Cardiff City vs Watford: match statistics
Cardiff City vs Watford: form, goals and key statistics
Game details
Cardiff City played against Watford in Championship (England). The game was played on October 13, 2026. Venue: Cardiff City Stadium. Final score: 5:1.
Recent form
Cardiff City has 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses over its last five games, averaging 0.80 points per game. Watford has 1 win, 0 draws and 4 losses, with 0.60 points per game.
Scoring records
Cardiff City scores 1.22 goals per game and allows 1.56. Watford scores 0.78 and allows 1.56. Games in this league average 2.83 goals.
BTTS and goal totals
Both teams score in 78% of Cardiff City's games and 56% of Watford's. The Over 2.5 rates are 56% and 44%, compared with league averages of 66% for BTTS and 62% for Over 2.5.
xG and shots
Cardiff City has the higher season xG average, 2.01 to 1.31 per game. Cardiff City takes 17.6 shots per game, while Watford takes 11.9.
First-half and second-half trends
Cardiff City leads at halftime in 22% of its games and scores 0.56 goals per game after halftime. Watford leads at halftime in 11% and scores 0.33 after halftime.
When the teams score
Cardiff City's most productive scoring window is minutes 61-75 (3 goals). For Watford, it is minutes 0-15 (2 goals). These are past scoring patterns, not predicted goal times.
League scoring profile
Championship games average 2.83 goals. Both teams score in 66% of games, and 62% finish with at least three goals.
Head-to-head record
There is not enough head-to-head history for a meaningful comparison.
Archived pre-match analysis
This analysis was prepared before kick-off. The conclusions use only information available before the match and do not include the final result or post-match statistics.
General match analysis
Cardiff City have a clear advantage in their home-match statistics: they average 1.75 goals and generate an xG of 2.47, while Watford score just 0.25 goals away from home with an xG of 1.14. The hosts register 22.5 shots per home match, compared with Watford’s 10 shots per away match, which boosts Cardiff’s chances of creating more opportunities. Watford have failed to win any of their 4 away matches, losing 3 and failing to score in 75% of them. Both teams remain in poor form — Cardiff have scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches, while Watford have managed just 3 — but the hosts’ attacking potential points to a Cardiff win. The draw risk is significant, as Cardiff have drawn 3 of their 4 home matches and have kept no clean sheets in any of them.
View the statistical overviewBTTS - will both teams score?
The strongest signal against both teams scoring is Watford’s away scoring record: they average just 0.25 goals and have failed to score in 75% of those matches. Cardiff average 1.5 goals at home, while Watford concede 1.25 goals away, making a home goal more likely than an away goal. The risk to this pick is that Cardiff have yet to keep a clean sheet at home, and Watford’s away xG stands at 1.14, indicating some attacking potential. Even so, Watford have scored just 3 goals in total across their last 5 matches, and their away BTTS rate is 25%, compared with 100% in Cardiff’s home matches. The balance of evidence points to at least one team failing to score (BTTS - No).
View BTTS statisticsOver/Under - goals analysis
All of Cardiff’s home matches and Watford’s away matches to date have finished with under 3.5 goals, making this the strongest signal for this line. Cardiff average 1.5 goals at home, while Watford score just 0.25 goals away and have failed to find the net in 75% of matches. Although Cardiff’s home xG is 1.39 and Watford’s away xG is 1.14, the visitors are poor at converting their chances, with a shot conversion rate of 3%. Over their last five matches, both teams have conceded an average of 1.4 goals, but only 40% of each team’s matches have gone Over 2.5 goals. The 2.25-goal projection points to a clear advantage for Under 3.5 goals, despite the league average of 2.92.
View Over/Under statisticsHT/FT - half-time and full-time scenario
The strongest scenario is Cardiff City leading at the break and winning at the final whistle. Watford have been trailing at half-time in each of their last five matches, scoring no first-half goals and conceding an average of 1.2. At home, Cardiff score an average of 0.75 goals before the break, while Watford concede an average of 1.25 in the first half away from home. The full-time record also supports Cardiff holding on to their lead: the hosts have won 50% of their home matches and score an average of 1.5 goals there, while the visitors have lost 75% of their away matches and score just 0.25 goals on average. The sample covers only four home and four away matches, so a half-time draw remains a realistic alternative; however, Cardiff’s advantage across both sets of figures points to HT/FT pick 1/1.
View first-half and second-half statisticsStats by half
Game stats
Pre-game profile— what do the season numbers say?
This team profile combines season stats and recent form. In-game statistics appear after the final whistle.
Team stats— who is more efficient?
Compare both teams' attacking and defensive records this season.
Shooting quality
| Cardiff City | Watford | |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy (shots on target) | 34% | 32% |
| Chance quality (xG per shot) | 0.11 | 0.11 |
| Finishing (goals per shot on target) | 0.20 | 0.21 |
xG per shot around 0.08 usually means long-range attempts; 0.15+ usually means box chances. The style label comes from possession, shot volume and conversion.
* xG (expected goals) says how many goals a team should score from its chances. If actual goals are above xG, finishing is above average; if below xG, chances are being missed.
Team form— who is in better shape?
Last five games and season record, overall, at home and away.
Cardiff City is 33% better for: last-5 form.
0.8 pts / game - Cardiff City · 0.6 pts / game - Watford
Goals— how do both teams score and concede?
How many goals both teams score and concede, plus how often they keep a clean sheet or fail to score.
Cardiff City is 56% better for: goals scored per game.
1.22 goals / game - Cardiff City · 0.78 goals / game - Watford
Cardiff City scores in 78% of games (7 of 9 games), while Watford keeps a clean sheet in 0% (0 of 9 games).
Watford scores in 56% of games (5 of 9 games), while Cardiff City keeps a clean sheet in 0% (0 of 9 games).
How often they score at least...
How often they concede at least...
* Statistics include both teams' home and away games this season.
Both teams scored (BTTS)— how often do both teams score?
How often games involving these teams produce goals at both ends, compared with the league average.
Goal patterns
BTTS and goal count
Goal count (Over/Under)— how often do these games cross the goal lines?
See how often games involving these teams clear each goal line, for the full game and each half.
Full game - team comparison (Over)
Over / Under - Cardiff City
Over / Under - Watford
1st half
2nd half
Game halves— when do the teams score more often?
How teams split performance between first and second half: goals, points, clean sheets and half-time state.
Cardiff City is 59% better for: first-half form (half-time points).
0.89 pts / game - Cardiff City · 0.56 pts / game - Watford
Before half-time (1st half)
After half-time (2nd half)
Cardiff City - second-half results
Leads at halftime in 22% of games and wins 11%. Sometimes gives up a halftime lead.
Defense stays consistent across the full game.
Watford - second-half results
Leads at halftime in 11% of games and wins 22%. Also wins some games without leading at halftime.
Defense stays consistent across the full game.
| 1st half | 2nd half | |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 0.80 | 1.80 |
| Goals scored / game | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Goals allowed / game | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Average goals per game | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| 1 goal | 80% | 100% |
| 2 goals | 40% | 0% |
| 3 goals | 20% | 0% |
| Clean sheet | 20% | 60% |
| No goal | 80% | 40% |
| Goal difference | -3 | +1 |
| 1st half | 2nd half | |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 0.00 | 1.20 |
| Goals scored / game | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Goals allowed / game | 1.4 | 0.4 |
| Average goals per game | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| 1 goal | 100% | 60% |
| 2 goals | 20% | 40% |
| 3 goals | 20% | 0% |
| Clean sheet | 0% | 60% |
| No goal | 100% | 60% |
| Goal difference | -7 | +1 |
* Table colors show frequency: green is common, yellow is moderate and red is rare. They are not team ratings.
Goals by minute— when do goals arrive?
The parts of a game in which both teams score and allow the most goals.
Most dangerous in minutes 61-75 (3 goals). Concedes most in 16-30 (4). Late-goal balance (76-90): 0.
Most dangerous in minutes 0-15 (2 goals). Concedes most in 16-30 (5). Late-goal balance (76-90): +1 - wins late phases.
* Buckets 31-45 and 76-90 include added-time goals.
Additional team indicators— what do xG, efficiency and form show?
A comparison of chance quality, results and trends from completed games this season.
Game profile
Cardiff City
Watford
* The estimated goal total and split, BTTS estimate, 0:0 risk and goal range use public season averages and frequencies for both teams. This is a statistical game profile, not a private model prediction or betting pick. The remaining indicators describe completed games from the season.
League context— is this a high-scoring league?
How both teams compare with league-wide averages (Championship).
Teams vs league
| Cardiff City | Liga | Watford | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average goals per game | • 2.78 | 2.83 | ▼ 2.33 |
| Both teams scored | ▲ 78% | 66% | ▼ 56% |
| Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5) | ▼ 56% | 62% | ▼ 44% |
| Clean sheets | ▼ 0% | 20% | ▼ 0% |
| Goal before half-time | ▲ 89% | 79% | ▲ 100% |
| Goal after half-time | ▲ 89% | 78% | ▼ 44% |
^ green = above league average, ˇ red = below league average. This shows direction of the gap, not a team rating.
Lineups and player events
Verified starters, substitutes and recorded player events for this match.
Home team
Starting lineup
Substitutes
Away team
Starting lineup
Match timeline
Goals, cards and substitutions arranged in chronological order.
Referee and managers
Open their season profiles to compare match records, goals and disciplinary trends.
FAQ
What was the result of Cardiff City vs Watford?
The Championship match finished Cardiff City 5:1 Watford. Full match statistics, the half-by-half breakdown and head-to-head are on this page.
What do the goal statistics show before Cardiff City vs Watford?
Cardiff City score 1.22 goals per game on average and Watford 0.78. The Championship average is 2.83 goals, with Over 2.5 landing in 62% of games. Both teams score in 78% of Cardiff City's matches and 56% of Watford's.
What form are Cardiff City and Watford in?
Over the last 5 games Cardiff City have a 1-1-3 record (0.80 points per game) and Watford 1-0-4 (0.60 points per game).
Where can I find a betting tip and analysis for Cardiff City vs Watford?
The statistical background for Cardiff City vs Watford — form, head-to-head, goals, BTTS and Over/Under — is on this page. The tip with full reasoning and a value assessment is in the NoFluffPicks app.