Watford travel to face Bristol City on Friday night looking to end a run of two straight defeats. The Championship fixture at Ashton Gate is the final league game for both sides before the international break.

Alessio Dionisi, the Watford manager, is keen for his team to respond quickly after a 2-1 home loss to Stoke City last Saturday. He believes the immediate chance to play again is beneficial. "I am happy now, because there is another match," Dionisi said. "When we lose, it is better to play another game."

He expects a tough challenge against a Bristol City side managed by Michael Skubala, who took charge before the season began. The Robins are currently 13th in the Championship table with 10 points from seven matches, a position confirmed by the latest standings. Dionisi noted that Bristol City lost 1-0 at home to Lincoln City on Tuesday but felt they performed well in that match.

Focus on out-of-possession work

Dionisi has identified defensive organisation as the key area for improvement ahead of the trip. He pointed to lapses without the ball as the reason for the defeat against Stoke. "It is important to get a good result, but it is impossible if we don’t work together out of possession," he stated. "Against Stoke, this was the problem. On Friday I’m sure my team wants this, and we will work for this."

He acknowledged the quality throughout the division, making every fixture a test. "Every match is difficult this season," Dionisi added. "It is not easy because every club has good players who can score."

Support and schedule

Watford will be backed by a travelling support of around 1,000 fans at Ashton Gate, which Dionisi described as fantastic. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, kicking off at 8pm on Friday, September 18. It forms part of a challenging run of games for Bristol City, whose full fixtures list shows the schedule ahead.

For Bristol City, the game offers a chance to bounce back from their midweek loss and improve on a recent form line that reads two losses, three wins and a draw from their last six. The last meeting between the sides ended in a 2-1 win for Watford at Ashton Gate back in February.

Background and full detail: watfordfc.com