Watford vs Queens Park Rangers Prediction: QPR will be hoping to survive once again while Watford will push for promotion this year

Watford will welcome Queens Park Rangers at Vicarage Road in Gameweek 1 of the English Championship. QPR will be hoping to survive once again while Watford will push for promotion this year. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes? 

Watford is entering their second consecutive season in the Championship, something that hasn't happened in over half a decade. Last season, they had an uninspiring 11th-placed finish, which was disappointing considering many fans and pundits expected an immediate return to the Premier League. Inconsistency plagued their campaign, leaving them six points behind the sixth-placed team, Sunderland.

As is customary for Watford, this summer has brought significant changes. They appointed former Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael as their new head coach after Chris Wilder's departure in May. Ismael achieved remarkable success with Barnsley in the 2020-21 season, guiding them to fifth place in the Championship. However, his bold footballing philosophy did not yield the same results at West Bromwich Albion, leading to his departure from the Hawthorns after seven months.

Valerien Ismael now steps into a dressing room that has lost two key players, Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr, who moved to Brighton & Hove Albion and Marseille, respectively, this summer. In preparation for the 2023-24 season, Watford has bolstered their squad with experienced second-tier veterans. Jake Livermore and Tom Ince have joined from West Brom and Reading, respectively, as the Hornets aim to secure promotion from the Championship.

Bachmann; Ngakia, Porteous, Hoedt, Morris, Sierralta; Dele-Bashiru, Louza; Martins, Sema, Bayo

Around this time last year, QPR had their sights set on a promotion push under the guidance of Michael Beale, who took over after Mark Warburton's departure. However, this season, the goals at Loftus Road are expected to be quite different.

Gareth Ainsworth, the former Wycombe Wanderers boss, is now at the helm of the West London club. Despite only winning two of their last 10 league matches, Ainsworth managed to keep QPR in the division last season. A notable highlight of Ainsworth's tenure was a remarkable 2-1 victory against Burnley at Vincent Kompany's home in April. Goals from Chris Martin and Sam Field secured a rare maximum, virtually ensuring their safety with two matches left to play.

During this summer, QPR has been active in the free transfer market, bringing in players like Jack Colback, Morgan Fox, and Asmir Begovic to strengthen the squad, which is expected to be involved in a relegation battle. Paul Smyth, who had a successful 10-goal campaign in League Two with Leyton Orient, has returned to QPR. The 25-year-old is eager to make a positive impact at a club he left for Charlton Athletic in October 2020.

In the previous season, the meeting between Watford and QPR resulted in a thrilling five-goal encounter, with Ilias Chair, Albert Adomah, and Chris Willock securing an impressive away victory for the R's in August 2022.

Begovic; Kakay, Dunne, Gubbins, Paal; Field, Dozzell, Chair, Richards; Willock, Dykes

Watford is on the brink of a new era under the guidance of Ismael, and the home fans can anticipate a strong start from their team against QPR. The QPRs, on the other hand, are in need of a rebound after suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat at Oxford United in their last match. However, we foresee a defeat for Ainsworth's side as they begin their campaign in the second tier. We can see a goal galore with more than 2.5 goals in the game.