Stoke won three of their final five home games last season (D1, L1)
Derby managed just three away wins in the Championship last season
Recommended bet: Stoke to win
Stoke and Derby begin the new Championship season the same way they finished the previous campaign with a game against each other, albeit in a reverse fixture.
Both sides were involved in the fight against the drop last term as Stoke finished in 18th spot, just two points clear of danger and one above the visitors.
The latest Stoke vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet.
Team News
Stoke striker Robert Bozeník will be hoping to make his league debut after joining from Boavista, with Aaron Cresswell and Sorba Thomas among their other new recruits.
Derby have also strengthened their attack with the captures of Carlton Morris and Rhian Brewster.
Austrian veteran Andreas Weimann has returned to the club for a second spell after turning down a new deal at Blackburn.
The latest Stoke vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet.
The stats
Stoke claimed four points from their two games against Derby last season.
The Rams lost 13 of their 24 Championship away games last season.
Stoke have faced a higher standard of opposition during their pre-season campaign, beating Burnley in their final friendly assignment.
Derby conceded on average 1.7 goals per-game in away games last season.
Stoke lost just six of their 23 home league games.
The latest Stoke vs Derby odds are available on LiveScore Bet.
Prediction
There was almost nothing to separate Stoke and Derby last season as the Potters finished just one point and one place above the Rams, and the two sides look fairly evenly matched once again.
Both sides should head into the new campaign in optimistic mood, however, as Stoke improved significantly in the latter stages of the season under Mark Robins and Derby pulled off a great escape under John Eustace.
The two opposing managers are now gearing up for their first full seasons in charge of their new clubs and it may be Robins who is the happier of the two at the final whistle on Saturday.
Stoke’s home ground was not necessarily a fortress last season but they were incredibly tough to beat, losing just six of their 23 league games.
The Potters enjoyed the better of the head-to-head meetings with Derby as they claimed four points from the two games, which includes a 2-1 win at this venue, and the Rams were generally poor on the road — losing 13 of their 24 away games and winning just four.
Stoke ended the season strongly as they lost just two of their final eight games, with both losses coming against teams who finished inside the top three, and they can open the new campaign with a win over Derby.
