Follow live coverage as Watford face Portsmouth in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Relegation from the top flight last term means Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will Norwich City, an improving Coventry and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United. At the other end of the table, Wayne Rooney is aiming to revive Plymouth’s fortunes after they narrowly avoided relegation last year, with Portsmouth and Derby the teams promoted from League One along with play-off final winners Oxford.
Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Watford FC 2 - 1 Portsmouth FC
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:55Owen Moxon (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:51Ryan Porteous (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:50Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:50Owen Moxon (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:50Kwadwo Baah (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:49Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Ryan Andrews.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:48Substitution, Watford. Moussa Sissoko replaces Edo Kayembe.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:46Hand ball by Vakoun Bayo (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:45Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:45Delay in match (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:44Attempt missed. Paddy Lane (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Connor Ogilvie with a headed pass.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:43Foul by Ryan Porteous (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:43Kwadwo Baah (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:43Foul by Imrân Louza (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:43Substitution, Watford. Vakoun Bayo replaces Daniel Jebbison.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:40Daniel Jebbison (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:40Substitution, Portsmouth. Owen Moxon replaces Callum Lang.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:40Substitution, Portsmouth. Terry Devlin replaces Zak Swanson.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:37Foul by Yasser Larouci (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:37Paddy Lane (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:40Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:35Zak Swanson (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:40Delay in match because of an injury Imrân Louza (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:35Rocco Vata (Watford) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:35Attempt saved. Ryan Andrews (Watford) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ryan Porteous.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:31Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Yasser Larouci.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:31Substitution, Watford. Ryan Andrews replaces Jeremy Ngakia.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:27Corner, Watford. Conceded by Nicolas Schmid.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:29Attempt saved. Kwadwo Baah (Watford) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Jebbison.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:27Corner, Watford. Conceded by Connor Ogilvie.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:24Callum Lang (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:23Mattie Pollock (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:22Foul by Imrân Louza (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:20Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:20Yasser Larouci (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:18Nicolas Schmid (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:18Edo Kayembe (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:17Goal! Watford 1, Portsmouth 1. Edo Kayembe (Watford) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:17Penalty Watford. Kwadwo Baah draws a foul in the penalty area.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:17Marlon Pack (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:17Penalty conceded by Freddie Potts (Portsmouth) after a foul in the penalty area.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:14Foul by Jeremy Ngakia (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:13Attempt missed. Jeremy Ngakia (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:12Corner, Watford. Conceded by Callum Lang.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:12Corner, Watford. Conceded by Zak Swanson.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:11Kwadwo Baah (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:10Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Mattie Pollock.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:13Attempt blocked. Daniel Jebbison (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kwadwo Baah with a cross.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:06Corner, Watford. Conceded by Freddie Potts.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:06Attempt blocked. Rocco Vata (Watford) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jeremy Ngakia.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:04Second Half begins Watford 0, Portsmouth 1.
Watford vs Portsmouth
16:09Substitution, Portsmouth. Paddy Lane replaces Matt Ritchie.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:48First Half ends, Watford 0, Portsmouth 1.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:48Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:41Offside, Watford. Ryan Porteous is caught offside.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:41Corner, Watford. Conceded by Josh Murphy.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:41Attempt blocked. Edo Kayembe (Watford) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Giorgi Chakvetadze.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:38Attempt missed. Ryan Porteous (Watford) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is too high. Assisted by Giorgi Chakvetadze with a cross following a corner.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:37Corner, Watford. Conceded by Connor Ogilvie.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:37Imrân Louza (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:35Imrân Louza (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:35Foul by Kwadwo Baah (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:35Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:31Delay in match because of an injury Matt Ritchie (Portsmouth).
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:31Kwadwo Baah (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:30Foul by Kwadwo Baah (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:28Yasser Larouci (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:27Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Ryan Porteous.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:26Corner, Watford. Conceded by Matt Ritchie.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:26Attempt blocked. Jeremy Ngakia (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Imrân Louza.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:26Corner, Watford. Conceded by Freddie Potts.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:26Attempt missed. Mattie Pollock (Watford) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Imrân Louza with a cross following a corner.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:24Corner, Watford. Conceded by Connor Ogilvie.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:23Foul by James Morris (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:20Foul by Daniel Jebbison (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:16Attempt missed. Josh Murphy (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:15Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Yasser Larouci.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:13Ryan Porteous (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:11Goal! Watford 0, Portsmouth 1. Zak Swanson (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the right side of the box following a set piece situation.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:10Foul by Imrân Louza (Watford).
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:08Attempt missed. Callum Lang (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:05Attempt saved. Daniel Jebbison (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Giorgi Chakvetadze.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:05Attempt saved. Daniel Jebbison (Watford) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Yasser Larouci with a cross.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:02Corner, Watford. Conceded by Zak Swanson.
Watford vs Portsmouth
15:01First Half begins.
Watford vs Portsmouth
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Watford vs Portsmouth
13:00Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.
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