The second pre-season friendly of the season against Greek side Panathinakos ended in a 0-0 in the picturesque surroundings of Kaiserwinkle Arena.

It was a game of few clear chances but Watford had the best of it, and Joao Pedro was the stand-out player as he was willing to both come deep to get on the ball but also run in behind.

The Hornets played 3-5-2 throughout, and the speed at which they moved the ball around caught the eye. The crispness of their passing in midfield was impressive with both Edo Kayembe and Tom Dele-Bashiru performing well.

The press was there throughout, although used selectively. When they did utilise it though, Watford hunted in packs with several players always working as a unit.

There were very few nervous moments at the back in either half with the Greek side’s only two efforts of note both from distance. Samir looked noticeably more comfortable on the left side of a three than he did in a back four last season.

Colombian Yaser Asprilla – who only arrived in Austria on Thursday night – was given a run out for the last 20 minutes and looked tidy as well as combative.

All in all, a pretty typical pre-season game with the plus points being long spells of possession, the clean sheet and the form of Pedro.

The first chance of the game came after seven minutes when the Greek side didn’t clear their lines and Vakoun Bayo seized on a loose ball, swivelling to hit a shot that Brignoli held.

There were some penalty appeals when Joao Pedro turned well in the area and went down under pressure from two defenders before he was sent away on the left after clever interplay with Dele-Bashiru, but the young Brazilian’s curling shot was saved.

The only work for Daniel Bachmann came in the 26th minute when he comfortably held a 25-yard effort from Ioannidis.

Dan Gosling forced Brignoli to tip a 20-yard rising shot over the bar and right on half-time Kayembe played a quick pass into the feet of Bayo, who side-stepped a defender and hit a low shot which the Greek side’s keeper smothered.

As with many pre-season games, the second half had less pattern to it with both sides making a raft of changes at half-time – and the Hornets then made six more during then half.

Pedro continued to look the most threatening, in the 54th minute unleashing a low-right foot shot that Kabetsis fumbled round the post, before bursting into the box a minute later to stab a shot past the keeper but beyond the back post.

In fact, he drew a fully-deserved yellow card for Ganea after he totally wiped out the striker with a challenge that was more league game and less friendly.

The one save of note that Maduka Okoye was forced into came after 63 minutes when he got down well to push Carlito’s low curling free-kick round the target.

James Morris went into the book for a foul, and the game petered out in the closing 20 minutes with only a rising shot from Adedapo Mabude that was comfortably held to show at either end.

Watford: Bachmann; Cathcart, Kabasele, Samir; Ngakia, Dele-Bashiru, Gosling, Kayembe, Sema; Joao Pedro, Bayo. Subs: Okoye, Hungbo, Quina, Kamara, and Kalu for Bachmann, Ngakia, Gosling, Sema, and Bayo (all half-time); Pollock, Baah, McKiernan, Mabude and Morris for Cathcart, Joao Pedro, Samir, Dele-Bashiru and Kayembe after 61 mins; Asprilla for Kabasele after 72 mins.