Leicester vs Watford prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-11-24 15:00.
Leicester manager Enzo Maresca insists it’s substance over style for his side as he hit back at critics of their gameplan. Some supporters have questioned the Foxes’ entertainment value, leading the boss to snap “you want transitions, go to see Liverpool,” after they headed into the international break on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.
That was a second successive loss for Leicester, but it wasn’t enough to dismount them from the Championship summit thanks to a sensational start to the season. Prior to those reversals, they had accumulated 39 points from just 14 games (W13, D1), a record for the second-tier and built on the backbone of a strong defence which has still only conceded ten goals, comfortably the lowest total in the division.
Visitors Watford may be confident of breaching that often impregnable backline, given their last match was a thumping 5-0 demolition of struggling Rotherham. That was a result that thrilled manager Valérien Ismaël, who hailed a “great performance” from his team having criticised their ruthlessness in front of goal earlier in the campaign.
Indeed, the Hornets had a miserable start to the season, but now look well placed to challenge for the play-off positions after going unbeaten in six matches (W3, D3). They have kept four clean sheets in the last five of those fixtures, and sit only five points behind sixth-placed Sunderland, leading the boss to claim his side “feel more ready” to make a charge up the table as they seek a return to the Premier League after a two-year absence.
Players to watch: Foxes forward Jamie Vardy loves facing Watford, netting six goals in seven home H2Hs (W6, D1). Attempting to out-gun him may be Mileta Rajović, who has scored first or last in each of his four goalscoring appearances since joining the Hornets in the summer.
Hot stat: Only two of Leicester’s eight home league games, and two of Watford’s seven away league fixtures, have seen both teams score – each of which are a joint-low for the Championship.