Derby County forward Matej Vydra is hoping the Rams can take advantage of Fulham's disappointment after they missed out on automatic promotion.

Slavisa Jokanovic's men knew that they would secure second place if they managed a better result than Cardiff City on the final day.

However, even though the Welsh side only drew, Fulham lost to Birmingham, which meant they had to settle for a place in the play-offs.

And, they're now going to face Derby, with Vydra telling the Derby Telegraph that the Rams are ready to captalise on any lingering disappointment:

"Fulham will be disappointed and it will be tough for them because they were here last season as well. They were close to automatic promotion but lost their last game, so maybe they will be frustrated and we can use this against them."

The former Watford man also believes Derby are approaching the crunch encounter in a good place after their impressive 4-1 win over Barnsley on the final day:

"I think we will have more confidence after the last game. We have more confidence on the ball, which showed out there against Barnsley."

The Verdict

You can understand Vydra's point and there's no doubt that Fulham have not performed to their usual high standards in recent games, which may be because of the pressure.

Therefore, Derby will be confident going into the games even though they are underdogs.

It's now down to Gary Rowett's men to deliver on the pitch though, and they will probably need to take a good result from the first-leg, which is played at Pride Park on Friday night.

Thoughts, Derby fans? Let us know in the comments below.