PREVIEW | Hull City vs Derby County - team news, lineups, predictions

Playmakerstats

·24 April 2025

PREVIEW | Hull City vs Derby County - team news, lineups, predictions

Hull City and Derby County go head-to-head at MKM Stadium this Saturday in the EFL Championship.

Hull City have won 48 points to date and are placed in 20th position. In their last match, Rubén Sellés's side prevailed 2-1 against Preston North End (EFL Championship 2024/2025).

Video OneFootball

Derby County have 46 points to their name this season and occupy 21st position in the table. In their last fixture, John Eustace's team won 1-3 against West Bromwich (EFL Championship 2024/2025).

The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Fan Zone

Joe Collins (To Hull and Back Podcast): Last home game of the season, and the task at hand is simple. Do our job, get the win, and clinch survival in the process.

A win puts us five points clear of Derby with one to play, regardless of whatever Luton do, meaning we would be safe as we head down to the south coast on the final day at Portsmouth.

Derby aren't brilliant, but neither are we. They are organised, they are determined; so are we.

This game goes one of two ways. Both teams go at each other, trading goal for goal and we get a thriller akin to our final home game of last season (a 3-3 draw against Ipswich), or it's ultra-tense and it takes a bit of luck or a moment of individual brilliance to split the sides.

We did well against Preston, and my heart tells me we can back it up. But, we have failed to do so under Ruben Selles so far. This our ninth chance to grab back-to-back wins under his management, possibly the biggest chance in terms of the implications it has for our season and our battle to stave off relegation.

Prediction: 2-1

Cory Hancock (The Rams Review Podcast): It was an up and down Easter for the Rams. They lost at home to Luton but won away at West Brom. The solid performance at the Hawthorns was needed, but with all the relegation rivals also picking up points, it’s all to play for with two games to go. Derby is still outside the relegation zone (albeit on goal difference) but right now the race for survival is too close to call. The Rams don’t travel well (only three wins) but they head to Humberside to take on a Hull team that has proven to be inconsistent and missing the goal scoring touch.

It is a HUGE match for both teams. Both need victories and neither can afford to lose (or draw). Hopefully the morale boosting win against WBA will continue to give this team the confidence they need to stay up. One bit of injury news is that Swedish international goalkeeper Jacob Zetterström is out for the season with a broken eye socket. This is a massive blow as he is a Player of the Season contender. But Josh Vickers has done well since coming into the side and made a cracking low save against the Baggies.

This could be a defining game in both Hull and Derby’s seasons. It won’t be a showpiece occasion but with so much at stake this has the makings of a good football match. Hopefully, the Rams can take their momentum into this game, nick a goal and then remain defensively solid. This is a must win.

Prediction: 0-1