Kamp slutt, Huddersfield Town 1, Derby County 2.
Phillip Cocu started his tenure as Derby boss with victory over relegated Huddersfield thanks to a double from Tom Lawrence.
Wales international Lawrence scored twice in three minutes to put the Rams in control, first lobbing into an empty net after an error by Tommy Elphick and then curling in a fine effort from the edge of the area.
Karlan Grant pulled one back from the penalty spot before the break after Kieran Dowell had brought down Juninho Bacuna.
The hosts had the better of the second half but could not find an equaliser, with Rams keeper Kelle Roos making a brave stop to deny Town skipper Christopher Schindler and sub Elias Kachunga blazing high and wide.
Derby, who are interested in bringing former England captain Wayne Rooney to the club, have endured another turbulent summer after being beaten by Aston Villa in last season's Championship play-off final.
Boss Frank Lampard left to take over at Chelsea after the start of pre-season training before former Dutch international Cocu was appointed his replacement at the start of July.
After an even start to the contest they took the lead when Elphick miscued his attempt to shoulder the ball back to goalkeeper Kamil Grabara, with the Liverpool loanee only able to head the ball as far as Lawrence, who showed good control before lobbing a measured shot into the net.
Lawrence quickly made it 2-0 with another fine effort from the edge of the penalty area, with Town defenders too slow to close the forward down.
Town got back in it through Grant's spot-kick after Dowell's clumsy foul on Bacuna and Kachunga, who has not scored a league goal since December 2017, should have levelled late on but slashed well wide of the target.
Their loss means that all three teams relegated from the Premier League have opened the new season with defeats, after Fulham and Cardiff were beaten at Barnsley and Wigan respectively on Saturday.
Huddersfield boss Jan Siewert told BBC Radio Leeds:
"I wasn't happy with the first half. I was very happy with the second half but we should have scored with one of the two big chances we had.
"They didn't have a shot on target in the second half, they were just defending. They scored from our mistakes, we made their goals.
"Elias came on and played a great game. I feel sorry for him that he didn't score because it was an excellent situation and it would have made him a bit more confident.
"We didn't deserve to lose today."
Derby boss Phillip Cocu told BBC Radio Derby:
"It's always important to start with a win, especially away. It was a difficult game but we did an excellent job.
"In the first half we played very good football. It was an energetic game, so in the second half the power ran a little low for some of the players. We showed two faces today - good football and good character.
"Tom Lawrence is a fantastic player. If we get the same product like he showed today, there will be no discussion about his qualities. He's a player with huge potential."
Line-ups
Huddersfield
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Grabara
- 33Hadergjonaj
- 4Elphick
- 26Schindler
- 5Kongolo
- 7BacunaSubstituted forMbenzaat 62'minutes
- 6Hogg
- 10Mooy
- 11DiakhabySubstituted forKachungaat 67'minutes
- 16GrantSubstituted forQuanerat 89'minutes
- 21Pritchard
Substitutes
- 9Kachunga
- 14Bockhorn
- 18Mbenza
- 23Quaner
- 27Stankovic
- 31Schofield
- 39O'Brien
Derby
Formation 4-3-3
- 21Roos
- 37Bogle
- 6Keogh
- 16Clarke
- 46Malone
- 17Evans
- 44Huddlestone
- 8DowellSubstituted forKnightat 88'minutes
- 11JozefzoonSubstituted forBennettat 74'minutes
- 9Waghorn
- 10Lawrence
Substitutes
- 4Shinnie
- 14Marriott
- 20Bennett
- 25Lowe
- 33Davies
- 35Mitchell
- 38Knight
- Referee:
- Geoff Eltringham
- Attendance:
- 22,596
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away3
- Corners
- Home8
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home18
- Away14
Live Text
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Full Time
Andre omgang slutt, Huddersfield Town 1, Derby County 2.
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Collin Quaner (Huddersfield Town) lager frispark.
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Scott Malone (Derby County) vinner et frispark på egen banehalvdel.
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Florent Hadergjonaj (Huddersfield Town) lager frispark.
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Tom Lawrence (Derby County) vinner et frispark på egen banehalvdel.
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Tommy Elphick (Huddersfield Town) vinner et frispark på høyre ving.
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Martyn Waghorn (Derby County) lager frispark.
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Terence Kongolo (Huddersfield Town) vinner et frispark på egen banehalvdel.
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Mason Bennett (Derby County) lager frispark.
Substitution
Bytte, Huddersfield Town. Collin Quaner erstatter Karlan Grant.
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Isaac Mbenza (Huddersfield Town) lager frispark.
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Mason Bennett (Derby County) vinner et frispark på egen banehalvdel.
Substitution
Bytte, Derby County. Jason Knight erstatter Kieran Dowell.
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Hjørnespark, Huddersfield Town. Forårsaket av Richard Keogh.
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Jonathan Hogg (Huddersfield Town) lager frispark.
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George Evans (Derby County) vinner et frispark på motstanders banehalvdel.
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Avslutning utenfor. Isaac Mbenza (Huddersfield Town) skudd med høyrebenet fra utenfor sekstenmeteren til venstre for målet.
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Mason Bennett (Derby County) hands på.
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Tom Lawrence (Derby County) vinner et frispark på egen banehalvdel.
Comments
Join the conversation
I mean, yeah probably, but that's maybe a bit premature after one match.
Clarke and Keogh already look tuned in to each other.
Up the Rams!
The team lacks pace, creativity, commitment, movement, and ideas.
"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!", as we say in Yorkshire!
Derby Fan
COYR