Charlton vs Watford Prediction: Addicks to make triumphant return

Second-tier football returns to The Valley on Saturday (12:30 BST, Sky Sports+) as newly-promoted Charlton Athletic host Watford, who finished 14th in last season's EFL Championship.

Below are my Charlton vs Watford predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this first meeting between the Addicks and Hornets since January 2015.

Team News

After five seasons in League 1, Charlton are back in the Championship, thanks to Macaulay Gillesphey's Wembley winner against Leyton Orient in the third-tier play-off final on May 25.

Nathan Jones has looked to improve his squad and starting options with the summer signings of Charlie Kelman (QPR), Harvey Knibbs (Reading), Thomas Kaminski, Amari'i Bell, Reece Burke (all Luton Town), Tanto Olaofe (Stockport County), Joe Rankin-Costello (Blackburn Rovers) and Sonny Carey (Blackpool).

Thierry Small (Preston North End), meanwhile, is the club's only significant player exit ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Football Odds

Several new Addicks could make their competitive debuts on Saturday, and some, like Kaminski and Kelman, could start at The Valley.

Matty Godden (knee) could miss out on the curtain raiser after missing all of Charlton's pre-season friendlies following a minor operation in the summer, while midfielder Luke Berry and goalkeeper Willia Mannion (both unspecified) are doubts after also playing no part in the Addick's preparation games.

Australian wonderkid Nestory Irankunda (Bayern Munich) is arguably Watford's standout signing this summer, but the 19-year-old is likely to be integrated gradually, so we can probably expect a substitute appearance, at best, on Saturday.

On-loan Udinese forward Luca Kjerrumgaard, who scored 22 times for Odense in last season's Danish Superliga, could start, though, while permanent recruits Hector Kyprianou (Peterborough United) and Vivaldo Semeso (Udinese) are also in with a chance of lining up from the beginning of the game.

Today's Football Fixtures

However, Othmane Maamma (Montpellier) may miss out after failing to play a part in Watford's pre-season fixtures.

Caleb Wiley (Chelsea) has rejoined the Hornets on loan after making 10 appearances in a temporary move last season, and the USA international is likely to join Imran Louza, Moussa Sissoko and Matthew Pollock in the starting XI.

Charlton vs Watford Odds

Charlton are 6/4 to claim all three points on their return to the Championship, implying a 40% probability of success. Watford are 2/1, or a 33.3% chance, to win in south London, while the draw can be backed at 9/4.

Both teams to score is priced at 4/5 and over 2.5 total goals at 11/10.

Kelman is 2/1 to net on his Addicks debut, with Kjerrumgaard 23/10 to open his account for the Hornets.

Match Result - Charlton @ 6/4

Season-openers are a difficult one to predict, made more complex by the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Hornets, who replaced Tom Cleverley with Paulo Pezzolano over the summer. Pezzolano has taken Liverpool Montevideo, Cruzeiro and Real Valladolid to second-tier promotion in Uruguay, Brazil and Spain, respectively, but he's an unknown quantity in England, so we will have to wait and see how things play out over the coming weeks and months - if he lasts that long.

Jones and Charlton are much more familiar to EFL football fans and should still be on a high following last season's successful promotion push.

The Addicks haven't been shy in the market this summer, as they look to cobble together a squad capable of avoiding an instant return to League 1.

They've maintained the core of last season's group, too, so there is continuity in their ranks, and that should help them to make a positive start to the 2025/26 campaign.

Irankunda is an exciting signing for Watford, but he's someone who may become more important as the season progresses, while Moroccan forward Maamma looks unlikely to feature this weekend.

At home, Charlton look poised to collect all three points against a Watford side that lost their final five away games last season and picked up just 17 points on the road in 23 games; only four clubs accrued fewer, and two of them were relegated.

Player to Receive a Card - Moussa Sissoko (WAT) @ 12/5

After a couple of seasons away from Vicarage Road at French side FC Nantes, Sissoko returned to the Hornets last summer and made 40 Championship appearances, 33 of them as a starter.

The Frenchman scored six times, but received as many yellow cards, and was sent off for two bookable offences in a 2-1 defeat to Burnley on April 18.

It remains to be seen whether the 35-year-old starts Watford's opening game of the 2025/26 campaign, but having played a half each in all four of their friendlies and scoring in the 1-1 draw against Leyton Orient, he stands a solid chance, particularly away at The Valley in Pezzolano's first match in charge.

Sissoko spent much of his time on the pitch last season on the right-hand side of Watford's midfield, and should he line up there again on Saturday, he could come up against Charlton left-back Josh Edwards, who was fouled, on average, 1.3 times per game in League 1 last term, while left-winger Tyreece Campbell was fouled 1.6 times per game, on average.

Watford's No. 17 averaged 1.1 fouls per game last season and ended the campaign with three yellows and a red in his final four appearances, so he's certainly someone who likes to get stuck in, and at 12/5, is a viable option in the player card market this weekend.

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