Two local rivals go head to head this evening for the first time in the Championship. Just a point separates Burton Albion and Derby County after four games but both sides will be looking for all three points to kick start their respective seasons.
Recently promoted Burton Albion have made a decent start to life in the Championship, taking four points, but with their two opening games being lost by such a small margin, the Brewers will perhaps feel like they deserve more,
They were left on the losing end of a seven goal thriller against Nottingham Forest in their opener and just a week later saw Bristol City's Tammy Abraham grab a match winner in the dying moments of the game.
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The Burton fans finally received their first win of the season after stunning last year's play-off finalists Sheffield Wednesday with a 3-1 win. The Pirelli Stadium was rocking that day and the fans created a real force for the team to build off from.
Quick fluid attacking football broke down Wednesday's defence on multiple occasions and Burton became the first team this season to score against them.
Burton have strengthened their squad over the summer and in particular their strike force, by bringing in pacey former Leicester winger Lloyd Dyer and Chris O'Grady on a loan from Brighton. Both have brought in bags of experience.
A solution in defence needs to be addressed as problems in that area of the pitch have been highlighted just as much as their ability to score goals. Too much space is left unattended in dangerous areas. Players are being dragged out of position far too easily, allowing oppositions to get in between defenders and have clear efforts on goal. This cost Burton their first two games and meant they could only salvage a 2-2 draw against bottom of the table Blackburn Rovers.
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Derby have had a similar start to the season but their fans will be much less content than Burton's given their current position in comparison to their expectations. The Rams have been knocking on the Premier League's door for a few years now but have always fallen short come the end of the season.
However. this season there is one major difference; the manager.
Nigel Pearson has shown he can build strong foundations and take teams to the Premier League after guiding Leicester when they stormed the Championship in the 2013/14 season.
Significant improvements need to be made to his current side though and just one win and two draws leave them in the bottom half of the table.
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In contrast to Burton, Derby have struggled to find the back of the net in their first four games, scoring just one goal which was enough to get three points against Preston. Despite these problems higher up the field, Derby have been very strong in defence just conceding two goals in their only defeat of the season to Barnsley.
With Derby's strong defence and weak attack against Burton's strong attack and weak defence, expect a cagey affair tonight. Derby will be see this as an important game to get maximum points from to push themselves up the table, but a packed Pirelli stadium could create a daunting atmosphere for Derby and help Burton get another well worked result.
Recommended Bet: Draw at 9/4 with BetVictor
Words by: Ed Clark
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