Bristol City vs Watford

18 September 2026 · Championship · 2026/27 · Referee Oliver Langford

Full time 1 – 0

Half-time: 1–0

  • Dominic Ballard 31’

Match summary

Bristol City beat Watford 1-0. Bristol City led 1-0 at half-time.

Dominic Ballard put Bristol City ahead with a header in the 31st minute.

The chances backed that up: Bristol City created 1.56 expected goals (xG) from 17 shots to Watford's 0.52 from 10.

Match stats

36% Possession 64%
17 Shots 10
7 Shots on target 2
2 Corners 5
84 Attacks 92
49 Dangerous attacks 34
270 Passes 491
77.0% Pass accuracy 85.1%
19 Tackles 9
11 Fouls 15
2 Yellow cards 5
3 Offsides 0

Key events

Bristol City Watford
Kick-off
Sam GreenwoodShot on target
11’
Yu HirakawaShot on target
13’
21’
Mamadou DoumbiaFoul
25’
Amin NabizadaFoul
Dominic BallardHeader1-0 (Bristol City)
31’
Half-time1-0
Second half underway
54’
Edo KayembeArgument
Joe WilliamsArgument
54’
Jason KnightArgument
54’
54’
Branimir MlačićArgument
Joe WilliamsShot on target
56’
61’
Hector KyprianouShot on target
62’
Stephy MavididiAmin Nabizada
62’
Othmane MaammaRocco Vata
62’
Albert EamesBranimir Mlačić
Jed WallaceYu Hirakawa
63’
Lorent TolajDominic Ballard
63’
Sam GreenwoodShot on target
65’
Cameron PringSam Greenwood
70’
70’
Myron BoaduMamadou Doumbia
81’
Matthew PollockFoul
Gibson YahAdam Randell
88’
Lisav Naif EissatNoah Eile
88’
Gibson YahShot on target
90’
Lorent TolajShot on target
90+2’
90+3’
Stephy MavididiShot on target
Full-time1-0

How the chances added up

Running total of expected goals (xG) for each side through the match. xG rates each chance by how often similar shots are scored. A goal is marked where it was scored.

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 0’ 15’ 30’ 45’ 60’ 75’ 90’ HT 1.56 0.52 31’ Dominic Ballard (Bristol City), 1-0 31’ 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 0’ 15’ 30’ 45’ 60’ 75’ 90’ HT 1.56 0.52 31’ Dominic Ballard (Bristol City), 1-0 Ballard 31’
Bristol City 1.56 xGWatford 0.52 xG Goal

Tap a goal for the scorer and score.

Shot map

Every shot and where it was taken from.

 Watford attacking Bristol City attacking 
26’ Joe Williams (Bristol City), set piece, 0.26 xG, off target 3’ Jason Knight (Bristol City), set piece, 0.21 xG, off target 11’ Sam Greenwood (Bristol City), set piece, 0.17 xG, saved 87’ Myron Boadu (Watford), open play, 0.17 xG, off target 80’ Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City), open play, 0.16 xG, off target 66’ Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City), open play, 0.14 xG, off target 56’ Joe Williams (Bristol City), set piece, 0.12 xG, saved 8’ Luca Kjerrumgaard (Watford), open play, 0.12 xG, off target 15’ Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), open play, 0.07 xG, blocked 11’ Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), open play, 0.07 xG, blocked 46’ Noah Eile (Bristol City), set piece, 0.06 xG, blocked 61’ Hector Kyprianou (Watford), open play, 0.05 xG, blocked 86’ Joe Williams (Bristol City), from a corner, 0.05 xG, blocked 90+2’ Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City), open play, 0.05 xG, saved 48’ George Tanner (Bristol City), open play, 0.04 xG, blocked 65’ Sam Greenwood (Bristol City), open play, 0.04 xG, saved 13’ Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), open play, 0.04 xG, saved 82’ Rio Cardines (Bristol City), direct free kick, 0.03 xG, off target 90+2’ Edo Kayembe (Watford), open play, 0.04 xG, blocked 31’ Dominic Ballard (Bristol City), open play, 0.03 xG, goal 61’ Hector Kyprianou (Watford), open play, 0.03 xG, saved 62’ Rocco Vata (Watford), open play, 0.03 xG, off target 90+3’ Stephy Mavididi (Watford), from a corner, 0.03 xG, saved 29’ Edo Kayembe (Watford), open play, 0.02 xG, blocked 8’ Amin Nabizada (Watford), open play, 0.02 xG, blocked 49’ Amin Nabizada (Watford), open play, 0.01 xG, blocked 90’ Gibson Yah (Bristol City), set piece, 0.01 xG, saved 26’ Joe Williams (Bristol City), set piece, 0.26 xG, off target 3’ Jason Knight (Bristol City), set piece, 0.21 xG, off target 11’ Sam Greenwood (Bristol City), set piece, 0.17 xG, saved 87’ Myron Boadu (Watford), open play, 0.17 xG, off target 80’ Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City), open play, 0.16 xG, off target 66’ Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City), open play, 0.14 xG, off target 56’ Joe Williams (Bristol City), set piece, 0.12 xG, saved 8’ Luca Kjerrumgaard (Watford), open play, 0.12 xG, off target 15’ Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), open play, 0.07 xG, blocked 11’ Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), open play, 0.07 xG, blocked 46’ Noah Eile (Bristol City), set piece, 0.06 xG, blocked 61’ Hector Kyprianou (Watford), open play, 0.05 xG, blocked 86’ Joe Williams (Bristol City), from a corner, 0.05 xG, blocked 90+2’ Lorent Tolaj (Bristol City), open play, 0.05 xG, saved 48’ George Tanner (Bristol City), open play, 0.04 xG, blocked 65’ Sam Greenwood (Bristol City), open play, 0.04 xG, saved 13’ Yu Hirakawa (Bristol City), open play, 0.04 xG, saved 90+2’ Edo Kayembe (Watford), open play, 0.04 xG, blocked 82’ Rio Cardines (Bristol City), direct free kick, 0.03 xG, off target 31’ Dominic Ballard (Bristol City), open play, 0.03 xG, goal 61’ Hector Kyprianou (Watford), open play, 0.03 xG, saved 62’ Rocco Vata (Watford), open play, 0.03 xG, off target 90+3’ Stephy Mavididi (Watford), from a corner, 0.03 xG, saved 29’ Edo Kayembe (Watford), open play, 0.02 xG, blocked 8’ Amin Nabizada (Watford), open play, 0.02 xG, blocked 49’ Amin Nabizada (Watford), open play, 0.01 xG, blocked 90’ Gibson Yah (Bristol City), set piece, 0.01 xG, saved
Size shows xG Goal On target Off target or blocked

Hover or tap a shot for the player, minute and xG.

Lineups

Bristol City 4-2-3-1 Starting XI
Tickle
Eile 88’
Atkinson
Randell 88’
Tanner
Cardines
Williams
Knight
Greenwood 70’
Hirakawa 63’
Ballard 63’
Watford 3-4-1-2 Starting XI
Ravaglia
Biakolo
Pollock
Mlačić 62’
Vata 62’
Kyprianou
Kayembe
Nabizada 62’
Bravo
Doumbia 70’
Kjerrumgaard

Player stats

Goalkeeper1 player
Sam Tickle
90′ 2 0 23 – – – – –
Defenders5 players
George Tanner
90′ 5 – – 9 3 22 – – – –
Noah Eile Taken off
88′ 1 1 1 4 3 31 1 – – –
Robert Atkinson
90′ 2 – 1 5 3 44 1 – – –
Cameron Pring Came on as a substitute
20′ 1 – – 1 – 2 – – – –
Lisav Naif Eissat Came on as a substitute
2′ – – 1 – – 1 – – – –
Midfielders8 players
Rio Cardines
90′ – 1 24 7 – – – 1 – – –
Joe Williams
90′ – – 34 1 – 2 2 4 – 2
Adam Randell Taken off
88′ – – 24 1 – – 2 4 – 2 –
Yu Hirakawa Taken off
63′ – – 16 – – 2 – 3 1 1 –
Jason Knight
90′ – – 22 1 – – 1 4 2 2
Sam Greenwood Taken off
70′ – – 14 1 – 5 – 7 4 2 –
Jed Wallace Came on as a substitute
27′ – – 4 – – – – 2 1 – –
Gibson Yah Came on as a substitute
2′ – – – – – – – 1 – – –
Forwards2 players
Dominic Ballard Taken off
63′ 1 – 1 1 0.03 – 2 3 1 5 –
Lorent Tolaj Came on as a substitute
27′ – – 3 1 0.35 – 1 3 3 4 –
Came on Taken off Sent off Red is the most in that position for the team

Every player who took the pitch, starters first and then substitutes. A dash means none. xG and xA are expected goals and assists.

Before kick-off

Bristol City win 55% Avg odds 1.72
Draw 24% Avg odds 3.90
Watford win 21% Avg odds 4.41

Chances implied by the average closing odds, with the bookmaker margin removed.

Form going into the game

Bristol City WWWLL
Watford DLLWL

Last five league games before this one, oldest first. Select one to open it.

Previous and next meeting

 Previous meeting: Bristol City 1-2 Watford, 27 Feb 26 Next meeting: Watford vs Bristol City, 20 Feb 27 (upcoming)  All Bristol City vs Watford meetings

Shots, expected goals, timeline, lineups, team and player statistics from Bzzoiro Sports Data (sports.bzzoiro.com). Results and odds from football-data.co.uk.