Our prediction for this Championship match:
Nottingham Forest
Match Time & Date:
22/01/2022
13:30
Prediction: 1-0
Derby
There will be fireworks when Nottingham Forest and Derby County face each other in the East Midlands Derby. The Reds aim to build on a hard-fought 1-0 win over Millwall, with the team aiming to move closer to the playoffs berth. Lewis Grabban, who scored a late winner in the Den clash, will be the man to watch in the home team, while all Alex Mighten, Max Lowe, and Loic Mbe Soh remain on the sidelined with injuries.
The Rams head into the local derby following a 2-0 win over Sheffield United. Derby County are eager to keep their survival hopes alive, but given their anything but good away record, we predict that Forest are going to emerge triumphant in the East Midlands Derby. Both Lee Buchanan and Krystian Bielik are out of contention with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the away team.
Highlighted Player (Jack Colback):
After spending nine years at Sunderland youth academy, Jack Colback signed a loan deal with Ipswich Town on 6 August, 2009. The left-footed midfielder, who is capable of playing at left back as well, made 37 appearances for the Championship side, scoring four goals in the English second tier.
Against all odds, Colback decided to sign for Sunderland’s bitterest rivals Newcastle United on 9 June, 2014 and it has to be noted he became the first player to move directly from Sunderland to Newcastle since 1998 when Lionel Perez did the same. In 2015 Sunderland fans created a sick banner depicting Colback hanging with a noose around his neck and that caused uproar on social media.
Colback and his teammates from Newcastle dropped to the Championship at the end of the 2015/2016 season, but he decided not to leave the club. Colback scored 5 goals in 64 appearances for Newcastle United in the Premier League. He is well known for his passing skills, he rarely gives the ball away and journalist often compare him with Italy ace Andrea Pirlo.
Highlighted Team (Derby):
Derby County is one of the 12 founder members of the Football League. However, nowadays the Rams compete in the Championship and they play their home matches at Pride Park Stadium. Derby County have won the two trophies in the English top flight (1971/1972, 1974/1975), with the team lifting the FA Cup trophy just after the World War II (1946).
Derby’s main rivals are Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Leeds United, but the rivalry between Forest and Derby is regarded as the biggest one.
The two teams take on each other in the East Midlands derby. The colour of Derby’s shirts is white, whilst their shorts are black. It has to be noted that the club was founded in 1884 by William Morley. The Rams competed in the European competitions four times, but they did not record a notable result in the European Cups. The club’s chairman is Mel Morris.
