Derby test themselves against La Liga opposition
Derby County continued their pre-season schedule with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Valencia at St George’s Park, coming away with a 2-1 defeat after a late consolation from Owen Eames.
Derby County continued their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Valencia at St George’s Park on Tuesday.
The match provided extended playing time for a number of familiar faces and new additions as Head Coach John Eustace used the opportunity to rotate his squad. New signing Filip Bilbija completed 45 minutes in his first outing wearing black and white, while the club’s World Cup participants also returned to action.
First-half caution, second-half quickfire goals
The opening 45 minutes finished goalless. Derby had the brighter early moments, with Max Johnston forcing a save in the sixth minute after a lively run down the right. Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström featured in the first half, making at least one important block to keep the score level at the interval.
Valencia grew into the contest after half-time. Their left winger Arnaut Danjuma struck twice inside the opening 15 minutes of the second period, the second coming after Derby’s substitute goalkeeper Josh Vickers had made a strong stop but could not keep out the follow-up.
Late fightback and chances
Derby made extensive changes around the hour mark, introducing fresh legs which steadied the side and created renewed momentum. One of those substitutes, Owen Eames, got on the scoresheet in the penultimate minute when his deflected effort looped over the Valencia keeper to make it 2-1.
- Final score: Derby County 1–2 Valencia
- Valencia scorer: Arnaut Danjuma (2)
- Derby scorer: Owen Eames
There was a late opportunity for a dramatic equaliser as Dajuane Brown came close, but his effort from the edge of the area drifted inches wide of the far post.
Team rotation and minutes
Eustace used the fixture to give significant minutes across his squad. Below is the starting XI and the principal substitutions recorded during the match by Derby.
| Starting XI (partial) | Replacements (minute) |
|---|---|
| Zetterström; Johnston; Sanderson; Clarke; Forsyth; Travis; Fraulo; Ward; Bilbija; Clark; Morris | Vickers (46’); Langås (61’); multiple changes at 61’ |
Specific changes included goalkeeper Vickers replacing Zetterström at half-time, and a wave of outfield substitutions around the 61st minute as Eustace reshaped the team for the remainder of the match.
The fixture offered a useful run-out against strong opposition as Derby build toward the new season, giving manager and players match practice and indicating areas to tighten ahead of competitive games.
