After navigating November without suffering a single defeat, Dundee United seek to start December on the same note when Kilmarnock rock up to Tannadice Park on Saturday.
Jim Goodwin's team ran out 2-0 victors over St Mirren in their most recent affair, while their visitors were embarrassed 6-0 by Rangers in Wednesday's woeful performance.
Match preview
![Jim Goodwin (Manager) of Dundee United during the 2024/25 Pre Season Friendly match between Dundee United and Luton Town at CalForth Construction Arena, Tannadice Park, Scotland on 26 July 2024 [on August 2, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/31/jim-goodwin.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Jim Goodwin (Manager) of Dundee United during the 2024/25 Pre Season Friendly match between Dundee United and Luton Town at CalForth Construction Arena, Tannadice Park, Scotland on 26 July 2024 [on August 2, 2024]")
© Imago
Once the Halloween horror show concluded for Dundee United, who ended October with back-to-back defeats to Aberdeen and Motherwell, Goodwin's team discovered a newfound resilience to go unbeaten throughout the whole of last month.
Saturday's hosts took eight points from an available 12 in the penultimate month of the year, playing out stalemates with Hibernian and Rangers either side of a 3-0 beating of Ross County, before also flexing their home muscles when St Mirren came to visit.
Kevin Holt scored one penalty before seeing another saved by Ellery Balcombe in the second half of that game, but Emmanuel Adegboyega spared his teammate's blushes by doubling Dundee United's lead just a minute later to seal a sixth win of the campaign.
Sitting pretty in fourth place in the Scottish Premiership standings, the Tangerines' current position would offer them a path into the second qualifying round of the Conference League, and they are just six points below Rangers in third place.
Taking no time at all to settle back into Premiership life after spending the 2023-24 season in the second tier, Dundee United have four wins under their belt from their last six home matches, and they have found the back of the net at least twice in all but one of their top-tier games at Tannadice Park this term.
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Upcoming foes Kilmarnock could have done their hosts a favour in their top-three chase on Wednesday evening, but even amid their well-documented troubles in the 2024-25 campaign, Rangers tore Derek McInnes's men to shreds in an Ibrox annihilation.
The floodgates did not open until James Tavernier's strike on the 37-minute mark, but Rangers breached the Kilmarnock backline at will following the captain's contribution, alleviating the pressure on Philippe Clement and piling it on Kilmarnock boss McInnes.
The visitors only mustered one shot in Wednesday's slaughter - the fewest of any team in any Scottish Premiership game this season - and they have now slipped to 10th place in the standings on account of a disheartening five-game winless run.
Four of those matches have seen Kilmarnock suffer defeat - the outlier being a 1-1 draw versus Dundee in late November - and with a staggering 23 goals conceded on the road, McInnes's side are statistically the worst defensive side on the road in the Scottish Premiership.
However, Saturday's visitors have managed to avoid defeat in each of their last four games against Dundee United, winning three on the spin from February to May 2023 before an enthralling 3-3 draw in September 2024, where Goodwin's team fought back from 3-1 down in the final 15 minutes.
Team News
© Imago
Dundee United came out of their win over St Mirren with no fresh concerns on the fitness front, leaving Ross Docherty, Craig Sibbald (groin) and Kristijan Trapanovski (hamstring) as their only three absentees, but the latter two should return before 2025.
With a full week to recuperate in between matches, Goodwin should not be tempted to alter a winning formula, which will see Liverpool loanee Luca Stephenson start on the right-hand side of the attack again.
The Reds-owned midfielder ought to form part of the supporting cast for Sam Dalby, whose four-game scoring sequence came to an end with his blank in the St Mirren victory.
As for Kilmarnock, midfielder Liam Donnelly missed the Rangers thrashing through suspension after being sent off for two bookable offences against St Johnstone two weekends ago, but he is eligible to return for this one.
David Watson returned from a hip injury to start in midweek, but Matty Kennedy (back) missed out alongside Stuart Findlay (ankle) and Kyle Magennis, while centre-back Joe Wright came off in the first half after a clash of heads with Nico Raskin.
The eligible-again Donnelly may very well start as a makeshift centre-back in Wright's place, allowing Corrie Ndaba to continue in the engine room alongside Brad Lyons.
Dundee United possible starting lineup:
Walton; Adegboyega, Holt, Gallagher; Strain, Sevelj, Babunski, Ferry; Stephenson, Dalby, Middleton
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
McCrorie; Deas, Donnelly, Mayo; Burroughs, Ndaba, Lyons, Murray; Watson; Vassell, Watkins
We say: Dundee United 3-0 Kilmarnock
Deprived of options in defence and shipping goals at will on the road, the stage is set for another miserable Kilmarnock away day against a sturdy Dundee United unit.
With McInnes's side also battling midweek fatigue, the refreshed hosts should have no trouble furthering their European aspirations with a routine triumph.
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Ben Knapton
