In their first game of the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership, Dundee United are set to host Dundee at Tannadice Park in the first Dundee derby of the campaign on Sunday.
The home side finished first in the Scottish Championship last term with 75 points from 36 games, while the visitors finished sixth in the Premiership with 42 points from 38 matches.
Match preview
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The hosts were relegated from the top flight after the end of the 2022-23 season, but they returned to the Scottish Premiership after they won the Championship title in 2023-24.
Last term, Dundee United scored 73 goals and conceded 23 times, and this made them the division's best offensive and defensive team.
Since the end of last season, the Tangerines have played seven times, winning five, drawing once and losing once in this period.
These fixtures included all four group matches of their 2024-25 League Cup campaign, and while they did lose their first against Falkirk on July 13, they won the next three and qualified for the knockout stage of the competition as one of the three best runners-up.
Manager Jim Goodwin, who has been in charge since March 2023, has a Premiership record of seven losses, two draws and three wins at Dundee United.
The hosts have not lost a Dundee derby since August 9, 2017, and are unbeaten in the last six meetings between the sides.
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As for Dundee, at the end of the 2023-24 Scottish Premiership regular season, they had 41 points from 33 games but only managed an additional point from the final five matches.
The visitors scored 49 goals and conceded 68 times in the league last term, and these were the sixth-best offensive and 11th best defensive records respectively.
Last season was Dundee's first back in the top flight, and they will be pleased that they avoided being drawn into the relegation playoff group.
The Dark Blues come into Sunday's game in excellent form and have won seven of their eight matches since the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
That run also includes four wins from their four League Cup matches, with the most recent being a dominant 6-0 win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Tony Docherty has been in charge since May 2023 and has an overall record of 17 wins, 12 draws and 18 losses.
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Team News
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Jort van der Sande could be set for his first Dundee United start after signing for the club on July 25.
Van der Sande is one of a number of additions that the hosts have made, and others such as Vicko Sevelj, Kristijan Trapanovski and Jack Walton could all make appearances on Sunday.
However, right-back Ryan Strain is unlikely to play after suffering a hamstring injury against Stenhousemuir on July 16.
As for Dundee, striker Simon Murray played 54 times for the weekend's opponents between 2015 and 2017, and he will want to impress against his former club.
Twenty-one-year-old left-back Ziyad Larkeche has signed on loan from Queens Park Rangers and could make his debut.
Sebastian Palmer-Houlden scored twice playing alongside Murray last time out against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and will be pushing to start.
Joe Shaughnessy will be absent for Dundee due to a cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out since April.
Dundee United possible starting lineup:
Walton; Gallagher, Sevelj, Graham; Sibbald, Middleton, Holt, Ferry; Babunski, Van der Sande, Trapanovski
Dundee possible starting lineup:
McCracken; Portales, Astley, McGhee; Ingram, Cameron, McCowan, Sylla, Larkeche; Murray, Palmer-Houlden
We say: Dundee United 2-2 Dundee
Although 2024-25 will be Dundee United's first season back in the top flight, their good record in this derby will give them confidence that they can achieve a positive result.
However, Dundee will pose challenges for the hosts given their good performances in pre-season friendlies and the League Cup.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
