STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW Fri: Coventry v Derby

Coventry City will be hoping to take a big step closer to Premier League promotion when they take on play-off chasing Derby County in a Championship clash on Friday night, writes JOE CITRONE.

Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard has shut up many of the critics this season by guiding Coventry City to such a strong position – top of the table and 11 points clear of third-placed Ipswich Town – at this late stage of the season.

They need to get it over the line now, though, and a positive Easter period would certainly take them a big step closer to realising that dream of a top-flight return.

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Coventry City v Derby County
Championship
20:00 Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football / Sky Sports Ultra HDR

LAST FIVE STATS

HEAD-TO-HEAD
AUG 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 3-5 Coventry
MAR 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 2-0 Coventry
NOV 2024 CHAMPIONSHIP Coventry 1-2 Derby
MAR 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 1-1 Coventry
JAN 2022 FA CUP Coventry 1-0 Derby

COVENTRY
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Swansea 0-3 Coventry
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Coventry 1-2 Southampton
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Coventry 3-0 Preston
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Bristol City 0-2 Coventry
FEB 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Coventry 2-1 Stoke

DERBY
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 1-0 Birmingham
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Portsmouth 0-1 Derby
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Millwall 1-0 Derby
MAR 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 2-1 Sheff Wed
FEB 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP Derby 3-1 Blackburn

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Derby are also pushing towards the top, with a play-off spot not out of the question in John Eustace’s impressive first full season in charge of the Rams, but face a very tough trip on the evening of Good Friday.

In their last outing, Derby picked up another 1-0 win, the third game in succession that ended with that scoreline, to move just three points adrift of the play-off positions with seven games left remaining of the Championship season.

You do feel, though, that this Easter weekend, which also sees them take on Stoke City on Monday, will be crucial to defining their season. A win against title-chasing Coventry City would send out a heck of a statement ahead of the run-in in England’s second-tier.

However, I do expect Coventry to have enough quality to get the job done here. That said, Derby don’t concede many goals, so it could well turn into a low-scoring affair.

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(APR 2026): PROFIT/LOSS: -3.00 points

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