Derby County (home)
- Lincoln City, last season's 2025-26 League One champions, travel to Pride Park on Saturday to take on a Derby County side who finished their 2025-26 Championship campaign in a healthy mid-to-upper table place.
- John Eustace's side have enjoyed some good results of late, beating QPR and Alfreton Town in pre-season games, but also suffered narrow losses to Sheffield United, Norwich and SC Freiburg during their final competitive fixtures and pre-season tests.
Lincoln City (away)
- Lincoln finished their 2025-26 title-winning season with a 2-0 away win at Port Vale, followed by a 4-3 thriller against Wycombe and another 2-0 victory on the road at Doncaster, so they are coming into this game with real momentum and belief.
- Lincoln bossed last year's third-tier in their own unique way, retaining a compact structure, a measured style of play and a knack for turning defence into attack.
Head-to-Head
- Derby have won 24 and lost only seven of 38 competitive meetings with Lincoln, taking three of the last five.
- In the head-to-head meeting played at Pride Park in December 2023, Derby ran out 3-1 winners, but Lincoln's form since then and their performance in the 0-0 draw in this fixture in January of last year suggest they can make life tough.
Key Players
- Rob Street provides the Imps with a lively number ten option, while George Wickens is still the last line of defence in a side built on organisation and control.
- Bobby Clark provides Derby with creativity between the lines, while Joe Ward offers delivery and width to Eustace's counter-attacks.
- Carlton Morris, the type of striker who can turn one good transition into a decisive smash-and-grab, is the kind of striker who can ensure a counter-attack is not just a harmless possession change.
- Jack Moylan is Lincoln's chief creator and a major goal threat from midfield, but Reeco Hackett gives them pace and directness out wide.
Betting Insights
- The Rams are clear favorites at 1.97, with the Imps 3.4 and the draw 3.75.
- Under 2.5 goals at 2.1 looks a very good bet on this match, which should be a chess match and not a goal-fest.
- Derby should win it, but the market odds tell you all you need to know about the matchup - the hosts should win, but they won't have it all their own way.
Prediction
The most likely result is a Derby win , but both teams should be able to clog up the game enough for a close affair .
