Derby County: Repeat of Wigan Athletic shocker could be more damaging in 2024/25 - View | OneFootball

The Rams lost 2-1 at Pride Park in their opening game of last season, but came back strongly to win promotion.

Derby County will have to be at their best on Friday evening to avoid an opening day loss, with the Rams looking to avoid a repeat of the first game of last season as mistakes plagued their performance.

Wigan Athletic travelled to Pride Park Stadium in August 2023 to kick off their League One campaign against Derby, and took all three points back to the north-west in a 2-1 victory, with goals from Charlie Wyke the difference between the two sides.

The Rams are on the road for their first fixture of the 2024/25 season, as they visit Ewood Park to take on Blackburn Rovers.

John Eustace, who spent two years at Derby as a player, took over the managerial role at Rovers in February, keeping the team up on the final day of the season thanks to a Sammie Szmodics double as they beat Leicester City 2-0.

Nevertheless, it has been a tough run so far for Eustace, who has won just three competitive matches in charge of Blackburn, and Paul Warne will be hoping to inflict further damage on the Lancastrian side.

Derby were left to rue mistakes against Wigan

Supporters packed out Pride Park last summer for the opening game of the season, with expectations that Derby would ease past a Wigan side that had a host of off-field issues.

However, lapses in concentration from players who eventually went on to become key for Warne later in the year, cost the team dearly, allowing Wyke to score twice in positions that he simply should not have.

Sonny Bradley was the first to slip-up against the Latics, over-stretching after receiving a pass from Curtis Nelson, giving Wigan's number nine freedom to run clear and take the ball past Joe Wildsmith to give the visitors the lead.

Veteran left-back Craig Forsyth equalised shortly after half-time with a crisp volley inside the box, and nearly grabbed a second shortly after but was denied at close-range by Sam Tickle.

Yet, it was Shaun Maloney's side who walked away happy from DE24, with Wyke grabbing his second following a clumsily missed punch by Wildsmith in the Rams' goal.

Derby must cut out these errors in the Championship

Bizarrely, it was mistakes like these that seemed to stick with Derby throughout the season, conceding often through their own volition.

But this must stop in the Championship, with the quality of opposition a lot greater than that of the teams in League One. But, Warne's team should be more familiarised with each other this time out, despite a host of signings, as the core of the team has stayed fairly similar to that of last year.

Yet, slip-ups will happen, as is natural in football. However, the Rams must react better in 2024/25 and not allow multiple to happen in one game, particularly when they are on top.

If they remain focused on the task in hand, and play their own game, they will be able to take all three points from an ill-prepared Blackburn, but the team must think back to that fixture against Wigan, and realise where they went wrong 12 months ago.