Sheffield United began their bid to return to the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Preston on Friday, while Blackburn spoiled Derby County's return to the Championship with a 4-2 defeat.
After being relegated from the Premier League last season, Sheffield United made a strong start in their push for promotion. Oliver Arblaster's deflected shot put the Blades ahead in the 12th minute. In the second half, Gustavo Hamer capitalized on an error by Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to secure the win.
Blackburn Rovers, who narrowly avoided relegation to League One last season, proved too strong for Derby County. Despite leaving last season's Championship top scorer, Sammie Szmodics, on the bench amid transfer interest from Ipswich, Rovers dominated the match. Szmodics still contributed a goal and an assist in the second half after coming on.
Andreas Weimann and Yuki Ohashi marked their debuts for Blackburn with goals, while Tyrhys Dolan opened the scoring for the Rovers. Curtis Nelson and Kane Wilson found the net for Derby, but the Rams struggled in their first game back in the second tier after their promotion from League One.
