Watford v Ipswich Town: play-off charge meets top-half push | OneFootball

Watford host Ipswich Town in the Championship at Vicarage Road on Tuesday, 24 February 2026, with the visitors protecting a top-six spot and the hosts eyeing the play-offs.

The reverse fixture finished 1-1 in November 2025, and the last three league meetings brought two draws and one Ipswich Town win.

Form points to a tight game. The Hornets have taken five points from their past three league matches, including a 2-0 win over Derby. The Tractor Boys lost 5-3 at Wrexham last time out in the league, but that followed a win at Derby and a home draw with Preston.

Squad availability could shape selections. Watford list Hector Matthew Kyprianou, Kwadwo Baah, Rocco Vata and Othmane Maamma as injured. Ipswich note Ashley Young, Conor Townsend and Jaden Philogene sidelined.

Season-long trends hint at contrasting routes. The Tractor Boys have scored 54 and kept 10 clean sheets, averaging 56% possession with 81.64% passing accuracy. Anis Mehmeti has nine goals and six assists, while Marcelino Núñez leads with eight assists, and Jack Clarke sits on 12 league goals. The Hornets have 43 goals, 51% possession and 80.50% pass completion. Luca Kjerrumgaard is on eight league goals and Imran Louzan has seven assists. Watford's 464 open-play crosses at 20.04% accuracy suggest wide supply could be a theme.

In the table picture, the Hornets would move to 51 points with a win and could edge closer to the play-off places. The Tractor Boys would climb to 57 with victory and may strengthen their hold on the top six.