Aberdeen, looking to recover from back-to-back defeats, will host Dunfermline Athletic at Pittodrie Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the fifth round of the Scottish FA Cup.
The hosts beat Elgin City 3-0 to progress into this round, while the visitors defeated Stenhousemuir 3-0 in their fourth round matchup.
Match preview
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Aberdeen have experienced a tale of two very different stories throughout this season, starting the campaign in superb form before enduring a miserable run over the past months.
The Dons, under the management of newly-appointed Jimmy Thelin, remarkably won 15 and drew one of their opening 16 matches across all competitions, before suffering their first defeat in a humiliating 6-0 loss to Celtic in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup.
They initially bounced back with a 4-1 win against Dundee, keeping them joint at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with Celtic, but they have won just one of their following 15 outings.
The sole victory came in the Scottish Cup fourth round, besting Elgin City 3-0, meaning the Dons have failed to win in the league since the beginning of November - recording 10 defeats and four draws in that time.
Thelin will be hopeful that a victory on Sunday could lift the spirits around Pittodrie and help get Aberdeen back on track in their coming matches, and, despite their recent struggles, the Dons are favourites to secure the win.
Dunfermline Athletic compete a division below Aberdeen in the Scottish Championship, where they are currently embroiled in a battle for survival in the second division.
The Pars sit just above the drop zone in eighth place, with 22 points from 23 league matches, holding a narrow one-point lead over ninth-placed Hamilton Academical.
Former boss James McPake was sacked in December after their poor opening to the campaign, with Michael Tidser being announced as his successor, and the new manager has recorded two wins and two draws in his first four outings.
The visitors will be hopeful a shock victory against Scottish Premiership opposition could ignite a strong run of form to help them move away from the drop zone over the coming weeks, but their record against the Dons - one win and four losses in the last six meetings - suggests the hosts are strong favourites.
Team News
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Aberdeen are anticipated to be without Dante Polvara (leg), Dimitar Mitov (hamstring), Ester Sokler (hamstring), Gavin Molloy (shoulder), Jack Milne (ankle), Jamie McGrath (shoulder) and Vicente Besuijen (unspecified) due to injury.
The Dons have won just one of their last 15 matches, coming in the Scottish FA Cup, and Thelin could revert back to a similar starting team for this one.
Duk scored twice in that victory against Elgin City but has since departed for Leganes, meaning Jeppe Okkels could come into the starting 11 in his place.
As for Dunfermline, having avoided any major injury issues in recent weeks, Tidser is expected to have a fully available squad to select from on Sunday.
Chris Kane is Dunfermline's top scorer with nine goals in 23 appearances this term, and the striker is likely to lead the line for the Pars in this one.
Aberdeen possible starting lineup:
Doohan; Devlin, Nilsen, Tobers, Jensen; Rubezic, Palaversa; Morris, Clarkson, Okkels; Ambrose
Dunfermline Athletic possible starting lineup:
Oluwayemi; Comrie, Fogarty, Benedictus, Ngwenya; Hamilton, Otoo; McCann, Wotherspoon, Stevens; Kane
We say: Aberdeen 3-0 Dunfermline Athletic
Aberdeen may be enduring a miserable run over the past weeks, but the hosts boast the superior quality across their squad and hold the home advantage, leading us to expect a win for the Dons.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
