Last season's dramatic turn-around all started at Derby when Sunderland fought out a 2-1 victory - Keane's first game in charge. The reverse fixture heralded the same importance as well as the same result, except this time, Sunderland fans were reading the league table from top-to-bottom.
Tomorrow will also be a big day for new Derby manager Paul Jewell. The former Wigan boss will be gunning for victory in his first outing as Head Ram, after replacing Billy Davies who was sacked earlier this week.
Keane said: "It's a strange scenario, it's funny how football throws up these situations.
"We had a couple of good days against Derby last season. It was my first game as [Sunderland] manager and then Liam [Miller] scoring the winner."
"It's very much in the six-pointer bracket," he said. "It's Paul Jewell's first game there and he has an excellent record but we should fancy our chances."