Our prediction for this League 1 match:
All eyes will be on Pride Park when Derby County and Ipswich Town square off against each other in the League One derby. The Rams suffered a dip in form, with the team losing to both Fleetwood and Peterborough in the previous two league fixtures, and it is no wonder the bookies see them as underdogs in Saturday’s derby. Tony Springett has lost his place in the starting XI, with Jason Knight likely to start.
As always, a man to watch in the home team will be David McGoldrick, who has netted 16 goals in League One so far this term. The Tractor Boys, on the other hand, are determined to secure automatic promotion, and given their six-game winning run in the league, away triumph should be considered. The opposition back-line should have George Hirst, who has been scoring goals for fun of late.
Highlighted Player (David McGoldrick):
David McGoldrick is an Irish international who was born in Nottingham, England on 29 November, 1987. McGoldrick was eligible to play for both England and Republic of Ireland and he decided to play for the Irish national team. The striker made his Ireland debut on 18 November, 2014, in a 4-1 win over USA and it has to be noted that he provided assists for Robbie Brady and Anthony Pilkington.
McGoldrick began his senior career at Nots County and he played for the likes of Northampton, Bournemouth, Port Vale, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City in the past as well. The Irish attacker he joined Ipswich Town on loan until the end of the 2012/2013 campaign and he signed a permanent deal with the club in July 2013.
David McGoldrick scored 14 goals in 31 appearances for the Tractor Boys in the 2013/2014 Championship campaign and that is considered his most successful season. You should have in mind that his Ipswich teammates Daryl Murphy and Stephen Hunt backed David for his first-ever Ireland call-up.
Highlighted Team (Ipswich):
Ipswich Town are an English football club that was formed in 1878. Portman Road has been the home ground of Ipswich Town since 1894 and the capacity of the venue, which was expanded in 2002, is 30,311. The Tractor Boys compete in the Championship, but they used to play in the English Premier League in the past as well. Ipswich Town last appeared in the elite division in the 2001/2002 season.
Ipswich won the FA Cup in 1978, with the team beating Arsenal (1-0) in the title game. However, the club’s biggest success came in 1981 when they outplayed AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup final. It has to be noted that the Tractor Boys have yet to suffer a loss at home ground in the European competitions.
Norwich City are regarded as Ipswich Town’s bitterest rivals and it is well known that the two sides take on each other in the East Anglian derby.