Two sides separated by a single point in the bottom half of the Scottish Premiership table will square off on Saturday, when Ross County welcome Dundee to the Global Energy Stadium.
Having both suffered defeats last time out, the hosts sit eighth, while their visitors are narrowly better off in seventh spot with a game in hand and a five-point gap to the top six.
Match preview
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Ross County will return to the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday with the aim of getting back to winning ways, having hugely improved their standing at the bottom end of the Scottish Premiership since the November international break.
After finishing 11th last time out and only maintaining their top-flight status with a playoff win, the Staggies endured a slow start to the new term too, picking up just 10 points from their first 12 league outings before the last break in play.
Derek Adams would then return for a third spell at the helm in Dingwall, and they have quickly improved on their return to action, adding seven more points to the tally in their last four attempts, and the first four under the returning boss, as they firstly played out a goalless draw with Kilmarnock before putting a third league win of the campaign on the board at home to high-flying St Mirren as Jordan White netted the only goal six minutes from time.
The Staggies then hosted Motherwell and recorded another three-point haul in more dominant fashion, dishing out a 3-0 beating thanks to goals from Simon Murray, Yan Dhanda and Ben Purrington, before they were unable to extend the run any further last weekend, losing 2-0 in their reverse fixture away at St Mirren with a Ryan Leak own goal and a Jonah Ayunga finish settling the game in the second half.
Adams's men certainly should not be too disheartened by that result away at the division's third-placed side, though, and having quickly climbed up to eighth spot in the Premiership with a two-point lead over the bottom two, they will be keen to bounce back at the weekend and continue an impressive start under Adams.
In their way stand a Dundee side who will look to extend their one-point lead over the hosts and move closer to the top half in Scotland's top flight, having seen their own form dip in recent weeks.
From their first 15 outings, the Dee have amassed 18 points courtesy of four victories and six draws, while only Celtic and Rangers have suffered fewer than their five defeats at this stage.
Indeed, Tony Docherty's side headed into the international break in a strong position with back-to-back triumphs over Livingston and St Mirren, with the latter being a 4-0 thrashing, leaving them on 17 points from 12 games, but they have been unable to add another notch to the wins column in three attempts since their return, firstly losing 2-1 at home to Hibernian with Owen Beck's goal coming too late to spark a turnaround.
The Dee would then put a point on the board in a dramatic contest away at Motherwell, as the game eventually ended in a 3-3 draw having gone ahead in the 88th minute through Zach Robinson, only to be pegged back by Connor Wilkinson's 97th-minute leveller, before they most recently travelled to Ibrox to take on second-placed Rangers and left empty-handed.
Amadou Bakayoko had them ahead early in that game, but goals from Cyriel Dessers, James Tavernier and Abdallah Sima wrapped up a 3-1 triumph for the hosts, and now sitting five points outside of the top six as a result of their dip in form, albeit with a game in hand on every side around them, Dundee will be keen to bounce back to their best on Saturday and turn their focus upwards with a return to winning ways on their travels.
Team News
While Derek Adams should avoid making many changes to his Ross County side after their 2-0 defeat to St Mirren last time out, he is likely to recall Will Nightingale into the back three from the start, after he served a suspension in their trip to Paisley.
He should rejoin Jack Baldwin and Ryan Leak in defence, while Scott Allardice and Connor Randall will continue to partner up in the engine room in their 3-4-1-2 shape.
Ahead of them, Yan Dhanda will lend support to the attack, with Simon Murray bound to again lead the line having notched up 11 goals in all competitions so far this term.
Dundee should be all but unchanged from their trip to Ibrox last weekend in a 3-5-2 setup, with Amadou Bakayoko bound to again spearhead the attack having put them ahead against Rangers with his fourth goal of the season.
With Diego Pineda remaining sidelined by injury, he should again be partnered by Zak Rudden, although AFC Wimbledon loanee Zach Robinson is fighting to come back in from the start up front as he boasts five goals of his own so far this term.
Lyall Cameron, Malachi Boateng and Luke McCowan should all line up in the engine room again, while Docherty may have to make one alteration in defence after Juan Antonio Portales was withdrawn in the first half through injury against Rangers, and if he is unable to make Saturday's game, Cammy Kerr should join Joe Shaughnessy and Ricki Lamie from the outset in a back three.
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Laidlaw; Nightingale, Baldwin, Leak; Brown, Allardice, Randall, Purrington; Dhanda; Murray, White
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Carson; Kerr, Shaughnessy, Lamie; McGhee, Cameron, Boateng, McCowan, Donnelly; Rudden, Bakayoko
We say: Ross County 1-1 Dundee
Given their similar records thus far, we anticipate a tight encounter on Saturday and cannot quite pick a winner as both fight to bounce back with a three-point haul, instead opting for a share of the spoils as the most likely outcome in this mid-table clash.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
