Promotion-chasing Leeds United volition effort to widen their four-game unbeaten tally erstwhile they caput to Pride Park for Sunday's clash with Derby County.
Leeds are sitting top of the Championship table connected extremity difference, portion the Rams volition participate the last crippled of 2024 successful 14th position.
Match preview
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After winning promotion from League One past season, Derby volition beryllium contented with their existent presumption astatine the halfway signifier of their archetypal Championship run since 2021-22.
Paul Warne's broadside are sitting 8 points wide of the bottommost 3 aft winning seven, drafting six and losing 10 of their 23 league matches.
The Rams person recorded 2 of those victories successful their past 3 games, signaling location wins against Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion, either broadside of a 2-1 distant decision against Luton Town.
Derby established a two-goal pb successful their Boxing Day clash against the Baggies acknowledgment to a Jerry Yates brace and a Mason Holgate ain goal, earlier Grady Diangana pulled a extremity backmost successful the 81st infinitesimal to acceptable up a nervy finish.
The Rams yet saw retired the remainder of the contention to widen their unbeaten tally successful location meetings with West Brom to 8 competitory matches.
Unfortunately for Derby, they person not experienced the aforesaid occurrence successful caller games against Leeds astatine Pride Park, having failed to triumph immoderate of their past 4 location meetings (D1, L3) since they clinched a 1-0 triumph successful October 2016.
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Leeds claimed a 2-0 distant triumph implicit Stoke City connected Boxing Day to instrumentality vantage of Sheffield United's decision against Burnley to determination to the apical of the table.
Joel Piroe netted a brace astatine the bet365 Stadium to occurrence Leeds to their 4th triumph successful 5 matches, moving them supra Sheffield United connected extremity quality and keeping them 1 constituent supra third-placed Burnley.
Daniel Farke's broadside are presently the highest scorers successful the 2nd tier with 43 goals, portion they besides boast the third-best antiaircraft grounds with 15 goals conceded successful 23 league matches.
They person besides recorded 3 cleanable sheets successful their past 5 matches, including a shutout successful their reverse fixture against Derby earlier this month.
Goals from Joe Rodon and Maximilian Wober secured Leeds a 2-0 triumph erstwhile the 2 sides met astatine Elland Road connected December 7.
The archetypal extremity could beryllium important if Leeds are to implicit a league double, having won 13 of their 14 league matches wherever they person opened the scoring this play (D1).
Derby County Championship form:
Leeds United Championship form:
Team News
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Derby centre-back Eiran Cashin is acceptable for a 3rd consecutive crippled aft picking up a hamstring occupation successful the 4-0 triumph implicit Portsmouth earlier this month.
The hosts are besides without defender Ryan Nyambe and midfielder David Ozoh owed to genu and quad injuries respectively.
Ben Osborn volition person to beryllium assessed up of Sunday's location fixture aft sitting retired the Boxing Day triumph against West Brom due to the fact that of an wounded issue.
The hosts stay without the services of full-back Junior Firpo and midfielder Ilia Gruev owed to hamstring and genu injuries respectively.
Wober volition person to beryllium assessed by Leeds' aesculapian unit aft missing the past 2 matches against Oxford and Stoke.
Farke whitethorn determine to support changes to a minimum, though helium could beryllium tempted to bring Ao Tanaka backmost into the starting lineup.
Derby County imaginable starting lineup:
Widell Zetterstrom; Wilson, Nelson, Phillips, Elder; Goudmijn, Adams, Harness; Jackson, Mendez-Laing, Jackson
Leeds United imaginable starting lineup:
Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Byram; Ampadu, Rothwell; James, Aaronson, Solomon; Piroe
We say: Derby County 2-2 Leeds United
Derby person avoided decision successful 3 of their past 4 matches, and portion they look an almighty trial successful their location clash against the league leaders, we deliberation they volition bash capable to clasp Leeds to a gully successful their last lucifer of the calendar year.
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