Derby County: Paul Warne can spark play-off push by righting Sheffield Wednesday wrongs | OneFootball

The Rams make the trip Hillsborough on 1 January, and will be hoping to close the gap to those in the top half of the table, and push even further.

Derby County make the short trip to Hillsborough on New Year's Day, and they will be looking to start 2025 in a positive way against Sheffield Wednesday.

The two sides met on 1 December, with the Owls running out 2-1 winners in a late smash-and-grab at Pride Park. The Rams controlled the majority of the game, and took the lead early on through Ebou Adams.

However, a spectacular Barry Bannan equaliser and a last-gasp winner from Jamal Lowe handed Danny Rohl's team all three points. It was a result that has sparked a rise up the table for Sheffield Wednesday, and they sit just four points off the play-off places in 11th.

Despite the gap to their opponents, Derby will be buoyed by their performances in recent weeks, and know that they have more than enough quality to overturn the Owls on their own patch, and it may just give them an outside chance of a top six push themselves.

Derby could spark a surprise play-off push with a win over Sheffield Wednesday

While the Rams will still be looking over their shoulders at the teams occupying the bottom three, there is a lot between themselves and those in the battle for a top six finish.

Paul Warne's side had a difficult run over the course of October and November, and wins were hard to come by. However, they have proven throughout December that they can more than match the sides at the top of the division.

Derby have enough quality to climb the table, and if they had not conceded late goals to both Luton Town and Wednesday, they would be in an incredibly strong position heading into 2025.

If they can right the wrongs from their match against the Owls, then they stand an excellent chance of picking up just their second away win of the season. They will need this momentum in the coming weeks, with tough trips to Bristol City, Cardiff City and Norwich City in January and the start of February.

Finding consistency at this time of the season is crucial to the Rams' ambitions, and if they can come away with a solid haul of points in their next few games, then the play-offs might not be as far away as first thought.

Scoring more than once will be vital to Derby's chances of a result

The Rams have found it difficult at times to score more than one goal in a game, and this has proven costly on multiple occasions.

Their 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day was a true indicator of how important it is to grab that second, and put distance between themselves and their opponents. It halted any momentum that the Baggies were building, and Warne's side were able to see the game out.

It was a factor that the 51-year-old will still rue from their last clash with Sheffield Wednesday, and Derby will know that they must not settle if they do take an early lead at Hillsborough.

A good run at this stage of the season could put the Rams into contention for a late play-off push, and any fears over relegation could be eradicated extremely quickly.