Motherwell are set to travel to the McDiarmid Park on Saturday to face St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, aiming to build upon their first league victory last weekend.
The hosts are seventh with one win and two losses from three league games, while the visitors are sixth with one win, one draw and one loss from their opening three matches.
Match preview
© Reuters
Since placing fifth in 2020-21, St Johnstone have consistently been embroiled in a battle for their survival in the top flight in the following three campaigns.
The 2021-22 campaign saw the Saints place 11th in the Scottish Premiership with just 35 points from 38 matches, six points adrift from safety, meaning they had to compete in the relegation-promotion playoff to keep their place in the top flight.
St Johnstone were able to win that playoff final comfortably, beating Caley Thistle 6-2 on aggregate over two legs, extending their stay in the top division for another season.
In the subsequent campaign, the Saints placed ninth with 43 points from 38 games, nine points above the drop zone, followed by narrowly avoiding the relegation playoff spot on goal difference last year after finishing joint on 35 points with Ross County.
Craig Levein's side enjoyed a positive start to the new term, winning three and losing one of their four Scottish League Cup group games, but fell to an opening-day defeat to Aberdeen in the league.
They were able to record a 3-0 win over Kilmarnock on matchday two, but have since lost both of their last two outings by 2-0 scorelines, leaving Levein hopeful of ending their losing streak on Saturday.
Motherwell have also placed in the bottom half of the table in each of the last two years, but they have been able to comfortably avoid relegation on both occasions.
They placed top of the relegation round table in 2022-23 with 50 points after 38 games, while they placed ninth last season with 43 points, leaving them eight points above the drop.
Stuart Kettlewell's side similarly started this season with three wins from four Scottish League Cup group games but failed to win either of their opening two league fixtures.
However, they have been vastly improved in their last two outings, beating Kilmarnock 1-0 in the Scottish League Cup and Hearts 3-1 in the league, leaving them in good form heading into this one.
- L
- W
- L
- D
- L
- W
Team News
![Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell during the Premier Sports Cup Group G match at Fir Park against Partick Thistle on 28/07/2024[on August 1, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/31/stuart-kettlewell.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell during the Premier Sports Cup Group G match at Fir Park against Partick Thistle on 28/07/2024[on August 1, 2024]")
© Imago
The hosts will be without Adam Sidibeh for this match after the forward was given his marching orders in the 84th minute of their defeat to Dundee United last time out.
Uche Ikpeazu and Sam McClelland are also both unavailable due to injury concerns that are expected to keep them out of action until September.
As for the visitors, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Callum Slattery, Filip Stuparevic, Harry Paton, Johnny Koutroumbis, Sam Nicholson and Shane Blaney are all ruled out through injury.
After recording their first win of the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership last time out, Kettlewell could opt to name the same starting lineup against St Johnstone here.
St Johnstone possible starting lineup:
Rae; Neilson, Sanders, Cameron; Wright, MacPherson, Essel, Smith, Raymond; Mbunga-Kimpioka, Clark
Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Oxborough; McGinn, Gordon, Casey; O'Donnell, Zdravkovski, Halliday, Wilson; Miller, Maswanhise; Robinson
We say: St Johnstone 1-2 Motherwell
Motherwell will be coming into this game full of confidence after recording their first league win last time out, while the hosts have lost both of their last two matches, suggesting the visitors will win this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
