Where’s It At?
Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8XL, United Kingdom. Well, it was called Pride Park, before it was stripped of all its pride and tied to the bumper of the immodest vehicle of consumerism. It’s called the iPro stadium, now. You can’t make this ****e up.
When’s It On?
The kick-off is at 7:45pm BST.
Should I Bring My Brolly?
You ought to. The humidity will be at a high of 87%, and there are scattered showers that’s being predicted in the area.
The Form Book
It’s been all doom and gloom for Derby County, as The Rams have started their season all too sheepishly [had to be said]. Nigel Pearson stiff upper lip approach isn’t quite working. Having failing to secure a win in their last five outings, and having failed to keep a clean sheet on any of those fixtures, they now face the unenviable task of keeping out a Liverpool side, with all the momentum of a well-oiled German Panzer fleet. In the last match, Derby drew 1-1 with Bristol City away from home, while Liverpool won 1-2 away at Chelsea.
This game couldn’t have come at a more inopportune/opportune time, depending on how you see a glass with half-a-pint in it. It could be half full, half empty, or someone had a swig of your beer when you were too busy over-thinking. It could be the perfect launch-pad, or a game that compounds their misery.
Liverpool, visiting on the back of an exceedingly taxing win vs Chelsea, are bound to have some wobbly legs in their squad. And there may be ample opportunity for a motivated Derby side to pull off an upset.
Jürgen Klopp’s side has so far played some breathtaking, breathless football, against the likes of Leicester, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea, and hammered Burton Albion 5-0 in the English League Cup Competition. But that one blip vs Burnley highlights the fact that they still may be susceptible to a potential banana skin. That being said, the German is likely to weed out any false sense of security and complacency in the squad.
What To Expect
Nigel Pearson’s side would out to rattle the established stars and the youngsters fielded by Jürgen today. Expect a tightly fought encounter with Derby flooding the midfield to choke Liverpool’s rhythm and movement. With that in mind, Jürgen may be tempted to start his old guard instead. Liverpool may tire towards the end, and Derby should get their opportunity in the dying embers of the match.
Prediction
2-2
Possible Line-ups
Derby [4-4-2]
Carson; Christie, Keogh, Pearce, Olsson; Anya, Butterfield, Bryson, Hughes; Vydra, Wilson
Liverpool [4-3-3]
Karius; Klavan, Lovren, Clyne, Moreno; Lucas, Grujic, Lallana; Ejaria, Coutinho, Origi.
