total
37 18 6 Played P 6 18 37
21 14 6 Won W 2 5 9
9 2 0 Drew D 1 8 11
7 2 0 Lost L 3 5 17
52 35 12 Scored S 5 14 28
26 12 3 Conceded C 6 15 47
86% 100% 100% Over 0.5 O 0.5 83% 72% 84%
54% 67% 83% Over 1.5 O 1.5 33% 44% 57%
32% 39% 33% Over 2.5 O 2.5 33% 22% 38%
19% 28% 17% Over 3.5 O 3.5 17% 11% 16%
16% 22% 17% Over 4.5 O 4.5 17% 11% 8%
41% 44% 33% BTTS BTTS 33% 39% 46%
46% 50% 67% Clean Sheets C S 33% 44% 27%
27% 6% 0% Failed to Score F T 50% 44% 43%
 
0 0 0 Corners for (avg) C F 0 0 0
0 0 0 Corners against (avg) C A 0 0 0
1.8 1.8 1.3 Yellow cards (avg) Y C 2.8 1.8 1.9
1 0 0 Red cards R C 2 3 4
 
11.1 11.4 10.5 Shots (avg) S ( 6.5 9.4 9.5
3.4 3.8 4 Shots on Target (avg) S O 2.2 2.8 2.6
41% 51% 50% Goal Efficiency G E 38% 27% 29%
Key stats in Championship this season:
  • Watford have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
  • Watford have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded at home.
  • Watford have scored at least twice as many goals at home as Birmingham City have scored away.
  • Watford have the fewest conceded goals in the first half (10) in Championship
  • Watford have the most points (44) at home in Championship
  • Watford have the most scored goals (35) at home in Championship
  • Watford have the the best goal difference (+23) at home in Championship
  • Watford haven’t played a single 0-0 game at home.

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Norwich City 37 25 7 5 55 26 18 12 5 1 26 9 19 13 2 4 29 17 29 82
2 Watford 37 21 9 7 52 26 18 14 2 2 35 12 19 7 7 5 17 14 26 72
3 Swansea City 36 20 9 7 45 28 18 11 5 2 23 10 18 9 4 5 22 18 17 69
4 Brentford 36 19 10 7 64 38 17 10 5 2 34 18 19 9 5 5 30 20 26 67
5 Barnsley 37 19 7 11 48 40 18 10 4 4 23 17 19 9 3 7 25 23 8 64
6 Reading 37 18 7 12 51 40 18 11 0 7 28 20 19 7 7 5 23 20 11 61
7 AFC Bournemouth 37 16 11 10 55 37 19 11 3 5 33 19 18 5 8 5 22 18 18 59
8 Middlesbrough 37 16 8 13 46 38 19 10 3 6 25 18 18 6 5 7 21 20 8 56
9 Cardiff City 37 15 10 12 54 37 19 7 4 8 32 21 18 8 6 4 22 16 17 55
10 Millwall 37 11 16 10 37 36 18 4 10 4 17 16 19 7 6 6 20 20 1 49
11 Stoke City 37 12 13 12 41 42 18 8 4 6 25 21 19 4 9 6 16 21 -1 49
12 Queens Park Rangers 36 13 10 13 38 42 19 8 4 7 21 22 17 5 6 6 17 20 -4 49
13 Bristol City 37 15 4 18 39 48 18 7 2 9 15 20 19 8 2 9 24 28 -9 49
14 Luton Town 36 13 8 15 30 41 18 7 6 5 22 20 18 6 2 10 8 21 -11 47
15 Blackburn Rovers 37 12 9 16 49 41 19 6 7 6 25 21 18 6 2 10 24 20 8 45
16 Preston North End 37 13 5 19 39 48 18 5 4 9 15 17 19 8 1 10 24 31 -9 44
17 Huddersfield Town 37 11 9 17 41 52 18 8 4 6 25 18 19 3 5 11 16 34 -11 42
18 Nottingham Forest 37 10 11 16 29 37 19 5 7 7 16 18 18 5 4 9 13 19 -8 41
19 Derby County 37 10 10 17 27 41 19 5 6 8 14 20 18 5 4 9 13 21 -14 40
20 Coventry City 36 9 11 16 32 48 18 7 6 5 19 19 18 2 5 11 13 29 -16 38
21 Birmingham City 37 9 11 17 28 47 19 4 3 12 14 32 18 5 8 5 14 15 -19 38
22 Rotherham United 33 9 5 19 36 47 17 4 3 10 21 26 16 5 2 9 15 21 -11 32
23 Sheffield Wednesday 36 9 8 19 26 46 18 6 6 6 15 14 18 3 2 13 11 32 -20 29
24 Wycombe Wanderers 37 6 8 23 25 61 19 4 5 10 12 24 18 2 3 13 13 37 -36 26

Watford:
Birmingham City:
Championship:
England:
Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Norwich City 37 25 7 5 55 26 18 12 5 1 26 9 19 13 2 4 29 17 29 82
2 Watford 37 21 9 7 52 26 18 14 2 2 35 12 19 7 7 5 17 14 26 72
3 Swansea City 36 20 9 7 45 28 18 11 5 2 23 10 18 9 4 5 22 18 17 69
4 Brentford 36 19 10 7 64 38 17 10 5 2 34 18 19 9 5 5 30 20 26 67
5 Barnsley 37 19 7 11 48 40 18 10 4 4 23 17 19 9 3 7 25 23 8 64
6 Reading 37 18 7 12 51 40 18 11 0 7 28 20 19 7 7 5 23 20 11 61
7 AFC Bournemouth 37 16 11 10 55 37 19 11 3 5 33 19 18 5 8 5 22 18 18 59
8 Middlesbrough 37 16 8 13 46 38 19 10 3 6 25 18 18 6 5 7 21 20 8 56
9 Cardiff City 37 15 10 12 54 37 19 7 4 8 32 21 18 8 6 4 22 16 17 55
10 Millwall 37 11 16 10 37 36 18 4 10 4 17 16 19 7 6 6 20 20 1 49
11 Stoke City 37 12 13 12 41 42 18 8 4 6 25 21 19 4 9 6 16 21 -1 49
12 Queens Park Rangers 36 13 10 13 38 42 19 8 4 7 21 22 17 5 6 6 17 20 -4 49
13 Bristol City 37 15 4 18 39 48 18 7 2 9 15 20 19 8 2 9 24 28 -9 49
14 Luton Town 36 13 8 15 30 41 18 7 6 5 22 20 18 6 2 10 8 21 -11 47
15 Blackburn Rovers 37 12 9 16 49 41 19 6 7 6 25 21 18 6 2 10 24 20 8 45
16 Preston North End 37 13 5 19 39 48 18 5 4 9 15 17 19 8 1 10 24 31 -9 44
17 Huddersfield Town 37 11 9 17 41 52 18 8 4 6 25 18 19 3 5 11 16 34 -11 42
18 Nottingham Forest 37 10 11 16 29 37 19 5 7 7 16 18 18 5 4 9 13 19 -8 41
19 Derby County 37 10 10 17 27 41 19 5 6 8 14 20 18 5 4 9 13 21 -14 40
20 Coventry City 36 9 11 16 32 48 18 7 6 5 19 19 18 2 5 11 13 29 -16 38
21 Birmingham City 37 9 11 17 28 47 19 4 3 12 14 32 18 5 8 5 14 15 -19 38
22 Rotherham United 33 9 5 19 36 47 17 4 3 10 21 26 16 5 2 9 15 21 -11 32
23 Sheffield Wednesday 36 9 8 19 26 46 18 6 6 6 15 14 18 3 2 13 11 32 -20 29
24 Wycombe Wanderers 37 6 8 23 25 61 19 4 5 10 12 24 18 2 3 13 13 37 -36 26

More from England - Championship

Read more about Championship

The English Football League Championship (usually shortened to the Championship) is the second highest division in the English football league system. 24 teams play 46 fixtures from August to May, meeting each other twice. The Championship is the wealthiest second-level division in the world.