After consecutive games without a victory, Dundee will be hoping to get back to winning ways on Tuesday when they host Falkirk in the second round of the Scottish League Cup.
The visitors might be in the division below their opponents, but they have been enjoying an impressive season so far, bringing plenty of confidence as they aim for a cup upset.
Match preview
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Dundee are looking to have an improved season this time following their relegation from the Scottish Premiership in the 2021-22 campaign, and a cup run would go a long way to making that happen.
The Dark Blues were dominant in the group stage of the competition, having won all four matches, conceding just two goals in the process.
Gary Bowyer's team have not been quite as dominant in the Scottish Championship, having had a mixed bag of results with two victories and defeats to their name, as well as a draw in the opening five matches.
Their most recent outing was a disappointing one for Dundee as they were beaten 3-1 by Ayr, despite the fact Zak Rudden put them ahead in the fourth minute.
The situation went from bad to worse for the Dark Blues as Ryan Sweeney was sent off at the end, with the club now looking to put that one behind them.
Falkirk have been performing well so far this season, losing just a single game since the 2022-23 campaign began, bringing plenty of confidence into this game.
The Bairns won all four of their Scottish League Cup group matches in order to reach this stage, and that is something they shall now be aiming to continue.
Falkirk have already made improvements on what they were able to achieve in the competition last season where they failed to reach the knockout stage.
The focus is now on pushing even further, and with three victories in a row under their belt, the squad has a lot of momentum behind them.
The squad have been impressive with their attacking qualities during those games as well, having scored three times in each of them.
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Team News
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Bowyer had named an unchanged XI for Dundee's most recent outing against Ayr, but he could look to freshen things up this time around to provide opportunities for others in the squad.
Adam Legzdins will likely find himself with a chance to start in goal this weekend, while Jordan McGhee is another that could end up being placed into the team.
Coming off the back of an impressive 3-1 victory against Queen of the South there is a chance that no changes will end up being made to the Falkirk squad on Tuesday.
Juan Alegria is likely to be leading the line in this match, with Gary Oliver alongside him as they look to continue causing a threat.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Legzdins; Kerr, French, McGhee, Marshall; McGowan, Grayson, Mulligan; McCowan, McMullan, Rudden
Falkirk possible starting lineup:
Hogarth; Yeats, Donaldson, Mackie, McCann; Morrison, McGinn, Nesbitt, McGuffie; Alegria, Oliver
We say: Dundee 2-1 Falkirk
Dundee will have the confidence that they have enough quality to push themselves into the next round, and they are seen as the favourites due to the league they are in.
The visitors will be sure to make this a difficult test though, as they have been performing well recently which should lead to a competitive match.
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