Thu 21 Aug - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 5mins
Derby County will host Bristol City in their second home fixture of the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season on Friday (8pm kick-off).
Head Coach John Eustace’s side will be looking to get points on the board at Pride Park Stadium, after falling to defeat in their opening two league matches, against Stoke City on the road, and Coventry City on home turf last week.
The game comes before a Tuesday night trip to Burnley in the Carabao Cup Second Round following the Rams’ penalty shoot-out success against West Bromwich Albion earlier this month.
The Rams will take to the Pride Park pitch to play the Robins under the floodlights on Friday night.
Tickets for the Rams' Bristol City meeting are still available online and over the phone until ONE hour before kick-off.
The Ticket Office will be open for in-person purchases at least THREE hours before kick-off.
Find out more ticket details for Friday evening's match by clicking here.
Last season was the most successful in recent memory for Bristol City. The Robins reached the Championship Play-Offs for the first time in 17 years under the tutelage of Head Coach Liam Manning.
Ultimately, Bristol came out firmly defeated, losing 6-0 across the two-legged semi-final against Sheffield United. But the defeat can take nothing away from a season in which they notched 17 wins and 17 draws in 46 matches.
Ashton Gate was a crucial factor in the Robins’ positive campaign; only promotion-winning Leeds United and Burnley, and play-off finalists Sheffield United, bettered their 13 wins on home soil last season.
Following his Bristolian success, Manning departed the Cider Men in the summer, opting to return to manage his boyhood club, Norwich City, becoming their new Head Coach.
In his place came Gerhard Struber, previously familiar to the Championship from a stint with Barnsley from 2019 to 2020. The Austrian Head Coach has since worked for New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzburg and Cologne.
Struber will be hoping to continue where Manning left off, and that four points from their first two matches is a sign of things to come.
Bristol triumphed with an emphatic 4-1 win over play-off nemesis Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on the opening day, before playing out a goalless draw with Charlton Athletic at home last weekend.
Two graduates of the Derby County Academy have made the move to Ashton Gate over the last few seasons.
Jason Knight racked up 166 appearances for the Rams after rising through the youth ranks, and 2023/24 League One promotion-winning midfielder Max Bird featured 200 times in Derby colours.
Both 24-year-olds were stalwarts of the first team over their time with the Rams and have become integral for the Robins since swapping Derbyshire for the South-West of England, playing all 46 games in the second tier last time out.
Knight has also been named as the Robins’ captain for the last two campaigns.
Among the Robins’
squad is also left-back Haydon Roberts, who made 46 appearances in all
competitions in a loan stint at Pride Park during the 2022/23 season while
still on the books of Brighton & Hove Albion.
RamsTV caught up with Head Coach John Eustace ahead of Friday’s match under the lights.
Left-back Callum Elder also spoke with RamsTV, after he netted his first goal for the club in last weekend's game.
Get your Derby County matchday programme, 'The Ram' - including an exclusive interview with veteran defender Craig Forsyth - at Pride Park Stadium on Friday!
The Ram is sold around the stadium ahead of the game for £4 or can be ordered for home delivery.
Find out more by clicking here.
David Webb will take charge of the fixture at the Pride Park Stadium. He has refereed one Championship match and one Carabao Cup fixture so far this term. Last season, he oversaw 27 Championship matches, handing out 73 yellow cards and no red cards.
Webb has held the whistle in a Rams game on 24 previous occasions, including both of Derby’s Sky Bet League Championship clashes with Queens Park Rangers last season.
Matthew Smith and Bhupinder Singh Gill will be the assistant referees, while Gavin Ward will take on the fourth official role.
Live audio commentary for all of Derby County’s first team matches in the 2025/26 season - both league and cup fixtures - is available to RamsTV Audio subscribers based both in the UK and internationally.
Information about RamsTV's Video Live Streaming and other services for this game can be found here.
RamsTV's Match highlights will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App shortly after the game.
Pride Park Stadium's turnstiles have been upgraded during the summer and as a result, this will mean a slight change in process for those supporters using a Season Ticket Card on a home matchday.
Find out more by clicking here.
Is it your first time visiting Pride Park Stadium to watch Derby County in action? Here's a handy guide to help you along the way with all you need to know!
If you're a Derby County supporter attending the fixture at Pride Park Stadium, you can find a wide range of details in our Matchday Hub by clicking here.
If you are a fan of our opposition at Pride Park Stadium, full information on visiting Derby County can be found in our Away Supporters Hub by clicking here.
