It’s all in Derby County’s hands as we enter the final day of the Championship season as The Rams currently occupy the last remaining play-off spot ahead of their clash with West Brom at Pride Park.
Derby County sit in 6th place but hold slender one point margins over 7th placed Middlesbrough and 8th placed Bristol City respectively, and a draw may not be enough for Frank Lampard’s team here with the chasing teams breathing down Derby County’s necks.
The hosts have displayed some solid form of late as they’ve suffered just one defeat out of their last 11 matches overall in the Championship, but they’ve been involved in five draws within this sequence which has prevented Derby from already securing their play-off spot.
Four wins from their last six at home though should give Derby the necessary momentum to get a result on Sunday following wins against Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United, Bolton Wanderers and QPR, but nonetheless they’ll be wary of the goalscoring threats that visitors West Brom possess.
West Brom secured their play-off spot some weeks ago but they’ll be looking for all three points at Derby County on Sunday as they look to overhaul a wobbling 3rd placed Leeds United outfit in order to get the most favourable play-off semi-final tie.
The Baggies trail Leeds United by three points but possess a superior goal difference of +3, and although Leeds should grab the points away at Ipswich Town, the Yorkshire club have had to deal with the bitter disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion and may face a tricky encounter against the Tractor Boys who have nothing to lose.
West Brom took all three points as expected against relegated Rotherham United at The Hawthorns last Saturday in a come from behind 2-1 win which will give them confidence at Pride Park on Sunday, but although they possess the joint highest number of away wins in the Championship this season, the visitors have recorded just one win on the road from their last five matches.
That win came in a 1-0 win at Brentford, but recent defeats at Leeds United 4-0 along with losses at lowly Millwall and play-off candidates, Bristol City, make The Baggies far from favourites to win this tussle at Derby County.
Instead, the both teams to score option seems the most likely outcome here.