Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa has insisted Derby County are not the same team that suffered a thrashing at the hands of the Whites back in August.
The Yorkshire giants will be aiming to put an end to a dismal run of three straight defeats in all competitions when they host promotion rivals Derby at Elland Road on Friday night.
Bielsa’s men ran out comfortable winners during the reverse fixture at Pride Park in August when the visitors registered a thumping 4-1 win over Derby.
Despite the gulf in class between both sides during their last meeting, Bielsa admitted Derby are not the same team anymore and insisted the Rams have become better since then.
“Derby’s not the same team anymore. They are a lot better now as a team”, Bielsa told a press conference.
The Argentine tactician also added that the outcome will not be the same and reminded his players they cannot rely on their previous result to get the job done.
“I don’t think it’s going to be the same game. We have the conditions to try to win against this.
“We can’t rely on the fact we played against them five months ago. It will not be similar.
“Both teams are very different.”
Leeds continue to remain as the front-runners in the race for promotion in the Championship with 51 points from 26 games.
