Fri 03 Oct - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 6mins
Derby County will play their second of back-to-back home matches this week when they welcome Southampton to Pride Park Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
The Rams will be looking to build more momentum after Matt Clarke’s headed goal in the 79th minute saw them clinch a point in a 1-1 draw on home soil against Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night.
Head Coach John Eustace’s side are still awaiting their first win of the season on home soil and, having picked up points in three of their previous four matches in league action, will be hoping to do this against Southampton at the weekend.
The meeting with the Saints is also the final game before the second international break of the season.
Tickets for the Rams' latest home game are still available and can be purchased online, over the phone or in person from the Ticket Office.
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.
Southampton have changed division in each of their last three campaigns, having been top table regulars for more than a decade before that. In fact, Southampton have played in 25 of the 33 completed Premier League seasons since the league's incorporation in 1992.
A roller-coaster of managerial changes has been the backdrop to the volatility of recent times with current boss Will Still being the sixth appointment to the role in three years.
After Ralph Hasenhüttl ended his four-year Spell in November 2022, Nathan Jones, Rubén Sellés and Ivan Jurić each lasted less than 20 matches in charge. Russell Martin, who oversaw the club's last promotion in 2023/24, stayed for longer, but he too left after a tough start to last term.
Last season was a particularly challenging one for the Saints, with only two league victories all year. They finished 26 points off safety to be relegated with 12 points.
The fallout of relegation from the Premier League has been a significant reshaping of the playing squad and a change of direction in coaching, with the club putting their faith in talented young manager Will Still, who turns 33 later this month.
Born in Belgium to British parents, Still's coaching career began in Belgium with various roles at Lierse and Beerschot before moving to France to join Reims, becoming the youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues when he took charge at 30 years old.
He enjoyed great success there, which led to him taking over at Lens in June last year before accepting the Southampton job this summer.
After receiving around £75 million from the sale of midfielders Mateus Fernandes to West Ham United and Tyler Dibling to Everton, as well as funds from other player departures, the Saints were busy in the transfer window, with seven players arriving in the week before deadline day alone.
There has been plenty of top-end Championship experience brought into the squad, with the likes of Tom Fellows and Finn Azaz.
The Saints’ recruitment team has also focused heavily on the German market, with centre-back Joshua Quarshie arriving from Hoffenheim, midfielder Caspar Jander joining from FC Nürenburg, winger Leo Scienza signing from Heidenheim and striker Damion Downs linking up with the Saints from FC Köln.
Meanwhile, right-back Mads Roerslev brings Premier League pedigree, having 94 top-flight appearances over six seasons with Brentford, after being part of their Championship promotion-winning team in 2019/20.
Southampton come into the weekend with two wins and four draws to their name from the opening eight league matches.
Tuesday night saw them claim their first away victory of the season with a controversial 2-1 win against Sheffield United, with a late Sydie Peck equalising goal being ruled out for the Blades.
Derby County forward Ben Brereton DÃaz, who scored his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw at Wrexham last weekend, is on loan from the Saints.
This means he will be unavailable for selection on Saturday, as he cannot play against his parent club. He will also be heading off for international duty with Chile next week.
Looking further back in time, a player who racked up over 200 appearances for both the Rams and the Saints is goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
The shot-stopper played 242 matches for Southampton between 1982 and 1987, having joined the club after five years with Nottingham Forest.
Shilton joined Derby from the Saints in March 1987 and remained at the club for three years, making 211 outings between the sticks under the tutelage of manager Arthur Cox.
Head Coach John Eustace sat down with RamsTV after training on Thursday afternoon to look ahead to Saturday’s meeting with the Saints at Pride Park.
RamsTV caught up with Tuesday night’s goalscorer Matt Clarke to reflect on the Charlton draw and look forward to the weekend’s clash against Southampton.
Get your Derby County matchday programme, 'The Ram' - including an exclusive interview with centre-back Matt Clarke - at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday!
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.
Leigh Doughty will take charge of the fixture at the Pride Park Stadium - his fourth Championship contest of the 2025/26 campaign. He has handed out 17 yellow cards and one red card so far this term.
Doughty has held the whistle in a Rams game already this season, officiating Derby’s 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town in August.
Lee Venamore and Alistair Nelson will be the assistant referees, while John Busby 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 from midnight.
Pride Park Stadium's turnstiles were 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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