Tom Lawrence, coming in from the Derby left, latches on to a pass and shoots at goal from about 25 yards out.

But his effort is well wide of the right-hand upright and nowhere near to troubling Kiko Casilla in the Leeds goal.

Derby fans shout for a free-kick for a challenge by Leeds left-back Stuart Dallas on Harry Wilson just on halfway by the byline, but referee Craig Pawson gives nothing.

There have been a few loose passes from both sides in the opening exchanges, but nothing too costly so far.

Image source, PA

Mason Mount's delivery is to the edge of the area and the Leeds defence deal with it, as Luke Ayling wins a throw-in.

A cross from the Derby left from Tom Lawrence is headed away by Kalvin Phillips,

Then the Rams get a free-kick about 15 yards inside the Leeds half for a push by Mateusz Klich.

A decent chance to swing one into the box here.

Leeds start the game with their possession game in defence, and Derby are pressing in an attempt to win the ball back.

Right-back Luke Ayling wins a free-kick on halfway for a trip and the Whites look to build from the back again.

Craig Ramage
Former Derby midfielder on BBC Radio Derby

It's going to be tough, but with the confidence Derby have going into this game, I'm expecting them to set the tone and go at Leeds.

Leeds get us under way at Pride Park in this Championship play-off semi-final first leg.

Derby are in their traditional white shirts with black shorts, while Leeds are in their dark blue change strip.

Craig Pawson is the referee this evening.

Image source, .

Remember, you can send us your thoughts on the game throughout.

Derby fan, Leeds supporter or an interested neutral, simply include #bbcefl in your tweets and we'll include the best in our live text commentary.

The teams are out on the pitch and getting ready for kick-off.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Leeds won both league meetings this season but, according to the Euro Club Index,, external Derby are the favourites to reach Wembley

The Rams apparently have a 58.5% chance of progressing, with a 28.0% chance of sealing a place in the top flight.

The figures, meanwhile, give Leeds a 17.2% hope of returning to the Premier League.

It's worth remembering that the team finishing sixth in the Championship has only won promotion via the play-offs just once in the past 13 seasons - that was Blackpool in 2009-10.

Kick-off is almost upon us.

Image source, Rex Features

Derby come into the game in better form, on a six-match unbeaten run compared to Leeds four-game winless streak.

In fact, the Rams have only lost one of their past 12, but boss Frank Lampard is not getting complacent before the first leg at Pride Park.

"We mustn’t forget that fact they have beaten us twice and that they finished points above us in the league," the former England international told BBC Radio Leeds.

"They are a strong team and at one point looked pretty certain they’d be promoted, but the competition is great and they’ve dropped out of that, but I still respect them hugely."

Image source, Rex Features

There's a statue of Derby County's most famous manager Brian Clough and his long-serving assistant Peter Taylor outside of Pride Park, complete with the First Division trophy.

Clough led the Rams to their first ever top-tier title in 1971-72 before leaving the club a year later.

Then, in 1974 he took the Leeds United job, succeeding his old rival Don Revie.

It wouldn't work out for Clough at Elland Road, lasting just 44 days in Yorkshire - a spell which would inspire the book (and film) The Damned United.

Clough entered legendary status at Nottingham Forest, winning the league title and two European Cups, but I'm sure he'd have loved to be in the crowd - or either dugout - for this one.

Image source, Getty Images

Both these clubs have endured their fair share of play-off heartbreak in the past.

Derby are taking part in the end-of-season jamboree at this level for a record-equalling eighth time.

The Rams have been promoted just once from their previous seven outings - in 2006-07 after beating West Brom.

County have lost two other finals, to Leicester in 1994 and QPR in 2014, and were beaten semi-finalists last season, losing to Fulham.

Leeds, meanwhile, have never been promoted via their previous four appearances in the play-offs.

The Whites were beaten in the Championship play-off final by Watford in 2006, and by Doncaster in the League One final two years later.

Derby have been away from the Premier League for 11 years, with Leeds' exile now standing at 15 years.

One - or possibly both - of these sides will be consigned to another season in the Championship.

Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa makes one change from the 3-2 defeat at Ipswich on the final day of the campaign.

An ankle injury means influential centre-back Pontus Jansson is unable to play, so Gaetano Berardi starts in defence.

Dutch teenager Pascal Struijk is among several youngsters on the bench, with injuries hitting the Whites hard at the business end of the season.

Leeds XI: Casilla, Ayling, Berardi, Cooper (capt), Dallas, Phillips, Klich, Hernandez, Forshaw, Harrison, Roofe.

Subs: Peacock-Farrell (GK), Struijk, Gotts, Bogusz, Shackleton, Clarke, Brow.

Image source, PA

Derby boss Frank Lampard makes one change from last Sunday's 3-1 win over West Brom, the victory which confirmed their place in the play-offs.

Midfielder Duane Holmes has overcome a thigh strain to start but Martyn Waghorn drops out after suffering an Achilles injury.

Experienced striker David Nugent starts up front, with Florian Jozefzoon coming onto the subs' bench.

Derby XI: Roos, Bogle, Tomori, Keogh (capt), Malone, Holmes, Johnson, Wilson, Mount, Lawrence, Nugent.

Subs: Carson (GK), Macdonald, Evans, Huddlestone, Bennett, Jozefzoon, Marriott.

Image source, Rex Features

The clash between these two teams has been made all the spicier by the spygate saga which played out before the sides met in the league in January.

Then-Championship leaders Leeds were preparing to face sixth-placed Derby on a Friday night at Elland Road but, in the days before, details emerged that Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa had instructed a member of his staff to "spy" on Derby training sessions.

The saga came to public attention when Derbyshire Police were called to the Rams' training ground to speak to a man spotted acting suspiciously at the perimeter fence.

No arrests were made and Leeds won the game 2-0, but the fallout continued.

Leeds were fined £200,000 by the EFL for their part in the incident, a sum Bielsa says he paid from his own pocket.

But the Argentine really grabbed attention when he held a special PowerPoint presentation for journalists showing the full detail of how they "watched the training sessions of all opponents".

Derby manager Frank Lampard described Bielsa's behaviour as "unethical", but also joked afterwards that "we do analysis too, you know".

It's fair to say these two know plenty about each other ahead of this evening's clash at Pride Park - team news is on the way shortly.

After Aston Villa beat West Brom earlier today, it's now time for Derby County and Leeds United to get their Championship play-off campaigns under way.

Semi-final clashes don't come much bigger than this one, with two former English champions looking to return to the Premier League - having both spent more than a decade away from the top flight.

The Whites were pushing for automatic promotion for most of this season but had to settle for third place after finishing the campaign with a four-match winless run.

The Yorkshire club finished three places and nine points above the Rams, yet now need to raise themselves again if they are to reach Wembley.

Neither of these clubs have found the play-offs a happy hunting ground, but could this be their year?

Image source, Rex Features