Derby County look to continue their upturn in form against defeated FA Cup quarter finalists Preston North End aiming for a fourth win in a row and to move out of the Championship relegation places.
EFL Championship
Our 3 Predictions For Derby County v Preston North End:
- 1st Prediction For Derby County v Preston North End: Match Result Derby County To Win – 5/4
- 2nd Prediction For Derby County v Preston North End: Over 1.5 Goals – 11/20
- 3rd Prediction For Derby County v Preston North End: Marcus Harness To Score Anytime – 9/2
1st Prediction For Derby County v Preston North End: Match Result Derby County To Win – 5/4
Following defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup, Preston’s season is all but over but the Rams have everything to play for. Derby are in form having won three in a row and North End have only won three away matches all season.
2nd Prediction For Derby County v Preston North End: Over 1.5 Goals – 11/20
Both of these sides have seen two or more goals in three of their last five outings. They are both averaging close to a goal per game this season.
3rd Prediction For Derby County v Preston North End: Marcus Harness To Score Anytime – 9/2
Marcus Harness may have found his goal scoring boots at just the right time for Derby’s survival hopes. The forward has scored three in his last two outings, including the vital winner against Plymouth Argyle last time out.
Best Odds For Derby County v Preston North End:
| Bookmaker | Derby County | Draw | Preston North End |
| MyriadPlay | 5/4 | 19/10 | 12/5 |
| Gentleman Jim | 13/10 | 19/10 | 12/5 |
| Betarno | 5/4 | 19/10 | 12/5 |
Full Preview Of The Game: Last Results And Head-To-Head:
John Eustace looks to have turned Derby County’s fortunes around as he looks to lead his side to a fourth straight league win against an inconsistent Preston North End side.
After defeats in his first three games in charge at Pride Park, Eustace has overseen three straight wins that have propelled the Rams to within touching distance of those above them and into the survival fight. The Rams beat Eustace’s former side Blackburn Rovers 2-1 on their own patch thanks to two early goals from Craig Forsyth and Ebou Adams that proved enough for all three points despite a Makhtar Gueye strike threatening to get Rovers back into the game.
That vital victory was followed three days later by a perhaps more impressive win, this time against the in-form Coventry City. Matthew Clarke and Marcus Harness were on the scoresheet at Pride Park for the manager’s second win in charge. Last time out, County made the long trip to Plymouth Argyle and came away with maximum points thanks to a dramatic late winner from Harness. The Rams had taken a two goal lead against their relegation rivals only to be pegged back to 2-2 just after half time. Ipswich Town loanee Harness scored with just two minutes left on the clock.
Derby are currently in 22nd place in the Championship having taken 38 points from 38 games, winning ten and losing 20. Top scorer Jerry Yates has scored seven of his side’s 40 goals this season and the Rams average 1.1 goal per game. Yates also tops the assist charts alongside Nathaniel Mendez-Laing with both having created four goals.
Defensively, Derby have conceded 51 goals at an average of 1.3 per match and kept eight clean sheets.
Preston North End’s FA Cup dream was ended at the weekend by Aston Villa and the The Lilywhites must now turn their attention back to league action and finding some consistency.
Prior to the Villa defeat, Portsmouth were beaten 2-1 at Deepdale thanks to goals from Ryan Porteous and Stefan Thordarson either side of a Colby Bishop strike for the visitors. Before that, six games had gone by without a win in the Championship and that win came away at Norwich City in February. A fifth minute goal from Milutin Osmajic was enough to secure all three points.
Between Norwich and Portsmouth, Burnley, Milwall, Swansea City and Sunderland were all held to draws but North End fell to defeat against Sheffield United and Coventry City.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side find themselves in 14th spot in the Championship having amassed 47 points from their 38 games, wining ten and drawing 17, the second highest amount of draws in the division.
Top scorer Emil Riis Jakobsen has ten of North End’s 39 goals this season as Osmajic, Mads Frokjaer-Jensen and Kaine Kesler-Hayden have chipped in with three assists each.
Preston have conceded 44 goals this season at an average of 1.2 per game and have kept 13 clean sheets, the fifth best record in the league.
The meeting earlier this season ended in a 1-1 draw at Deepdale as Sam Greenwood’s strike for the hosts was cancelled out by Jerry Yates.
In the 2021-22 season, a campaign that saw the Rams deducted points, County took four points from their opponents as the fight against relegation proved to be a fruitless one.
After a 0-0 draw at Deepdale, Derby took all three points at Pride Park thanks to a Ravel Morrison strike with ten minutes left to play.
Confrontation |
Where can I watch the game, either on TV or in person?Where To Watch Derby County v Preston North End:
- Location: Pride Park, Derby
- Date: 2nd April, 2025
- TV Channel: Sky Sports+
Probable Lineups For Derby County v Preston North End:
What sort of lineups can we expect from both sides for this crucial Championship encounter?
Derby County Lineup:
- Lineup: J. Zetterstrom, N. Phillips, M. Clarke, C. Forsyth, C. Elder, S. Langas, E. Adams, H. Armstrong, L. Thompson, J. Yates, M. Harness
- Suspended/injury: B. Osborn, C. Blackett-Taylor, C. Nelson, D. Brown, D. Ozoh, K. Wilson, K. Roofe, L-J. Salvesen, N. Mendez-Laing
- Coach: John Eustace
Preston North End Lineup:
- Lineup: F. Woodman, R. Porteous, K. Kessler-Hayden, L. Gibson, L. Lindsay, J. Meghoma, R. Ledson, S. Thordarson, M. Frokjaer-Jensen, E. Jakobsen, W. Keane
- Suspended/injured: A. McCann, B. Potts, J. Whatmough, M. Osmajic, S. Greenwood
- Coach: Paul Heckingbottom
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