St Mirren square off with Hibernian this weekend, in the latest round of matches in the Scottish Premiership.
The hosts could move level on points with the visitors in the table if they win this weekend, with St Mirren currently eighth on 30 points, and Hibernian three points ahead of them in fifth position.
Match preview
![Stephen Robinson of St Mirren during the UEFA Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Round Second Leg match at the SMISA Stadium, Paisley, on August 1, 2024 [on August 2, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/31/stephen-robinson.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Stephen Robinson of St Mirren during the UEFA Europa Conference League Second Qualifying Round Second Leg match at the SMISA Stadium, Paisley, on August 1, 2024 [on August 2, 2024]")
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The Buddies suffered heartache last time out, as they exited the Scottish Cup on penalties following a 1-1 draw against Hearts.
This weekend, they are hosting the green half of Edinburgh, hoping to bounce back from their recent cup setback.
Stephen Robinson's side have had mixed fortunes so far this year, as they have had streaks of both good and bad results throughout the campaign.
They are currently on a disappointing run in all competitions, as Monday's defeat to Hearts was their sixth defeat in their last eight matches.
Although they managed to find the net in the cup tie against the Jam Tarts, scoring goals has proven difficult for Robinson's side in recent weeks.
Indeed, St Mirren have failed to score in four of the last five matches in the league, contributing to the fourth-worst attacking record in the division.
However, if the Buddies can start finding the net more regularly, they are positioned well to get themselves back into the top six in the league - something that they have achieved in each of the last two seasons.
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The visitors are one of those teams that they will be hunting down in the standings, as Hibs continued their recent resurgence with a 1-0 win over Ayr United in the Scottish Cup last weekend.
The Hibees were bottom of the table in late November after just one win in their opening 13 matches, but a run of one defeat in 14 matches in all competitions has them dreaming of European football next season.
Hibs have won nine of those 14 matches, and they are now one of the most in-form teams in Scotland, as they have recovered from their difficult start to the campaign.
A win this weekend would give them a bit of daylight from the hosts in the standings, and could potentially take them above Aberdeen if results go in their favour elsewhere.
When Hibs lost 4-1 to Dundee on November 24, there was a 23-point gap between themselves and then second-placed Aberdeen - but since then, the fortunes of both sides has changed drastically, and the gap between the two sides is just two points.
This weekend, David Gray's side will look to continue their impressive away form this season, with 13 points gained on their travels, which means that Hibs currently have the fourth-best away record in the Scottish Premiership.
Team News
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St Mirren's Alex Iacovitti remains out due to a hamstring injury, with the defender due back near the end of the month.
The only other injury concern for the hosts is Conor McMenamin, who is ruled out due to a calf injury.
Meanwhile, the visitors have several injured players, with Joe Newell (groin) and Marvin Ekpiteta (thigh) both sidelined for this match.
Elie Youan is also out of this game, as the French forward continues his recovery from a foot injury that has ruled him out of action for almost two months.
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Hemming; Tanser, Taylor, Gogic, Fraser, Bwomono; Phillips, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce; Olusanya, Mandron
Hibernian possible starting lineup:
Smith; N Cadden, Iredale, Bushiri, O'Hora, C Cadden; Levitt, Triantis, Campbell; Gayle, Boyle
We say: St Mirren 1-2 Hibernian
The visitors are on an excellent run of form, so we expect them to grab all three points here.
St Mirren have been struggling to score goals lately, and we think Hibs will continue their run of form with a slender win this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Tom Humphrey
