Derby County v Leeds United preview: Team news, where to watch, prediction
Daniel Farke can lead Leeds United into the New Year at the top of the Championship table with a victory against Derby County on Sunday.
The Whites leapfrogged Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United to lead the Championship after a 2-0 win against Stoke City on Boxing Day, but the match was not without controversy.
An Elland Road spokesperson condemned anti-Semitic lyrics in a chant about Manor Solomon to iNews (27 December) after the result.
However, Farke will undoubtedly want to steer away from matters off the pitch and focus on closing out 2024 with a bang at Pride Park.
Preview
Leeds recorded an impressive 2-0 win against Derby in the reverse fixture at Elland Road on 7 December and are well-positioned to complete the double over Paul Warne’s men on Sunday.
Joe Rodon and Max Wober provided the goals for the Whites on the day, but the visitors were outmatched in every area of the pitch – Ao Tanaka left Sky Sports pundit Simon Grayson in awe of his “massive influence” on the result.
The Whites’ away form has been shaky overall this season, but after failing to beat Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End, they eased to a 2-0 win over Stoke City last time out.
Furthermore, Derby have enjoyed a rich vein of form since the clash at Elland Road, winning two of their last four matches, while also registering an impressive 0-0 draw against Burnley at Turf Moor.
Leeds are one of the most in-form outfits in the second tier, and with Derby coming into the clash off the back of a 2-1 win against West Brom, the supporters are in for a fiercely contested match.
Form Guide [Championship]
Derby County: WLWDW
Leeds United: WWDWW
Head-to-Head [all competitions]
Leeds United 2-0 Derby County [7 December, 2024]
Derby County 1-3 Leeds United [19 July, 2020]
Leeds United 1-1 Derby County [21 September, 2019]
Leeds United 2-4 Derby County [15 May, 2019]
Derby County 0-1 Leeds United [11 May, 2019]
Team News for Derby County v Leeds United
BBC Radio Leeds broadcaster Adam Pope shared via X (26 December) that Leeds pair Ethan Ampadu and Sam Byram are doubts to face Derby and will be monitored ahead of the clash on Sunday.
In addition, Farke will be without the usual suspects as Junior Firpo and Ilia Gruev remain on the sidelines at Elland Road.
Derby midfielder David Ozoh will undergo a late fitness test to be declared fit to face Leeds alongside Ben Osborn, who suffered an injury setback in the final training session before the West Brom win.
Liam Thompson is expected to miss out on the weekend as he continues rehabilitating from an injury setback sustained in the loss against Luton Town.
Predicted lineups for Derby County v Leeds United
Derby County: Zetterstrom, Wilson, Nelson, Phillips, Elder, Goudmijn, Adams, Jackson, Harness, Mendez-Laing, Yates
Leeds United: Meslier, Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Schmidt, Tanaka, Rothwell, James, Aaronson, Gnonto, Joseph
Where to watch?
The match at the Pride Park Stadium kicks off at 5:45pm GMT on 29 December and will be available live on Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports + and available for streaming on the SkyGO and NOWTV apps.
Alternatively, supporters can also listen to commentary on BBC Radio Leeds.
Prediction: Derby County 1-2 Leeds United
While Leeds have endured torrid form away from home in the Championship this year, the players will understand the importance of heading into the New Year at the top of the tree.
The Whites have been unlucky on the road and could boast a significantly higher points tally away from Elland Road if certain instances had gone their way.
Derby have proven to be a stubborn opponent against the second tier’s best outfits this season, but the mid-table side couldn’t live with Leeds in West Yorkshire and will be expected to fall short again in Derbyshire.
In other Leeds news, the Whites have made a £16.5m bid for a Jorge Mendes player.
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