2019-20 Sky Bet Championship: Week One – Monday

The opening weekend of the 2019-20 Sky Bet Championship season concludes with Huddersfield welcoming Derby to the John Smith Stadium for Monday Night Football.

Huddersfield are beginning life back in the second tier after two seasons in the Premier League, whilst Derby are under new management of Phillip Cocu after Frank Lampard left for Chelsea in the summer following a unsuccessful promotion bid which ended at Wembley last season.

 

Team news

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Steve Mounie is set to be one of two absentees for Huddersfield after international duty with Benin meant that he returned to training last week.

Demeaco Duhaney is ruled out with a hamstring injury whilst several new signings could feature alongside Isaac Mbenza who made his loan switch from Montpellier permanent this summer.

Derby have a few injury worries as Jack Marriott and Duane Holmes look likely to be sidelined with thigh injuries.

Scott Carson (groin), George Thorne (calf), Andre Wisdom and Craig Forsyth (both knee) are also likely to be absent as a few of the Rams’ summer signings, including Kieran Dowell and Krystian Bielik look set to start.

 

Form

Huddersfield enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season with four wins and two draws although Karlan Grant is the only player who netted more than once, with his three goals all coming after half-time. 

Derby meanwhile have lost two of their five pre-season friendlies (excluding the abandoned friendly with Bristol City), with those defeats coming in their last two outings against Girona and Rangers. 

 

Stat Attack

• Huddersfield have taken five points from their last five meetings with Derby (W1, D2, L2), although four of those points came from their last two clashes.
• At home, the Terriers have lost just once in their last seven against Derby (W3, D3, L1).
• Huddersfield have won and lost two of their last four season openers (W2, L2). 
• Derby’s opening weekend win away to Reading last season ended a run of three straight opening draws to a new season, although this is their fourth away opening fixture in five seasons. 
• Just ten out of the 22 players who featured on the team sheet for either side in their last meeting in April 2017 are still with their respective clubs.

 

Prediction

In my opinion, we are either going to see Derby continuing to adjust under Cocu or a continuation of the progress made last season, but the absence of Mason Mount is definitely going to be felt in midfield. 

Huddersfield on the other hand look ready to mount a promotion challenge and their impressive pre-season makes them strong favourites here, especially given the form of Karlan Grant. 

I therefore am going for a Terriers win simply because they look the more ready for this season than Derby, who need to regroup and put the heartbreak of Wembley plus Lampard’s departure behind them quickly. 

Prediction: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Derby County

Result: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Derby County