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Watford welcome Peterborough United to Vicarage Road on Tuesday for an EFL Cup second-round tie, with the Championship hosts looking to maintain their unbeaten start under Alessio Dionisi.
The Hornets have collected two wins and a draw from their opening three competitive matches, while the visitors have won two of their first three fixtures despite suffering a 2-0 league defeat at Bradford City.
The two clubs have not met since Peterborough's 3-2 Championship victory in April 2013, but Watford will take confidence from their recent record at Vicarage Road against Posh.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Watford vs Peterborough United key stats
- Watford have avoided defeat in each of their first three competitive matches this season.
- Peterborough lost their only away game this season against Bradford City.
- Watford have won their two home games this season, against Crawley Town and Southampton.
- There have been over 2.5 goals in three of the last five meetings between Watford and Peterborough.
Watford vs Peterborough United preview: Hornets aim to maintain unbeaten start
Watford vs Peterborough United — Tale of the Tape
| Watford | vs | Peterborough United |
|---|---|---|
| 7th | Position | 13 |
| 4 | Points | 3 |
| 3 | Goals For | 2 |
| 2 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 8th | Home / Away Rank | 23rd |
Watford head into Tuesday's cup tie with plenty of encouragement from the opening weeks of Alessio Dionisi's reign, with the Italian coach yet to taste defeat since taking charge.
Dionisi began his tenure with a narrow 1-0 victory over League Two Crawley Town in the opening round of the EFL Cup before Watford carried that momentum into their Championship opener against Southampton, securing a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets were unable to make it three wins from three on Saturday, although they still left Wrexham with a point after Luca Kjerrumgaard's early goal was cancelled out by Danny Imray before half time.
That 1-1 draw leaves Watford unbeaten from their opening three competitive fixtures and provides a solid platform for Dionisi as he attempts to establish his preferred style at the club.
The EFL Cup has also offered Watford an opportunity to progress beyond the second round in recent seasons, having reached this stage in 2024-25 defeating Plymouth Argyle 2-0 before Manchester City ended their run in the following round.
Home advantage should be important again on Tuesday, particularly against a Peterborough side that have already lost away from home in League One this season.
Watford also have a favourable recent cup record against Posh, having avoided defeat in their previous three meetings in major cup competitions. The last meeting between the sides came in April 2013, when Peterborough recorded a 3-2 Championship victory.
Peterborough arrive at Vicarage Road having made an encouraging start of their own, although their opening results have highlighted some inconsistency.
Luke Williams's side began the campaign with a 1-0 victory away to Bristol Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup, giving them an early opportunity to build momentum in the competition.
Their league opener brought a different outcome, as Peterborough were beaten 2-0 by Bradford City at Valley Parade, though they responded positively on their return to home soil, securing a 1-0 victory over Mansfield Town.
That late winner means Peterborough have won two of their three competitive matches, although Tuesday represents a considerably more difficult test because they are returning to the road against a Championship opponent.
Williams will also be taking his side into the second round of the EFL Cup for the first time since 2023-24, when Peterborough defeated Portsmouth on penalties.
The visitors can draw some encouragement from their most recent meeting with Watford, but their record at Vicarage Road offers considerably less optimism, with Peterborough having lost on each of their previous two visits to the ground, with those defeats coming in 2011 and 2012.
Watford vs Peterborough form guide & betting tips
| Watford | vs | Peterborough United |
|---|---|---|
W
L
W
W
D
|
Form | W
L
W
L
W
|
| 7 | Goals For | 5 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 6 |
W |
EFL Cup | W |
Whispers predicts: Watford 2-1 Peterborough United
Watford have made an unbeaten start under Dionisi and have already demonstrated their ability to win at Vicarage Road, and the Hornets should have enough quality to control the game and advance here.
We predict Watford to win at 1.55 (11/20), while both teams to score is priced at around 1.62 (5/8). Watford's stronger home form makes them the preferred result selection, with Over 2.5 goals at around 1.57 (4/7) also offering value in what could become an open cup tie.
> Match result – Watford to win at 1.55 (11/20) | Likelihood: Likely
> Over 2.5 goals at 1.57 (4/7) | Likelihood: Likely
> Both teams to score at 1.62 (5/8) | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score – Watford 2-1 Peterborough United at 15.00 (14/1) | Likelihood: Outsider