3/1 To Win
Derby County fell to a 2-0 defeat to Barnsley at Pride Park Stadium ahead of the November international break.
Conor Chaplin opened the scoring midway through the first-half from close-range after intercepting a pass out from the back. Derby were unable to find a leveller before substitute Victor Adeboyejo curled in their second of the afternoon.
Phillip Cocu was absent from Pride Park Stadium as he was required to self-isolate following UK COVID-19 guidelines. His coaching staff oversaw the game.
Krystian Bielik made his first start of 2020 after recovering from a long-term knee injury.
Ahead of the game, both sides held a minute of silence in honour of Remembrance Day.
David Marshall was called into action just four minutes into the game and provided a great save to deny the visitors an early lead. Callum Styles broke through the back line and found Cauley Woodrow to flick on to Dominik Frierser, but his close-range volley was parried away at the near post.
Just a minute later and it was the Rams’ turn to come close. Nathan Byrne played Martyn Waghorn in behind from a brilliant channel ball and poked it around Jack Walton but Michal Helik was able to get there to deny Wayne Rooney a chance on the open net.
The Rams had another go 22 minutes in after a good run by Byrne on the right before finding Tom Lawrence on the right. The forward cut inside and took aim, but Walton made a strong save.
However, on the stroke of the half hour-mark, the Tykes took the lead. Chaplin intercepted a back pass from Marshall looking to find Byrne. The Barnsley man then made no mistake from close-range.
In the final minute before half-time, the visitors came close again. Woodrow flicked the ball into the path of Alex Mowett, but Barnsley’s captain sent his effort just wide.
Straight down the other end, the ball dropped to Waghorn to set Jason Knight but a block in the box denied the midfielder of the leveller.
Both sides had opportunities from free-kicks just outside the areas in the opening stages of the second-half with Chaplin striking over for Barnsley and Waghorn sending his shot wide.
Just after the hour-mark, a good move from the Rams saw them quickly move the ball from right to the left for Lee Buchanan to be set in the area at a tight angle, but his effort smashed into the side netting.
Another chance fell to Derby with 15 minutes left to play when Waghorn laid the ball off to Louie Sibley who struck from 25-yards, but it was a comfortable save straight to the chest of Walton.
With seven minutes left, Barnsley doubled their lead. Adeboyejo was played through and burst forward to curl in their Tykes second goal into the left corner.
The Rams were unable to find a goal to get back into the game and will return to action following the international break with a trip to Bristol City.
Derby County: Marshall, Shinnie (Sibley, 57), Bielik, Waghorn, Lawrence (Kazim-Richards, 79), Byrne, Clarke (Jozwiak, 45), Buchanan, Rooney (C), Davies, Knight
Unused substitutes: Roos, Wisdom, Bird, Holmes
Barnsley: Walton, Styles, Andersen, Brittain, Woodrow (Halme, 90), Chaplin, Sollbauer, Mowatt (C), Frieser (Adeboyejo, 77), Helik, James (Kane, 59)
Unused Substitutes: Collins, Thomas, Schmidt, Odour
