Derby will host Cardiff City on Wednesday night at Pride Park. The Rams (yet to gain a point at home) face a Cardiff team who have seven of their nine points on the road. County are without a goal in their three home games this season, while Cardiff are yet to concede on their travels.
Last seasons meeting at Pride park saw a 1-1 draw with Scott Malone scoring for the hosts before a Robert Glatzel penalty. In 2018, Derby won a rearranged fixture by three goals to one The original fixture was postponed on the morning of the game for snow in and around the stadium. Then Cardiff manager Neil Warnock called the decision a “disgrace”. Warnock’s view was that Derby (who had several injuries at the time) welcomed the postponement.
Home v Away
Cardiff have two wins and draw away from home and are yet to concede. The Bluebirds are, however, another side who have struggled at home but seem to be thriving on their travels.
Derby sit bottom of the league on home form without a single goal or point.
Liam Rosenior spoke to the press ahead of the game said:
“It goes to show you how important the supporters are”.
Neil Harris, meanwhile, commented on the strange home/away records this season:
“I don’t expect that to change without fans. In some ways its better to be away from home”.
Team News
Derby will be without Wayne Rooney once again due to him self-isolating. Rosenior did confirm that he would re-join the squad this Friday ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Bournemouth. Nathan Byrne has been training and is available for the match against Cardiff.
Lee Tomlin could return to the bench for the Bluebirds, however, Neil Harris is keen not to rush him saying:
“Tommo has been on the training pitch, that’s a real positive for us. What we can’t do is push Tommo too soon and he falls of the edge of a cliff”.
Harris is also waiting to see if full backs Joe Bennett and Jordi Osei-Tutu will be available.
Managers Thoughts
When asked about Derby gaining their first point at home Rosenior said:
“It would mean we have done our jobs.
“We have got a big game against a good side, but if we perform they will know they are in for a good game”.
Speaking about what danger Cardiff pose, Rosenior added:
“They’ve got really good wide players with quality as well”.
Neil Harris, meanwhile, expects the game to be different to Cardiff’s last fixture:
“It’ll be a completely different game to Boro the other evening”. “They’ve got good players and important players back in the group. They’ve got attacking intent. We have to handle it completely differently, you have to have great shape, good pressing triggers and organisation. When we have the ball we have to hurt them”.
Key Players
For Derby Tom Lawrence could be the key to unlocking Cardiff’s away defence. It was Lawrence’s neat footwork that set up the ruled out second goal against Forest. He picked up a 7.6 rating on whoscored.com for his performance. Lawrence spent time at Cardiff in 15/16 on loan.
Harry Wilson has been involved in Cardiff’s attacking massively since signing on loan. He got his first goal against former team Bournemouth and will be looking to get another in this game. Wilson has a passing % of 77.6 for City and Cardiff will likely attack though him.
Prediction; Derby 0 v 1 Cardiff
Without having any success at home this season Derby will be under pressure to turn this around. The longer the game goes on the more likely of Cardiff catching out their hosts.
