Derby – Swansea: who can close in on the Championship top six?
In matchday 32 of the English Championship, Derby will face Swansea. The game will take place on Saturday, February 14, kicking off at 16:00 CET, and I have a betting tip for this clash.
Derby – Swansea: match facts and head-to-head
- Derby have lost only one of their last five matches.
- Swansea have won their previous two games.
- Swansea have suffered just one defeat in their last five matches.
- Derby have scored at least one goal in 22 consecutive matches.
- On home soil, Derby are winless in four straight games: three defeats and one draw.
- Swansea have scored at least once in nine consecutive matches.
- Swansea have kept a clean sheet in 21% of their matches this season, while Derby have done so in 21% as well.
- Only 6% of Derby’s matches this season have ended in a defeat without them scoring, compared to 14% for Swansea.
- Derby defeated Swansea 2–1 in their previous head-to-head meeting.
Derby – Swansea: match preview
Derby currently sit in mid-table in the Championship. The side occupy 11th place with 45 points from 31 matches. Despite their position, Derby are not far adrift of sixth place. At the moment, they trail Wrexham, who sit sixth, by just two points. That keeps Derby firmly in the hunt for a top-six finish. Although they lost 1–2 to Ipswich in their most recent outing, they had previously put together a four-match unbeaten run, recording three wins and a draw.
Swansea are positioned slightly below Derby in the standings. The team have collected 42 points from 31 matches and currently sit 15th in the table. However, as in Derby’s case, Swansea are not significantly behind the top six. They are five points off Wrexham, and the battle for a playoff spot lies ahead. Swansea have won their last two matches convincingly: 4–0 against Sheffield Wednesday and 2–0 versus Watford. Their form is encouraging, and their top-six ambitions remain realistic.
Probable line-ups
- Derby: Vickers; Ward, Batth, Clarke, Murkin; Ozoh, Fraulo; Brereton Diaz, Clark, Brewster; Agyemang
- Swansea: Vigouroux; Galbraith, Cabango, Burgess, Tymon; Stamenic; Ronald, Franco, Cullen, Nunes; Vipotnik
Prediction
We are set for a highly intense contest between two mid-table sides chasing a place in the top six. My recommendation is to back both teams to score.