Derby County vs. Bristol City: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

The Robins have an excellent record against Derby, winning five of the last six head-to-head meetings between the two teams.

Bristol City have lost only one of their last 11 games in the Championship, while Derby have lost two of their last three in the league.

Liam Manning's side have been unlucky not to have won more points so far this season, while Derby are somewhat fortunate to have any points at all.

The visitors look by far the more accomplished side at this level so we fancy them to pick up three points here. Derby 1-2 Bristol City

This Saturday’s Championship fixture sees Derby County take on Bristol City at Pride Park, in a match that should offer insights into the contrasting trajectories of both clubs early in the season.

• Date: 31/08/2024
• Kick-off time: 15:00
• Location: Pride Park, Derby

Derby County, currently sitting 15th in the Championship table with three points from their opening three games, find themselves in a precarious position as they seek to establish themselves in the second tier of English football. Despite their mid-table standing, there is a growing concern among fans and onlookers alike about the quality of Derby’s performances thus far.

Paul Warne’s side, who earned promotion from League One last season by finishing second, have found the transition to the Championship challenging. Over the summer, Derby lost several key players, the quality of whom is sorely missed. The squad’s lack of standout talent is evident, raising questions about whether Derby possess the necessary quality to stay in this division.

One of the most worrying aspects of Derby’s start to the season is their defensive fragility. With an expected goals against (xGA) rate of 1.60 per game, they currently rank among the worst in the league in this metric. This statistic highlights the vulnerability of their backline, which has struggled to cope with the step up in competition. Going forward, Derby have also been underwhelming, with an expected goals (xG) rate of just 1.01 per game, placing them 19th in the league. These figures suggest that Derby are creating fewer quality chances and are defensively porous, a combination that could spell trouble as the season progresses.

Warne’s task of stabilising the team is made all the more difficult by the lingering expectations of survival. Derby were one of the pre-season favourites for relegation, and the early signs have done little to dispel these concerns. The team’s performances have lacked the spark that characterised their promotion campaign, and unless significant improvements are made, Derby could be in for a long and difficult season.

In contrast, Bristol City have enjoyed a solid start to their Championship campaign, currently sitting 8th in the table with five points from three games. Under the stewardship of their promising young manager Liam Manning, there is a growing sense of optimism around Ashton Gate. The Robins have shown signs that they could mount a serious challenge for a top-six finish this season.

Manning, who was appointed last November, looks to be really implementing his ideas after his first preseason at the club, and the early results have been encouraging. The club’s transfer business has also been well received, with several astute signings strengthening the squad. One of the standout new arrivals has been 22-year-old striker Fally Mayulu, who has made an immediate impact by scoring twice in his first three league appearances. Mayulu’s early form has given Bristol City a potent attacking option and added a new dimension to their forward line.

The Robins look good at both ends of the pitch and while a top six finish might be too big of an ask time around, early season momentum is crucial to such aspirations and if they can claim three points here the atmosphere around Ashton Gate will be will only become more vibrant.

This game will not be televised live in the UK, but partial radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio Derby.

Derby Team News:

Kane Wilson and Erin Cashin are both likely to miss out for Derby once again after both were absent from the trip to Watford, while Corey Blackett-Taylor is a doubt. Jake Rooney also remains a long-term absentee.

Ben Osborn, however, should be fit enough to return after missing the game at the weekend.

Predicted lineup: Zetterström; Nyambe, Nelson, Bradley, Elder; Adams, Ozoh, Osborn; Jackson, Yates, Mendez-Laing.

Bristol City Team News:

The Robins will likely come into this one without Rob Atkinson, Ross McCrorie and Yu Hirakawa, as the trio eye their returns from injury after the international break.

Fally Malulu could come in for Sinclair Armstrong to lead the line for the visitors.

Predicted lineup: O'Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Williams, Knight; Sykes, Bird, Twine; Malulu.

Derby County faced a trip up north to take on Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in their opening game of the season and fell to a resounding defeat. Derby offered very little in the first half and fell behind to a goal from Tyrhys Dolan, and despite equalising in the second half thanks to a Curtis Nelson header from a corner the home side swiftly responded to restore their lead and race to a 4-1 lead before Kane Wilson pulled a goal back from another set play.

The Rams then welcomed Middlesbrough to Pride Park, a game that saw them take an unexpected 1-0 win. Derby were fortunate in that their goal came very early in the game by way of a huge error from the visitors that saw Isaiah Jones play Kayden Jackson through on goal with a poor back pass, which Jackson duly finished with composure.

Derby then spent almost the entire game defending the lead and were ultimately successful in doing so, but the visitors will have felt like they were worthy of a point at least.

At the weekend, Derby took on Watford away from home, and despite taking the lead through Ebou Adams after two minutes, the Rams fell to a 2-1 defeat after Watford scored in the 31st and 76th minutes.

Bristol City’s first game of the season saw them take on Hull City away from home in a game that ended 1-1. Manning’s side were largely superior throughout the game and after numerous periods of pressure they found an opening in the 84th minute, as new signing Fally Mayulu scored a fine goal.

Annoyingly, the Robins conceded a penalty in the first minute of injury time which ultimately cost them a point, but while it was not the result they wanted there were enough positives to take from the game to ease the late frustrations.

Bristol City then lost 0-1 to Coventry in the EFL Cup before a game at home to Millwall produced what will likely still be the game of the season at the end of May. The Robins took a 2-0 lead thanks to Anis Mehmeti and Sinclair Armstrong after just 12 minutes, but Millwall fought their way back into the game in the second half and in the 64th minute they completed a remarkable turnaround, taking a 3-2 lead.

However, the game was nowhere near complete as Mayulu drew Bristol City back level in the 78th minute, before Scott Twine netted a dramatic winner on 88 minutes.

The weekend’s fixture saw the Robins rematch Coventry, but this time with both sides at full strength. A dominant first half saw Manning’s men take a 1-0 half-time lead thanks to George Tanner’s goal in the 25th minute, but a much more even second half resulted in Coventry taking a point from the game as Kasey Palmer netted an equaliser in the 76th minute.

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