2018-19 Sky Bet Championship: Week 34 – Monday

Nottingham Forest welcome Derby County to the City Ground for a huge East Midlands derby, which could shape the Championship’s Play-Off race. 

Victory for Derby will see them move above Bristol City into the last play-off spot, whilst Forest could cut the gap between them and Derby down to a point if they win. 

 

Team news

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Ben Watson and Saidy Janko are set to be involved after being rested last weekend at Preston. 

Matty Cash is a doubt with an Achilles injury whilst Michael Dawson (hamstring) and Tobias Figueiredo (leg) are ruled out in defence for another month.

Derby will hand Tom Lawrence a late fitness test as he continues to battle an ankle injury.

Mason Mount (hamstring) and Scott Carson (thigh) are both ruled out for the Rams.  

 

Form

Nottingham Forest enter this unbeaten in four of their six games under Martin O’ Neil, failing to keep a clean sheet in three of those games where they picked up points. 

At home, Forest have won three of their last four but haven’t kept a clean sheet since beating Ipswich at start of December. 

Derby enter this without a win in their last two across all competitions but have lost just one of their last five league games, losing at home to Millwall in midweek. 

On their travels, the Rams have lost just one of their last four with their last away clean sheet coming live on Sky Sports at Preston a few weeks ago. 

 

Stat Attack

• Nottingham Forest have drawn three of last five meetings with their two defeats in that time coming away at Derby (D3, L2). 
• Forest are unbeaten in their last five at home against Derby (W2, D3). 
• Both meetings in 2018 finished goalless, making it the first time in 103 meetings that two consecutive games finished 0-0 between these teams. 
• Twice in last two decades has three consecutive meetings finished as draws (October 1996-November 1998, February 2005-January 2009).
• Martin O’Neil won his last two league meetings with Derby 8-0 on aggregate in 2007-08 when manager of Aston Villa. 

Prediction

This is a potentially decisive clash so I expect a competitive game but given the similar form of both teams with goals in three of last five league games, I am going for a draw here. 

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Derby County

Result: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Derby County