PREVIEW: Wrexham (H)

Derby County have the opportunity to record back-to-back victories in the Sky Bet Championship when they welcome Wrexham to Pride Park Stadium on Sunday (3pm kick-off).

John Eustace’s side kicked off 2026 with a battling 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on home soil last time out, the first of three matches at Pride Park in the space of 11 days.

Wrexham arrive in the East Midlands on the back of three successive victories, beating Sheffield United, Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers over the Christmas period, scoring nine times in the process.

There hasn’t been much to separate the two sides so far this term, with the Red Dragons sitting one place higher than the Rams in the Championship table, while the points were shared in a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture earlier this season with Ben Brereton Díaz scoring for Derby.

Sunday’s meeting will be the first league fixture in Derby between the two clubs since the Rams claimed a 2-1 win at the Baseball Ground in November 1981.

Ticket Information:

Tickets for Sunday’s match are still available and can be purchased online, over the phone, or in person from the Ticket Office at Pride Park.

Supporters are urged to secure their seats in advance to avoid the matchday price increase.

Find out full ticket details at tickets.dcfc.co.uk.

Pre-Match Thoughts:

Ahead of Sunday’s contest against Wrexham, Head Coach John Eustace told RamsTV he’s proud of the progression his side have made so far this season.

Fresh from his match-winning strike against Middlesbrough, midfielder Bobby Clark told RamsTV that Derby will be ‘full of confidence’ as they prepare to take on Wrexham.

The Opposition:

After recording three successive promotions amid a fairytale chapter in the club’s history, Wrexham have adapted impressively to life in the Championship.

Backed by Hollywood actors - and Chairmen - Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, the Red Dragons have enjoyed a meteoric rise following 15 seasons in non-league.

Under the stewardship of Phil Parkinson - the first manager in the history of the English Football League to secure three successive promotions – Wrexham have certainly looked at home at Championship level, sitting 10th after their 2-0 win away at Blackburn Rovers on New Year’s Day.

With just two defeats in their past 13 league matches - and three victories on the spin - the Welsh side are one of the division’s form teams, posing a stern test for the Rams this weekend.

Summer signings Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass have contributed 17 goals between them in the opening half of the campaign, with only Southampton’s Adam Armstrong (11) having netted more times than Moore (10) in the Championship in 2025/26.

Wrexham also reinforced their back line with the additions of Conor Coady, Callum Doyle and Dominic Hyam, with the latter wearing the captain’s armband on eight occasions this season - including their previous three wins.

Classic Clash:

It’s almost 19 years to the day since the two teams locked horns at Pride Park Stadium for the only time, as Arturo Lupoli’s hat-trick helped seal Derby’s progression into the fourth round of the 2006/07 FA Cup.

The Arsenal loanee notched the Rams’ first hat-trick in 11 years to down the Welsh side 3-1, with Lee McEvilly on the scoresheet for the visitors.

There will be a new face at Pride Park on Sunday, with referee Matt Corlett set to take charge of a Derby fixture for the first time.

Promoted to officiating Championship action over the Christmas period, Corlett presided over his maiden second tier contest when refereeing Norwich City against Watford at Carrow Road at the end of December.

Across his 15 league and cup matches so far in 2025/26, Corlett has shown a total of 61 yellow cards and just the single red card.

Robert Hyde and Daniel Leach will run the line after being named as the Assistant Referees, while Josh Smith has been appointed as the Fourth Official.

RamsTV Audio & Video Coverage:

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.

Highlights & Match Replay:

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.