Derby County vs Wolves U21 Prediction 08.11.2023

• Competition: EFL Trophy - Group A7
• Date: Wednesday, 8th, November 2023
• Kickoff: 19:00 UK / 20.00 CET
• Venue: Pride Park (Derby)

Just one point from first entering the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy, Derby County welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers U-21s to Pride Park Stadium on Wednesday evening for the final match of the group stage.

The memory of the time when the Rams were English champions remains a distant past, as the club has grappled with a myriad of issues for years, both on the field and in their financial struggles. Last term, the squad from Pride Park let slip the last playoff-worthy spot, even though they had it in their hands, with a 0-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day. However, with that failure, Derby did not get discouraged, but this season once again showed a huge desire to return to the Championship, but in order to remain competitive for some of the key positions, they will have to show greater consistency in form. While they currently sit just one place below the playoff line in League One with 24 points to their name, the club from the East of England is on the verge of a knockout stage spot in the EFL Trophy, having collected the maximum six points from the opening two matches of this tournament.

The League One outfit will conclude their section seven tie with a home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers under-21s, who can qualify for the next stage if they grab at least a point in midweek, and if second-placed Lincoln are beaten by bottom side Notts County. While this scenario may seem nearly impossible, in small-scale tournaments like the EFL Trophy, nothing is ruled out until the final 90 minutes of the group stage are played. Interestingly, Wolves, unlike Derby County, boast significantly more pedigree in this tournament, having made it out of the group on three occasions in the previous four campaigns, including last season when they were knocked out by Man Utd U21s at the first elimination obstacle, after the penalty shootout, 1-4.

Derby County vs Wolves U21 Betting Tips: Under 3.5

Derby County is the favorite and that is as clear as day to everyone, but since a direct clash for one of the play-off places awaits them at the weekend, head coach Paul Warne will probably "shuffle the cards" and rest most of the holders for Barnsley. Given these circumstances, we'll steer clear of a definitive outcome and instead favor the 'Under' option, as we believe that even if the League One side emerges victorious, it will likely be by a narrow and low-scoring margin. After all, the Rams have not excelled in attack this term, signaling the need for improvement in that aspect of their game. They have failed to score more than two goals in 15 out of their 19 matches so far, and we see no reason for them to adopt an overly offensive approach on Wednesday. At the same time, we must acknowledge the recent home games for Derby have been defined by a robust and impregnable defensive wall, which has remained unbreached in six out of their last seven encounters at Pride Park. Taking into consideration the fact that Derby has not crossed the 3.5-goal line in a staggering eight out of their first nine home games, and that the young Wolves have similarly stayed below that mark in six out of their past seven competitive contests, we can conclude that the 'Under' selection holds potential value.