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After securing an EFL Cup win earlier this week, Derby County will be eager to claim their first Championship victory of the season as they host an in-form Middlesbrough at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams had a disappointing return to the second tier last weekend, suffering a defeat, while Middlesbrough kicked off their campaign with a narrow win over Swansea City.
Derby County returned to Championship action after a two-year absence, but their comeback was marred by a 4-2 defeat at Ewood Park last Friday night. Despite second-half goals from Curtis Nelson and Kane Wilson, the Rams fell short against Blackburn Rovers. The newly-promoted side struggled defensively, conceding goals to Tyrhys Dolan, Andreas Weimann, Yuki Ohashi, and last season’s Golden Boot winner, Sammie Szmodics, marking the first time since February 2023 that they conceded four goals in a competitive match.
One bright spot for Derby was veteran winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who assisted both goals and looks set to play a crucial role this season following the departures of Conor Hourihane and Martyn Waghorn.
Pressure was mounting on Derby manager Paul Warne during Tuesday night’s EFL Cup first-round match when Chesterfield’s Armando Dobra scored the opening goal at Pride Park. However, the Rams managed to turn things around, advancing to the next stage with goals from Liam Thompson and substitute Kayden Jackson.
Derby will need to make Pride Park a fortress this season to avoid a quick return to League One, as they did during their 2023-24 campaign when they conceded just 18 goals across 23 home matches in the third tier.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough has made an impressive start to the 2024-25 season, winning both their Championship opener against Swansea City and their EFL Cup clash with Leeds United without conceding a goal. Emmanuel Latte Lath, tipped to be one of the division’s top scorers this year, confidently converted a penalty to secure three points on the opening weekend.
Boro’s depth was on display during their midweek EFL Cup match at Elland Road, where goals from Anfernee Dijksteel, new signing Delano Burgzorg, and striker Josh Coburn secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Leeds. For Dijksteel, it was a particularly memorable night as he scored his first goal for the club, breaking a 131-game drought since joining from Charlton Athletic five years ago.
As Middlesbrough edges closer to signing Bristol City’s Tommy Conway for £4.5 million, Coburn’s strong performance at Elland Road has significantly boosted his chances of earning first-team minutes, although the young forward might still leave the club before the transfer window closes.
