Swansea City 1-2 Derby County: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Swansea City 1-2 Derby County in the Championship on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Derby County grabbed an early lead in this Championship clash at Swansea, with Joe Ward slotting home in the 34th minute after a neat assist from Craig Elder, putting the visitors ahead against the run of play despite Swansea’s dominance in possession.

The Swans pushed hard but couldn’t break through before half-time, and Derby doubled their advantage early in the second half when Lars Salvesen found the net unassisted in the 53rd minute, making it 0-2. Swansea made a triple substitution at 57 minutes to try and spark a comeback, but they struggled to convert their pressure into clear chances.

The game looked done and dusted until Ethan Galbraith pulled one back for Swansea in the 90th minute with an unassisted strike, giving the home fans a late glimmer of hope. Derby picked up two yellow cards late on, one for Ben Brereton Diaz in the 82nd and another for Craig Elder in stoppage time, as they held firm under mounting pressure.

Despite Swansea’s efforts, including further subs to chase the game, Derby saw it out for a 1-2 victory, boosting their play-off push.

Swansea City bossed possession with a whopping 73% compared to Derby’s 27%, which tells you they controlled the ball for most of the match but couldn’t make it count in the final third, perhaps lacking that cutting edge up front. They edged corners 4-2, suggesting they created more set-piece opportunities, yet Derby’s defence held strong, and the visitors’ two yellow cards – none for Swansea – point to some frustration or tactical fouls as they protected their lead late on.

With five substitutions used by Swansea against Derby’s three, it shows the home side was desperately trying to change the game’s flow, especially with that triple change around the hour mark, but it wasn’t enough to overturn the deficit.

Overall, the stats paint a picture of Swansea dominating territory but Derby being clinical on the counter, turning limited possession into two goals while keeping things tight at the back.

The first big turning point came in the 34th minute when Derby’s Joe Ward scored with an assist from Craig Elder, giving the visitors a surprise lead despite Swansea’s possession dominance. Then, in the 53rd minute, Lars Salvesen added Derby’s second unassisted, capitalising on a moment to extend their advantage and put Swansea firmly on the back foot. Swansea responded with a triple substitution at 57 minutes – Goncalo Franco on for Liam Cullen, Benji Manuel Hedilazio on for Ronald, and Marko Stamenic on for Jay Fulton – aiming to inject fresh energy.

Later subs included Zan Inoussa on for Ji-sung Eom at 74 minutes for Swansea, and Adam Idah on for Zan Vipotnik at 83 minutes, as they chased the game. Derby made changes too, with Kayden Jackson on for Lars Salvesen at 71 minutes, and then Andreas Weimann for Patrick Agyemang and Ryan Nyambe for Joe Ward at 80 minutes. The match’s late drama saw Ethan Galbraith score unassisted for Swansea in the 90th minute, while Derby’s Ben Brereton Diaz got a yellow card in the 82nd and Craig Elder another in the 90+4th, helping them hold on for the win.

Swansea City lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, which allowed them to control possession and build play from the back, but they struggled to penetrate Derby’s compact defence despite the width from their wingers. The shape worked well for maintaining the ball, as seen in their 73% possession, but lacked clinical finishing in attack.

The triple substitution at 57 minutes – bringing on Goncalo Franco, Benji Manuel Hedilazio, and Marko Stamenic – aimed to add more dynamism in midfield and up front, while later changes like Zan Inoussa and Adam Idah coming on tried to boost their threat, though it only led to a late consolation goal.

Derby County set up in a 3-4-2-1, which helped them absorb Swansea’s pressure with a solid back three and allowed quick counters through their wing-backs and attacking midfielders. This structure was key to their efficiency, turning just 27% possession into two goals and limiting Swansea’s chances despite the home side’s dominance.

Substitutions like Kayden Jackson on for Lars Salvesen at 71 minutes maintained their forward options, while bringing on Andreas Weimann and Ryan Nyambe at 80 minutes added fresh legs to shore up the defence and see out the game, contributing to their disciplined performance.

Ethan Galbraith earned Man of the Match honours for Swansea City with a tireless 90-minute display, netting one goal without an assist, creating no big chances but delivering two key passes that kept his side in the hunt.

Recent Championship matches:

• Loss: 1-2 vs Derby County (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Bristol City (A)
• Loss: 1-4 vs Ipswich Town (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Preston North End (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Charlton Athletic (A)

Recent Championship matches:

• Win: 2-1 vs Swansea City (A)
• Loss: 2-3 vs Watford (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Blackburn Rovers (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Hull City (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs Sheffield United (A)

Swansea City, currently sitting 19th with 17 points, will look to bounce back from this 1-2 home defeat when they face West Bromwich Albion away on 29 November at 15:00. The late goal from Ethan Galbraith might give them a sliver of confidence, but their inability to convert possession into goals could be a worry against a solid Albion side, especially with no new injuries or suspensions mentioned from this match.

Derby County, now eighth with 26 points, head into their next Championship fixture against Middlesbrough at home on 29 November at 15:00 buoyed by this gritty 1-2 away win. Their clinical finishing and defensive resilience, despite low possession, should boost morale, though the late yellow cards might prompt caution to avoid any suspensions in what could be a tight battle for play-off spots.

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