I watched every Derby County goal this season and this is the Leeds United player it’s the perfect game for

The Rams have scored six times from 51 headed attempts throughout the first 18 games of 2024/25, averaging just under three headed shots per 90 minutes.

Leeds, meanwhile, have been one of the sternest defences in the division this year and are yet to concede a headed goal, making them the only side in the league to do so. Blackburn Rovers came close last weekend, striking the crossbar from a close-range headed effort but on the whole, Leeds have capably protected Illan Meslier from aerial assaults.

A key reason for this is the presence of Pascal Struijk at the heart of Daniel Farke's defence. The Leeds vice-captain has won 58 of his 90 aerial duels this season, whilst playing each and every minute of United's Championship campaign so far.

There are players who boast better numbers than the Dutchman but Struijk has a knack for being in the right place at the right time when it comes to dominating his direct opponent and clearing with his head.

At Elland Road in particular, Struijk tends to thrive in aerial battles. Over the past month, Struijk won 13 of his 19 aerials duels on home turf as Leeds saw off Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers and Luton Town, conceding a cumulative Expected Goals (xG) tally of 1.14 over those three matches. What shouldn't be forgotten, either, is the stand-in skipper's decisive goal-line clearance from Victor Moses against the Hatters.

Rams' top scorer Jerry Yates has netted four times in the league this term, two of which have been headed attempts from set-plays. Central defender Curtis Nelson is Derby's joint second-top goalscorer with two strikes to his name, both of which were headers, too.

It is in such situations Leeds will need to be at their best, considering 11 of Derby's 22 goals have come from set-plays this season. In fact, 38 per cent of Derby's xG and 45 per cent of their total shots this season have come from set-piece situations, which on both counts is just shy of league leaders Millwall but clear of the rest of the division by a significant margin.

Leeds will need more than just 6ft 3in Struijk to keep Derby at bay when they make their first appearance at Elland Road since 2019, but the Dutchman will play a central role in maintaining the Whites' strong home record, if Leeds are to come away with all three points.