Sun 14 Dec - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 5mins
Derby County are back on the road on Monday, heading north to take on Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in their latest Sky Bet Championship fixture (8pm kick-off).
John Eustace’s side are bidding to get back to winning ways and will be buoyed by their recent away form, having won three from four on their November travels.
A Carlton Morris hat-trick helped the Rams beat Sheffield United 3-1 on their previous visit to the Steel City, before defeating Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City, both 2-1, in their ensuing away days last month.
Both sides arrive at Monday’s fixture on the back of 1-1 draws last time out, albeit in contrasting fashion. Derby earned an 88th-minute equaliser at home to Millwall on Wednesday evening, while the Owls conceded a 97th-minute goal to be cruelly denied three points away at Watford 24 hours earlier.
The Rams will be roared on by a sold out away end of 3,900 supporters on Monday evening.
No further seats are to be made available. Fans without a ticket are advised not to make the trip to Sheffield, as they will be unable to gain access to the stadium.
Head Coach John Eustace spoke to RamsTV to offer his pre-match thoughts ahead of the match at Hillsborough.
Defender Dion Sanderson also sat down with RamsTV to preview the clash with the Owls.
It’s been a turbulent campaign for Monday’s hosts. After two years in charge, German boss Danny Röhl departed on the eve of the season, while Wednesday were handed an initial 12-point – and further 6-point – deduction following entering administration and a breach of EFL regulations in late October.
Losing a dozen players from the side which earned a top-half finish in the Sky Bet Championship last term, including top goalscorer Josh Windass, manager Henrik Pedersen - promoted from his previous position as number two - inherited a challenging task.
With a raft of transfer embargoes and fee restrictions impacting the Dane’s ability to reinforce the strength and depth of his squad during the summer window, it’s understandable to see the Owls finding life tough this term.
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It is a situation Derby can very much relate to following their period in administration during the 2021/22 campaign. Despite their challenges on and off the field, backed by their fans, the Owls have displayed plenty of fighting spirit which, regardless of their fate this season, will stand them in good stead for what will hopefully be a brighter future.
Wednesday have won once in the league so far this season, defeating Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park back in September, thanks to strikes from club stalwart Barry Bannan and teenage striker George Brown.
Pedersen’s side almost had their second win of the campaign against Watford on Tuesday evening, only to be denied all three points by a 97th-minute Vivaldo Semedo leveller at Vicarage Road. That result, however, did put pay to a four-game losing streak.
Buoyed by the arrivals of experienced heads in former Leeds captain Liam Cooper and one-time England international Nathan Redmond in recent weeks, the Owls will now be bidding to register their first home league win of 2025/26, following two draws and eight defeats at Hillsborough so far this term.
There are copious connections involving contemporary and former players of both clubs. Current Rams Danny Batth and Richard O’Donnell have both previously called Hillsborough home - with Batth enjoying two loan spells there between 2011 and 2012, while O’Donnell began his career with the Owls back in 2006.
In the opposition camp, club captain Barry Bannan has made 456 appearances in his decade-long stint with Wednesday, having played 10 times for Derby during a brief loan spell from Aston Villa in 2009.
Another ex-Ram, Max Lowe, currently plies his trade for Monday’s opponents. He featured for Derby on 48 occasions between 2016 and 2020 after coming through the Academy system at Pride Park Stadium.
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As well as O’Donnell, there has been a deeper goalkeeping connection between the two sides this century. Lee Grant played over a hundred times for each club, while Scott Carson and Stephen Bywater both featured in more than 150 matches for Derby alongside shorter tenures with Wednesday.
Joe Wildsmith is another shared shot-stopper. After graduating through the Academy system at Hillsborough and debuting in 2015, the Sheffield-born ‘keeper made the switch to the East Midlands ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. He made 97 appearances for the Rams, including 40 times during Derby’s Sky Bet League One promotion-winning season, where he also claimed the Golden Glove.
Historic familiar faces include the likes of Darryl Powell and Adam Bolder, while more recent representatives of both parties include Jeff Hendrick, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, David McGoldrick and Lee Gregory.
Lewis Smith will be the man in the middle for Monday’s contest, as he was when Derby made the trip to Hillsborough last season.
He also took charge of the Rams’ narrow 1-0 defeat to Preston North End earlier this term.
The official has overseen 11 Sky Bet Championship this season, issuing a total of 39 yellow cards and two reds.
Richard Woodward and Nigel Lugg will be the Assistant Referees, while Adam Herczeg has been named as the Fourth Official.
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 season can be found here.
Full match reaction will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App shortly after full time, with highlights and a full match replay available from midnight.
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