Watford 0-0 Middlesbrough: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings

How the match unfolded

It finished 0-0. Both defences held from the first whistle to the last, and the chances that came were not taken.

The referee, G. Ward, showed 4 yellow cards: 1 to Watford and 3 to Middlesbrough.

Watford: A. Dionisi, 5-3-2 · Middlesbrough: K. Hellberg, 4-3-3.

Moneyball's prediction against the result

Moneyball's Match Board pick, Under 3.00, was right: 0-0 bears it out.

The estimate's most likely result was a Middlesbrough win at 64%; a draw, at 21%, is what happened. Its single most likely score was 0-2 (11%).

The goals dried up: the estimate expected about 3.0 and the match produced none.

Over 2.5 goals had been put at 57%; with 0 goals the under came in, against the way the estimate leaned.

Both teams to score was 52%; they did not both score, against the estimate.

The pre-match consensus had a Middlesbrough win at 65%, the same lean as Moneyball.

Computed before kick-off from both sides' season goals and expected goals as of 2026-11-07, through a Dixon-Coles score model, and left as it was.

Why it went this way

On the day the expected goals were 1.90 for Watford and 0.44 for Middlesbrough.

Watford scored about 1.9 fewer than their chances were worth: poor finishing, or a goalkeeper at his best.

Watford created the better chances, 1.90 xG to 0.44, and still did not win. On chances alone, the result could easily have gone the other way.

The run of play itself went against the pre-match reading: Moneyball expected Middlesbrough to create more, and Watford did.

Watford had 1 shot on target, Middlesbrough 4.

Middlesbrough had 74% of the ball.

Where the two sides stood before this match

Watford came into it with 15 Championship matches played, scoring 0.9 and conceding 1.5 a match, with 1.04 expected goals for and 1.81 against, and had won 27% of their matches.

Middlesbrough came into it with 15 Championship matches played, scoring 2.0 and conceding 1.3 a match, with 1.99 expected goals for and 1.01 against, and had won 53% of their matches.

Watford vs Middlesbrough: the match in numbers

Team statistics from Sportmonks.

Player ratings and man of the match

Man of the match: Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), rated 8.1 by Sportmonks.

Watford

• Mattie Pollock 7.5
• Federico Ravaglia 7.2
• Martín Payero 7.2
• Iker Bravo 7.0
• Mamadou Doumbia 6.9

Middlesbrough

• Aidan Morris 8.1
• J. Sarmiento 7.7
• Callum Brittain 7.3
• Adilson Malanda 7.2
• Riley McGree 7.2

The lowest-rated starter was Krépin Diatta at 6.4. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.

What comes next

• Watford: Sheffield United vs Watford Saturday 21 November 2026 · Championship
• Middlesbrough: Middlesbrough vs Bristol City Saturday 21 November 2026 · Championship

Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.

Questions about Watford vs Middlesbrough

What was the score in Watford vs Middlesbrough?

Watford 0-0 Middlesbrough (half-time 0-0), Championship, Saturday 7 November 2026.

Who scored in Watford vs Middlesbrough?

Nobody: the match finished 0-0.

Did Moneyball predict Watford vs Middlesbrough correctly?

Moneyball's Match Board pick, Under 3.00, was right: 0-0 bears it out.

Who was man of the match in Watford vs Middlesbrough?

Aidan Morris, rated 8.1 by Sportmonks.

Who refereed Watford vs Middlesbrough?

G. Ward.