Fri 15 Aug - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 6mins
Derby County's first home game of the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season will see Coventry City visit Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).
Derby will be looking to get their first points on the board after falling to a 3-1 defeat away to Stoke City on the opening day of the campaign last weekend - and Head Coach John Eustace’s side will be buoyed by their mid-week penalty triumph in Round One of the Carabao Cup.
The Rams' late comeback, via a Joe Ward free-kick, sent Tuesday night’s tie against fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion to penalties following a 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns, where the Rams won the shoot-out 3-2 to book a spot against Premier League Burnley in the next stage later this month.
Tickets for the inaugural home game are still available and can be purchased online, over the phone or in person from the Ticket Office.
The Ticket Office will be open from 9am until kick-off on Saturday and supporters are urged to buy tickets in advance to avoid the matchday price increase.
Find out more ticket details for Saturday's match by clicking here.
Coventry City are entering their ninth consecutive season in the Sky Bet Championship. The club, formed in 1883, endured a dramatic rise and fall over the last 60 years, going from the top-flight to League Two and then being within one penalty kick of returning to the big time once again.
After earning promotion under Jimmy Hill in 1967, the Sky Blues spent an impressive 34 consecutive years in the top tier of English football.
Relegation in 2001 then saw 11 seasons in the second tier before dropping down to League One in 2012, and then five years later falling to League Two - despite also winning the EFL Trophy that season.
Mark Robins had joined the club in a tumultuous time in 2014 and, despite being relegated, he would orchestrate the club’s rise back up to the Championship.
First came an immediate bounce back to League One via the Play-Offs in 2018 before gaining promotion into the second tier as League One champions two seasons later in 2020.
The Sky Blues have since cemented themselves as firm contenders in the Championship, reaching the Play-Off Final in 2022/23 and losing their bid for a Premier League spot after a penalty shoot-out saw Luton Town ascend.
Derby did the double over Coventry in the league last season. The Rams’ 2-1 win at the CBS Arena last November triggered the departure of then-boss Mark Robins just a day afterwards.
Following Robins’ dismissal, the Sky Blues brought in former Derby, Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard.
The last meeting between Derby and Coventry came in March, when John Eustace’s side boosted their Championship survival aspirations as Matt Clarke and Marcus Harness were on the scoresheet to see off an in-form Coventry 2-0 at Pride Park.
The victory moved Derby to within a point of safety after ending the Sky Blues’ run of nine wins in 10 league games.
Clarke opened the scoring against the run of play on 23 minutes, stealing in at the far post to head home a teasing Harness right-wing free-kick.
Having set up the first, Harness then scored the second at the start of the second half, latching onto a loose clearance from Jerry Yates’ cross to hammer in a left-foot volley from six yards.
Coventry finished fifth and were pipped in the play-off semi-final by ultimately promoted Sunderland - ending their campaign in the dying seconds of extra time in the second leg at the Stadium of Light last season.
Coventry manager Frank Lampard is the most recent link between the two sides, having led Derby all the way to the Play-Off Final in his first full season in management in 2018/19 before departing for Chelsea.
Lampard managed against Derby for the first time when he took to the Pride Park away dugout in the Rams’ 2-0 win in March.
Aside from the current Sky Blues manager, there is a current England International Head Coach.
Lee Carsley, who won back-to-back European Under-21 Championships with England’s Young Lions in recent years, had a playing career that included notable spells with both Derby and Coventry.
He featured 166 times for the Rams between 1992 and 1999 after rising through the youth ranks in Derbyshire, and then played 52 times for the Sky Blues later in his career over two stints between 2000 and 2002 and then from 2010 until his retirement a year later.
Head Coach John Eustace spoke to RamsTV ahead of his side’s first home game of the 2025/26 season.
RamsTV caught up with defender Matt Clarke, who scored the opening goal in last season’s 2-0 win over the Sky Blues at Pride Park, ahead of the weekend's fixture.
Get your Derby County matchday programme, 'The Ram', at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday and packed full of exclusive features and content!
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.
Anthony Backhouse will take charge of the fixture at the Pride Park Stadium. Last season, he oversaw 16 Championship matches, handing out 58 yellow cards and one red.
Backhouse has held the whistle in a Rams game on four previous occasions, last officiating Derby in April 2023’s Sky Bet League One clash with Ipswich Town at Pride Park.
George Bryne and Conor Brown will be the assistant referees, while Aaron Jackson 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.
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