3/1 To Win
Derby County’s 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship fixtures have been revealed – and dcfc.co.uk has picked out five games to get excited about.
Frank Lampard will be looking to once again mount a promotion challenge with the Rams after reaching the Play-Off Final last term.
Here are five key dates to look out for:
Huddersfield Town Vs Derby County
Monday 5th August 2019
The opening game of the season is always an occasion to relish and Derby have been handed a challenging first fixture away to Huddersfield Town.
The Terriers are back in the Championship after plying their trade in the Premier League for the last two seasons.
Both sides will have strong aspirations and with the game selected for live coverage, it’ll be an eye-catching clash to round off the opening weekend’s matches.
Derby were victorious on the opening day of last season, with Tom Lawrence scoring a stoppage time winner as the Rams claimed a 2-1 victory at Reading in Lampard’s first game as manager.
Leeds United Vs Derby County
Saturday 21st September 2019
There’s been a long-standing rivalry between Derby County and Leeds United running all the way back to the 1970s.
The sides met four times last season and it’s fair to say the rivalry intensified as they both battled it out for promotion.
While Leeds defeated Derby three times, twice in the league and in the Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg, the Rams stepped up at Elland Road in the Semi-Final Second Leg to win 4-3 on aggregate to reach the Play-Off Final.
It proved to be a special night at Elland Road back in May as Derby’s players, staff and fans celebrated together after making Play-Off history – and a trip back to Yorkshire will evoke happy memories.
Derby County Vs Barnsley
Wednesday 1st January 2020
The festive fixtures always provide a special feel.
While Derby are away on Boxing Day, at Wigan Athletic, a New Year’s Day fixture on home turf is well worth looking forward to.
Barnsley are back in the Championship after claiming automatic promotion from League 1 last season and will be the first visitors to Pride Park Stadium in 2020.
The visitors are sure to bring a big away following from South Yorkshire and, as a result, a packed-out Pride Park is almost certainly assured to get the New Year off and running.
Derby County Vs Nottingham Forest
Saturday 4th April 2020
The East Midlands derby clashes with Nottingham Forest are amongst the first fixtures supporters look out for on Fixture Release Day.
This season, the Rams’ home clash with the Reds comes much later in the season.
The 2019/20 campaign will be the first since the 2015/16 season that Derby have faced Forest at the City Ground first, with the trip across Brian Clough Way scheduled for early November.
A full house and both local bragging rights and the Brian Clough Trophy up for grabs, what is there not to look forward to?
Derby County Vs Leeds United
Saturday 25th April 2020
The penultimate weekend of the campaign will see Leeds United visit Pride Park Stadium, so Derby’s final home game of the season is set to be a cracker.
Both sides will have strong aspirations of being in the promotion mix, so it could be some occasion if there’s something riding on the game for either or both clubs.
Meetings between Derby and Leeds have regularly been full of goals and drama, especially at Pride Park.
Goals are assured when the clubs meet and the last five games between the two clubs in the league at Pride Park have yielded 15 in total.
