Follow live coverage as Derby County face Sheffield United in the Championship today.
An increasingly competitive second tier in English football remains an intense and exciting competition, with the prize of a place in the Premier League on offer at the end of the season.
Relegation from the top flight last term means Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United are all back in the second tier this term and will be expected to push for play-off spots again at least, but so too will Norwich City, an improving Coventry and beaten play-off finalists Leeds United. At the other end of the table, Wayne Rooney is aiming to revive Plymouth’s fortunes after they narrowly avoided relegation last year, with Portsmouth and Derby the teams promoted from League One along with play-off final winners Oxford.
Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.
Derby County FC 0 - 1 Sheffield United FC
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:55Match ends, Derby County 0, Sheffield United 1.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:54Second Half ends, Derby County 0, Sheffield United 1.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:53Offside, Derby County. Lars-Jørgen Salvesen is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:51Foul by Tyrese Campbell (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:50Fourth official has announced 5 minutes of added time.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:50Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Harry Clarke.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:50Attempt blocked. Tom Barkhuizen (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:48Foul by Sam McCallum (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:45Attempt missed. Matt Clarke (Derby County) header from very close range is just a bit too high following a corner.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:45Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Tyrese Campbell.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:44Attempt blocked. Tom Barkhuizen (Derby County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:43Foul by Hamza Choudhury (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:43Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:43Delay in match because of an injury Vinicius Souza (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:42Vinicius Souza (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:41Foul by Tom Barkhuizen (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:39Substitution, Derby County. Tom Barkhuizen replaces Kenzo Goudmijn.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:38Substitution, Sheffield United. Sydie Peck replaces Thomas Cannon.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:37Offside, Derby County. Nathaniel Méndez-Laing is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:34Substitution, Sheffield United. Sam McCallum replaces Rhian Brewster.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:34Substitution, Derby County. Nathaniel Méndez-Laing replaces Kayden Jackson.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:31Offside, Sheffield United. Harrison Burrows is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:34Attempt missed. Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:31Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Ben Osborn.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:30Vinicius Souza (Sheffield United) is shown the yellow card.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:30Marcus Harness (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:29Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:51Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:51Delay in match (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:27Substitution, Derby County. Liam Thompson replaces David Ozoh.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:25Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Marcus Harness.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:22Attempt missed. Thomas Cannon (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:21Substitution, Sheffield United. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi replaces Ben Brereton.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:21Substitution, Sheffield United. Tyrese Campbell replaces Callum O'Hare.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:21Foul by Kenzo Goudmijn (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:17Attempt missed. Kenzo Goudmijn (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ben Osborn with a cross.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:17Foul by Hamza Choudhury (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:09Foul by Hamza Choudhury (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:09Foul by Kenzo Goudmijn (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:08Goal! Derby County 0, Sheffield United 1. Ben Brereton (Sheffield United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thomas Cannon.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:05Ebou Adams (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:06Foul by Thomas Cannon (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:05Offside, Sheffield United. Thomas Cannon is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:04Second Half begins Derby County 0, Sheffield United 0.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
16:04Substitution, Derby County. Marcus Harness replaces Ryan Nyambe.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:50First Half ends, Derby County 0, Sheffield United 0.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:50Fourth official has announced 3 minutes of added time.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:50Harrison Burrows (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:49Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:47Delay in match because of an injury Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:46Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:41Delay in match because of an injury Kayden Jackson (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:39Foul by Harry Clarke (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:33Attempt blocked. David Ozoh (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:31Callum O'Hare (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:31Hand ball by Callum O'Hare (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:30Attempt missed. Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Harry Clarke.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:27Foul by Kayden Jackson (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:27Callum O'Hare (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:29Attempt saved. Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is saved.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:24Foul by Vinicius Souza (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:23Offside, Sheffield United. Rhian Brewster is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:23Attempt saved. Kenzo Goudmijn (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Ebou Adams with a headed pass.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:23Attempt blocked. Kayden Jackson (Derby County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:22Attempt missed. Matt Clarke (Derby County) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ben Osborn following a set piece situation.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:20Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (Derby County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:14Offside, Sheffield United. Ben Brereton is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:14Vinicius Souza (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:14Foul by David Ozoh (Derby County).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:09Foul by Ben Brereton (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:07Attempt saved. Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:06Anel Ahmedhodzic (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:05Foul by Harrison Burrows (Sheffield United).
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:03Offside, Sheffield United. Thomas Cannon is caught offside.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:02Attempt saved. Thomas Cannon (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
15:01First Half begins.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
14:30Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Derby County vs Sheffield United
13:01Follow live football coverage with The Independent today.
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