Drogheda United
vs
Derry City
Premier Division prediction
Our model says: Drogheda United 0–1 Derry City
The model makes it 31% Drogheda United, 29% draw, 40% Derry City — fair odds of 3.23, 3.45 and 2.50. Fair odds are simply 100 ÷ the probability; they are the model's own number, not a bookmaker's price.
Most likely scoreline: 0-1.
Expected goals: Drogheda United 1.17, Derry City 1.41.
Both teams to score: 53%. Over 2.5 goals: 47%, under 2.5: 53%.
Model confidence: Medium.
Edge to Derry City: the better side on the model's ratings, but not by much. In past matches rated this way the favourite won 54%, 26% were drawn and the underdog won 21%.
Published · updated
Key facts
- Drogheda United are 9th on 34 points from 33 games; Derry City are 5th on 41 points from 32 games — Premier Division.
- Drogheda United have won 2 of their last 5 games, most recently a 1-3 defeat away to Shamrock Rovers.
- Derry City are unbeaten in 4 games, most recently a 1-0 win at home to Galway United.
- Last 6 meetings: Derry City 2 wins to 1, 3 draws; the most recent, 26 June 2026, ended Derry City 2–0 Drogheda United.
More League of Ireland Premier Division predictions
Live win probability
From kick-offFrom kick-off, the split above updates here every few seconds as the model re-reads the score, the clock and any red cards.
Model insights: Drogheda United vs Derry City
Has the model earned this number?
It puts Derry City at 40% here. Across 3,801 settled matches (as of 16 October 2026), 1,771 forecasts have landed in the 40–50% band; those outcomes actually happened 45.6% of the time, against an average forecast of 43.8%. In this range the two line up, so the figure above can be read literally.
Every settled prediction on this site is scored against an uninformed baseline, band by band, and published whether or not it flatters the model — see the full record.
Form going into Drogheda United vs Derry City
Drogheda United
- L1-3away to Shamrock Rovers8 October 2026
- L1-2away to Bohemians18 September 2026
- W2-1away to Shelbourne14 September 2026
- W2-0Sligo Rovers11 September 2026
- L2-3Dundalk28 August 2026
Derry City
- W1-0Galway United18 September 2026
- D2-2away to Waterford14 September 2026
- W1-0away to Shelbourne11 September 2026
- D3-3Shamrock Rovers30 August 2026
- L3-5away to Bohemians21 August 2026
What these results say
- Drogheda United scored in every one of these 5 matches.
- Drogheda United conceded in 4 of these 5 matches.
- 4 of these 5 matches for Drogheda United had three goals or more.
- Derry City scored in every one of these 5 matches.
Up to 5 matches before kick-off, most recent first. The model rates each side on its goals over this season and last, adjusted for the opposition, rather than on these results alone, so read them as context — how the ratings are built.
Premier Division table
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Drogheda United | 33 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 54 | -15 | 34 |
| 5 | Derry City | 32 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 41 |
Where the two sides stand. Full table
What's at stake
Drogheda United
Chance to finish in the bottom three · 93% today
Derry City
Chance to finish in the top four · 62% today
From our Premier Division season simulation: the rest of the season played out 10,000 times by the same model as the prediction above. Each figure is that side's chance once this match ends in a win, a draw or a defeat for it, with every other match still left to the model. Positions in the table, not competition rules: what a place is worth differs from league to league.
Head-to-head: Drogheda United vs Derry City
- 26 June 2026Derry City 2–0 Drogheda UnitedPremier Division
- 8 May 2026Drogheda United 1–0 Derry CityPremier Division
- 20 March 2026Derry City 2–2 Drogheda UnitedPremier Division
- 26 September 2025Drogheda United 1–1 Derry CityPremier Division
- 16 August 2025Derry City 1–1 Drogheda UnitedFAI Cup
- 27 June 2025Derry City 3–0 Drogheda UnitedPremier Division
Leading scorers: Drogheda United and Derry City
Drogheda United
GoalsAssists
- M. Doyle80
Derry City
GoalsAssists
- M. Duffy105
- J. Clarke63
Top 3 by league goals this season. Player availability is not part of the model — injuries and suspensions are a planned improvement.
The two sides
Drogheda United carry a model rating of 6.11 against 6.31 for Derry City. The scale is anchored so that an average side in one of Europe's big five leagues sits at 6.85, and it is adjusted for the strength of each team's league, so the two numbers are comparable even across borders.
What the model expects
Under the hood the model expects 1.17 goals for Drogheda United and 1.41 for Derry City. Those two numbers, not the scoreline, are what the model actually estimates; everything else is derived from them.
Drogheda United rate 0.46 in attack and 2.04 in defence, where 1 is league average and a lower defensive number is better; Derry City rate 0.59 and 1.74.
How this was produced
Publicly tracked record so far: 1,819 correct results out of 3,801 settled predictions (48%), with 383 exact scorelines (10%). That log is updated automatically after every match and is never edited.
Full method: how the model works.
From the first whistle this page keeps going: the win probabilities at the top are recalculated as the match plays out, reading the score, the clock and any sendings-off. The same model, asked how many goals are left rather than how many there will be.
Team comparison
Bars show each side's share of the two-team total, based on the model's attack/defence ratings and expected goals for this fixture.
Why the model favours this side
The model gives Derry City the highest probability at 40%, based on each side's rolling attack and defence ratings estimated from recent match data. The model projects 1.17 expected goals for Drogheda United against 1.41 for Derry City. Drogheda United's attack/defence rating is 0.46/2.04 versus the league average (1.00 = average), compared with 0.59/1.74 for Derry City.
Goal trends
Over 1.5 goals
Over 2.5 goals
Over 3.5 goals
Both teams score
Outer rings: how often each side's most recent league matches before kick-off (up to 10 games; the count is under each ring) went over the line. Middle ring: the model's own probability for this match, from the same expected goals as the prediction above. Past matches are context; the middle ring is the estimate. Not betting advice.
Season stats
Drogheda United at home · Derry City away
League matches only, Premier Division, this season. Rates are per game, since the two sides have not always played the same number; the tinted figure is the better one, where better is not a matter of taste. Source: API-Football season statistics, refreshed after each league match.
Goals scored and conceded, by minute
All Premier Division matches this season: Drogheda United 33, Derry City 32.
Drogheda United score most often in the 61–75 minute window (10 goals); Derry City have let in 6 there.
Derry City score most often in the 76–90 minute window (13 goals); Drogheda United have let in 9 there.
Each cell counts the league goals that went in during that 15-minute window. Each side's goals sit above the goals its opponent has let in over the same minutes; the darker the cell, the more goals in that window. Stoppage time counts in the last window of its half. Source: API-Football season statistics, refreshed after each league match; own goals are not always counted on the same side as in the table, so a row can be a goal off it. Context, not a prediction.
The next 3 matches, by difficulty
Drogheda United
- at Waterford23 Oct · Premier Divisionwin 26%
- vs Galway United30 Oct · Premier Divisionwin 38%
Derry City
- vs St Patrick's Athletic19 Oct · Premier Divisionwin 32%
- vs Dundalk23 Oct · Premier Divisionwin 52%
- at Sligo Rovers30 Oct · Premier Divisionwin 50%
Each side's next matches on our board after this one. The colour is how strong the opponent is, from easier to harder as on the scale above: its model rating ranked among the teams of that competition, in fifths, so bright red is the top fifth whoever is playing it. The win figure is this side's own chance in that match, which is where venue and its own level come in. A match already on our board links to its own prediction; the rest follow as their week comes up.