Aberdeen, aiming to build on their recent victory against Dundee, will welcome top-six hopefuls Kilmarnock to Pittodrie Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Scottish Premiership.
The hosts recorded their first league victory since November 2024 in their last match, while the visitors have won back-to-back games heading into this one.
Match preview
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Aberdeen's season has been a tale of two extremely contrasting halves, making a sensational start to the campaign before suffering a dismal run over the winter period.
The Dons, under the guidance of newly-appointed Jimmy Thelin, remained unbeaten in their opening 16 matches across all competitions, with 15 wins and one draw, and also sat joint top of the Scottish Premiership table alongside Celtic after 11 league fixtures.
Their first defeat of the season came against the Bhoys in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, suffering a humiliating 6-0 loss, and while they initially bounced back by beating Dundee 4-1, Aberdeen failed to record a win in the following 12 outings.
Aberdeen finally managed a victory as they beat Elgin City 3-0 in the Scottish Cup, but back-to-back league losses followed, meaning they had failed to win in the Scottish Premiership for 14 games, with 10 losses and four draws.
However, they were able to bounce back by beating Dunfermline 3-0 to progress into the Scottish FA Cup quarter-finals, before finally securing their first league win since November as they defeated Dundee 2-1 last time out.
That victory boosted Aberdeen to third in the league table, with 38 points from 26 matches, and they will now aim to build on that result and further strengthen their top six status on Saturday.
Their opponents, Kilmarnock, are likely to prove a challenging test for the Dons, though, with Killie heading into this matchup having secured back-to-back victories.
Those wins ended a four-game winless run for Kilmarnock and boosted them to seventh in the table with 31 points from 26 games, leaving them only outside the top six on goal difference.
Derek McInnes's men will aim to draw confidence from those recent triumphs, as well as from their sensational 4-0 victory against Aberdeen earlier in the season.
However, Kilmarnock's record at Pittodrie Stadium is far from desirable, having managed only one win in their last 10 away meetings with Aberdeen across all competitions.
Team News
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Aberdeen are anticipated to be without the services of Dante Polvara, Ester Sokler, Gavin Molloy, Jack Milne, Jamie McGrath and Vicente Besuijen due to ongoing injury issues.
Elsewhere, Thelin may decide to stick with a similar lineup to the one that secured a 2-1 victory over Dundee last time out, ending their 14-game winless streak in the league.
As for Kilmarnock, Kyle Vassell remains on the treatment table due to a shin injury, while Stuart Findlay is also unavailable due to an ankle issue that has ruled him out since November.
After back-to-back victories in their previous matches, McInnes might name a similar lineup, featuring Marley Watkins alongside Fraser Murray and Bobby Wales in attack.
Kyle Magennis might miss out on a starting spot after being subbed off due to injury in Killie's previous match, potentially paving the way for David Watson to start.
Aberdeen possible starting lineup:
Doohan; Jensen, Tobers, Knoester, Mackenzie; Palaversa, Nilsen; Keskinen, Gueye, Okkels; Nisbet
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
O'Hara; Lyons, Wright, Mayo, Deas; Watson, Polworth, Ndaba; Wales, Watkins, Murray
We say: Aberdeen 2-1 Kilmarnock
Aberdeen will be boosted by their first league win since November, and given their favourable home record against Killie in recent years, we believe the hosts will secure a narrow victory here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
