Derby County’s pre-season games programme ahead of the start of the 2022/23 Sky Bet League One season continued on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 defeat against Premier League Leicester City.
The meeting with last season’s Europa Conference League Semi-Finalists at Pride Park Stadium was another worthwhile exercise for the Rams as preparations for the new campaign continue to gather pace.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s well-taken goal early in the second half but the visitors ahead, but Derby hit back to equalise just after the hour as Tom Barkhuizen swept home Conor Hourihane’s excellent left-wing cross.
However, late goals from Patson Daka and Callum Wright were the difference between the two sides in what was for long spells an evenly contested clash.
Interim Manager Liam Rosenior named a strong and experienced Derby side with recent signing Korey Smith making his first appearance after joining as a free agent last weekend to build up his match sharpness.
Fellow new addition David McGoldrick missed out once more with a minor niggle, while Poland international midfielder Krystian Bielik is not yet in full training as he continues to build up his fitness and was not in the matchday squad.
Leicester split their squad across the two warm-up games during the day with the remainder of their squad heading north to face Championship side Preston North End at Deepdale.
Foxes assistant manager Chris Davies oversaw proceedings at Pride Park with Denmark defender Jannik Vestergaard, Belgium midfield duo Dennis Praet and Youri Tielemans and Nigerian striker Iheanacho just some of the international names in their line-up.
Derby made a steady start to the contest with both sets of supporters generating a good atmosphere making the East Midlands contest feel something like a competitive fixture.
Barkhuizen advanced into some good attacking positions early on and the summer recruit from Preston had a long-range strike deflected wide, while Smith almost just failed to connect with the wideman’s delivery from the left-hand side.
Leicester’s first serious attacking moment of the game came after 15 minutes. Iheanacho got away inside the area, but Rams skipper Curtis Davies got back well to make a vital challenge to the delight of the home faithful.
The visitors had a couple of great chances to take the lead just before the midway point of the half as they began to strengthen their grip on proceedings. First Luke Thomas opted to pull the ball back when he was well placed to shoot at the far post and then, moments later, Daka hit the side netting with a low shot inside the Rams’ box.
The latter part of the first half produced little in terms of opportunities, but both sides made for an enjoyable watch with some good passages of play as they sought to make the breakthrough.
After a quiet start following the break, Leicester opened the scoring ten minutes into the second half. A quick passage of play down the right-hand side saw Iheanacho bring a pass from the wing under control and his left-foot strike from the edge of the area flashed through the legs of Chester and beyond the reach of Wildsmith.
Derby responded well and got themselves back level within ten minutes following a fine team move.
Vice-captain Max Bird spread the ball out wide with a fine pass towards Hourihane on the left to get the Rams moving up the pitch. The Republic of Ireland international advanced forward before delivering an inviting cross into the box which Barkhuizen met with his right-foot to superbly guide the ball into the back of the net.
Both sides made changes over the course of the second half, which naturally impacted the flow of the game, with Derby introducing the likes of Kwaku Oduroh, Louie Sibley and Craig Forsyth into the action.
A Forsyth cross, a few moments after coming on, created an opening for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing at the far post but, after bringing the ball under control, he sliced his effort off target as Derby went close to taking the lead for the first time.
Leicester went on to net the winner with just over ten minutes remaining. A lofted ball in behind the Derby backline saw Daka evade the offside trap and the striker had time and space to keep his cool to finish low beyond the onrushing Wildsmith.
As the clock ticked down the Foxes went on to add a third to see the game out with some breathing space as substitute Wright tapped home from close range after Wildsmith had a made a good save to deny Tielemans.
With just a week to go until the season-opener against Oxford at Pride Park Stadium, Rosenior’s side have another week on the training ground - in addition to a trip to Alfreton Town on Tuesday evening in their final friendly outings - to look forward to before the prize of points is up for grabs once more.
Derby County: Wildsmith (GK), Knight, Davies (C) (Cashin 87), Chester, Roberts (Forsyth 73), Smith (Oduroh 58), Bird, Hourihane (Thompson 82), Barkhuizen (Sibley 73), Mendez-Laing (Stretton 80), Collins.
Substitutes Not Used: Loach (GK), Stearman, Robinson.
Leicester City: Stolarczyk (GK), Soyuncu, Tielemans (C), Iheanacho (Wright 83), Amartey, Vestergaard, Ndidi (Mendy 62), Praet (Choudhury 77), Castagne, Daka, Thomas.
Substitutes Not Used: Odunze (GK), Marcal-Madivadua, Flynn, Maswanhise, Alves.
Attendance: 9,805 (2,376 away supporters).
