Dundee and Kilmarnock square off at Dens Park for their final fixture of the 2023-24 campaign on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams will meet for the fourth time in the top flight this season, with each of the previous three encounters ending as a 2-2 draw.
Match preview
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Tony Docherty has been impressed with the overall performance of his youthful Dundee side this season, but they are in danger of ending the campaign on a real whimper as they have lost each of their last four games since the league split in two last month.
Since putting up a fight in a 2-1 home defeat to champions Celtic, the Dark Blues have been beaten by St Mirren, Hearts and Rangers, losing 5-2 away against the latter on Wednesday night despite boasting a two-goal advantage heading towards half time.
Defensive duo Jordan McGhee and Antonio Portales were both on target just two minutes apart, but Ross McCausland pulled one back for Rangers on the stroke of half time, before the floodgates opened after the interval, with the Gers scoring four goals to condemn Dundee to their 16th league defeat of the season.
Dundee, who are guaranteed to end the campaign in sixth place, have now dropped a Premiership-high 25 points from winning positions this season, including 11 points dropped after taking a two-goal lead.
Docherty and co are now looking to provide the Dens Park faithful with their first home win since mid-March, but that could prove challenging on Saturday as they have won just two of their last 12 meetings with Kilmarnock in all competitions.
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After steering themselves clear of relegation and finishing 10th last season, Kilmarnock are guaranteed a top-four finish this term and will compete in next season's Europa League second qualifying round.
Killie secured fourth spot after beating St Mirren 1-0 away from home last weekend, but they have since come back down to earth after being put to the sword 5-0 on their own turf by Celtic, who were crowned champions as a result.
Derek McInnes acknowledged after the game that it was the toughest 90 minutes that his side have had to endure this season and believes that Celtic would have been difficult to stop even if his players were at their very best.
Kilmarnock are now seeking to end the season on a high and although they enter Saturday's contest having won two of their last three away games, they have failed to come out on top in any of their previous four visits to Dundee.
Team News
Dundee will be without centre-back Joe Shaughnessy due to a knee injury, while left-back Owen Beck and forward Diego Pineda remain sidelined with respective groin and hamstring problems.
Luke McCowan, who was recently named Premiership Player of the Month for April, is set to continue in midfield and will be looking to add to his team-high nine goals this term, while Curtis Main will battle with Amadou Bakayoko for a start up front.
As for Kilmarnock, Kyle Magennis and Brad Lyons are both in the treatment room with hamstring injuries, while James Balagizi is ruled out with a knee problem.
Nineteen-year-old David Watson won the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year earlier this week and he is set to continue in the middle of the pitch, while Kyle Vassell and Marley Watkins could get the nod to start in attack ahead of Kevin van Veen, who is yet to score in 13 appearances since joining the club on loan in January.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
McCracken; McGhee, Astley, Portales, Dodgson; Sylla; Cameron, Boateng, McCowan, Tiffony; Bakayoko
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
O'Hara; Mayo, Deas, Findlay, Ndaba; Armstrong, Donnelly, Watson, Kennedy; Watkins, Vassell
We say: Dundee 2-2 Kilmarnock
There has been nothing to separate these two teams when they have butted heads in the league this season, but there has been plenty of goalmouth action and another entertaining contest could be in store on Saturday, with both sides sharing the spoils once again.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
