Javi Gracia has praised the involvement of all of his squad members after Watford's pre-season victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

The Hornets' head coach was pleased with the victory over the German outfit, but was more impressed with the way all of his side pitched in to earn the win.

Watford held a two goal lead after goals from Will Hughes and Andre Gray had put them in the driving seat, but a Moussa Diaby goal halved the deficit midway through the second-half.

Gracia fielded two different teams in each half and after he told the club website he was happy with the way all of his squad demonstrated their ability.

"Against Ajax we conceded the second goal in the last part of the game but today we showed resilience and it’s something good for us," said Gracia.

"The behaviour of all the players, like Harry [Forster], like Ben Wilmot. They all had minutes, all showed what they can do and how they can help the team.

"We started well, we scored and were winning like we did in the first game, but now we kept our level during the whole game, defending more than attacking. We have to improve our offensive game. We know it, but to play two close games against these teams has been the best thing for us.”

After defeat against Ajax in the first of their two matches in Austria, Gracia was happy to be returning to Watford with a win under his belt.

Despite the defeat to the Dutch champions, the Hornets' boss thinks there are a lot of positives to take from their time away.

"To win against this team is a very good reward for us," he said.

"The result is not always important but to finish this way is something to be proud of.

“We are playing against Leverkusen and you can see the quality of their players. They are going to play in Europe and they have an amazing squad.

"To compete against them is good news and is a reward for the hard work we have done this week. It’s something good for us.

“I could say the result is better [than against Ajax], but, to be honest, both are different games. In both games we tried to do good things."