Derby County vs Fleetwood Town prediction made as strong attack meets 'leaky' defence

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Fleetwood Town vs Derby County kicks off at 7pm at Pride Park Stadium this evening

Derby County's EFL Trophy journey continues this evening as they face rival League One side Fleetwood Town. Both sides were unbeaten in the group stages with Derby winning all three of their matches so far in the competition.

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They will battle it out for a place in the round of 16 and keep the hopes of a Wembley trip alive. The Rams have won their last four league games and come into this game off the back of a 1-0 win away at Port Vale last Tuesday.

The Rams are going through their best spell of form so far this season and will be keen to keep the momentum going tonight. Meanwhile Fleetwood Town are struggling and come off the back of a crushing 4-0 defeat to Cambridge United in the FA Cup.

Leaking goals

Fleetwood manager Lee Johnson has been in place since mid September and has yet to make significant progress on the Fishermen's form. They have lost by three or more goals in their last three games and have only won one game in five.

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Johnson's side are leaking goals and have conceded the most out of any team in League One this season. They will have a tricky job keeping the Rams out of goal too as Paul Warne's side have scored the sixth-most goals in the division.

Fleetwood Town manager Lee Johnson during an FA Cup match between Fleetwood Town and Kidderminster HarriersFleetwood Town manager Lee Johnson during an FA Cup match between Fleetwood Town and Kidderminster Harriers
Fleetwood Town manager Lee Johnson during an FA Cup match between Fleetwood Town and Kidderminster Harriers | Getty Images

A former Derby player, Johnson will know all about the occasion of playing at Pride Park, especially for a Fleetwood side who's Highbury Stadium holds just above 5,000 people.

Last time out

This won't be the first Pride Park trip of the season for Fleetwood as they were visitors in a league clash between the two sides in August. That game ended in a narrow 1-0 win for the Rams thanks to a Martyn Waghorn goal on what was a poor afternoon on both sides of the ball. Both managers will be hoping for a better showing this time around with a place in the next round up for grabs.

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Predictions

On paper, this should be a comfortable game for a Derby County side who have to be considered one of the favourites in the EFL Trophy this season.

They are a high-scoring team playing against a leaky defence and so shouldn't struggle going forward. Especially with dangerous attackers such as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing who is playing his best football in a Derby shirt at the moment.

Fleetwood don't boast as many dangerous players as the Rams, but they do have a memorable name in Jack Marriot up front. Marriot has scored five goals in the league so far and having spent three seasons with the Rams, he will be desperate to score against his former club.

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Jack Marriot celebrates scoring for Fleetwood Town in a League One match vs Ipswich Town last seasonJack Marriot celebrates scoring for Fleetwood Town in a League One match vs Ipswich Town last season
Jack Marriot celebrates scoring for Fleetwood Town in a League One match vs Ipswich Town last season | Getty Images

However, despite the threat of Marriot, everything suggests that Paul Warne's side should expect a comfortable win such as a 2-0 or 3-0 scoreline.

How to watch Derby County vs Fleetwood Town

Tonight's match will kick off at 7pm at Pride Park with tickets still available. Otherwise, Rams TV will be broadcasting from 6.30pm for viewers with a Rams TV subscription or pay-per-view ticket. Furthermore, BBC Radio Derby will provide audio commentary and will be live from 6pm.

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