Derby County and Bolton Wanderers are locked on 44 points in the League One table ahead of their crucial top-five clash at Pride Park on Saturday.
Both sides find themselves six points inside the playoff places and 11 points shy of the top two, so the result of Saturday's showdown looks destined to have a big impact on the race for promotion.
Match preview
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Derby came from behind to claim a spirited 3-2 victory over Cheltenham Town last weekend, thanks to goals from Conor Hourihane, Max Bird and Tom Barkhuizen.
The Rams have now won each of their last three League One games, with five victories coming in their previous six outings across all competitions, cementing their status as one of the division's in-form sides.
When you look at the bigger picture, Derby are currently enjoying 12-game unbeaten streak in the league, having picked up six wins and six draws since losing to promotion-chasing Ipswich Town back in October.
Paul Warne's men have shone at both ends of the pitch recently, scoring at least three goals in five of their last six League One victories, in addition to keeping seven clean sheets across their previous 12 league outings.
Boasting the second-best defensive record in the division, the East Midlands outfit will be confident of returning to the Championship at the first time of asking after suffering relegation last season.
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It is worth noting that Bolton are enjoying an unbeaten run of their own at the moment, having claimed five wins and three draws in their past eight games across all competitions.
After booking their place in the semi-finals of the EFL Trophy with a 1-0 win against Portsmouth, the Whites beat the same opponents 3-0 in the league last time out, courtesy of goals from Dion Charles, Kieran Lee and Eoin Toal.
Bolton have now lost just one of their previous 10 League One matches, picking up four wins and five draws, with six clean sheets coming along the way.
Thanks to a run of five clean sheets in six outings, Ian Evatt's side hold the third-best defensive record in the division, having conceded one goal more than Derby this term.
After gaining promotion from League Two in 2021, Bolton finished ninth in their first season back in the third tier, meaning they will fancy their chances of returning to the Championship for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.
Team News
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Derby have no major injury worries at the moment, although centre-back James Chester is expected to be absent from Saturday's clash after missing the last two games due to a calf problem.
Having felt tightness in his hamstring during last weekend's win against Cheltenham, Eiran Cashin was taken off as a precaution, so it remains to be seen whether he will be fit enough to make the starting XI on Saturday.
With West Ham loanee Joseph Anang continuing to work his way back to full fitness, Joe Wildsmith will retain his place between the sticks for the Rams.
Bolton will be without injured left-back Jack Iredale for the foreseeable future, as the 26-year-old requires knee surgery following an injury he picked up in the 3-0 win against Barnsley earlier this month.
Dan N'Lundulu will be hopeful of keeping his place in the starting XI after making his debut against Portsmouth last week, with the Southampton loanee bagging four goals and three assists for Cheltenham during the first half of the season.
On the topic of goals and assists, Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley has bagged six goals and six assists for Bolton this term, highlighting his importance to the side.
Derby County possible starting lineup:
Wildsmith; Smith, Forsyth, Davies, Sibley; Hourihane, Bird; Mendez-Laing, Knight, Barkhuizen; Collins
Bolton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Toal, Aimson, Johnston; Bradley, Morley, Dempsey, Williams; Lee; Bodvarsson, Charles
We say: Derby County 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
As the league table suggests, there is very little to separate Derby and Bolton at the moment, and both sides head into this clash on impressive unbeaten streaks.
Derby boast the second-best defensive record in the division, while Bolton have the third-best defensive record, meaning Saturday's game should be a low-scoring affair, with both teams looking to preserve their respective unbeaten runs.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
