3/1 To Win
Derby County Under-23s are looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats as they face Manchester United in the Premier League International Cup at Loughborough University.
Darren Wassall’s side have taken a break from the league and are in cup action this evening (7pm kick off) in their last game of 2018.
Here, dcfc.co.uk has everything you need to know ahead of the clash.
SETTING THE SCENE…
In the league, Derby County are flying. They sit second in Premier League 2 Division 1 going into the Christmas break, however, they will be disappointed not to top the league.
They won seven of their opening 11 games in the league, however, two successive defeats have seen them knocked off top spot.
Successive 1-0 defeats against Manchester City and Everton have seen them replaced at the summit but attention now turns to the cup.
After a 1-1 draw at Pride Park against PSG, and a 3-1 win against PSV, the Rams are one win away from qualification.
If the Rams win tonight against Manchester United, it’s the first time they’ve ever qualified for the Premier League International Cup quarter finals.
Speaking to RamsTV, Wassall said: “The challenge is to bounce back from two defeats and show some desire and character to stop the losing streak.
“It’s a different challenge but something they will hopefully relish. They deserve to go out on a high and it will be a damp squid if they don’t perform against Manchester United.
“We haven’t progressed past the group stages before but we have put ourselves in a great position. It’s a challenge for the players to keep the competition alive.”
Goalkeeper Henrich Ravas added: “It’s a massive game. We played against top sides already in this competition so you always want to play against the best teams.
“It’s a massive chance to get through and hopefully we can get the win to get through to the next stage of the competition.”
