Preview: Motherwell vs. Aberdeen - prediction, team news, lineups

Motherwell will return to action on Saturday as they host Aberdeen in their fifth Scottish Premiership fixture of the season, with both teams looking to push into the top three with a positive result.

The visitors sit just one place and point above the hosts in the league table as they hope to continue their undefeated start to the campaign.

Match preview

© Reuters

Motherwell head into Saturday's fixture on the back of two consecutive victories, as they rebounded well from being knocked out of the Scottish League Cup in the second round.

Graham Alexander's team started the season poorly, being defeated 3-2 against Hibernian after twice leading the game, but since that point, they have been undefeated in the league.

A draw and back-to-back wins have seen Motherwell climb up to fourth in the table, sitting just three points behind the league leaders at the moment.

The Steelmen managed to defeat Dundee 1-0 in their last outing, despite the fact they finished the game with 10 men after Jake Carroll was sent off.

Tony Watt's second goal in two games was enough to secure the three points as Alexander took the time to praise his "excellent" performance after the final whistle, while he pushed for him to score more goals this season.

Motherwell have shown plenty of fight throughout the campaign so far, having recovered four points from losing positions already, proving that they are prepared to battle in every single game.

© Reuters

That might be necessary on Saturday against a confident Aberdeen squad who are yet to be beaten in the league this season as they look to break into the top three this time around after narrowly missing out in 2020-21.

Despite the strong start, Stephen Glass has seen his team fail to pick up a victory in their last three games, which have seen Aberdeen draw twice in the league as well as being knocked out of the Scottish League Cup by Raith Rovers.

The Dons have had to fight back from behind in their previous two fixtures in order to earn a point, leaving it very late against Ross County, as it was not until the 88th minute that Christian Ramirez found the back of the net to level things up.

Aberdeen failed to beat Motherwell in the league last season, having lost 3-0 at home as they battled to a goalless draw in this fixture last time out at Fir Park.

However, Glass has built an impressive outfit who are confident in the attack, having scored at least a goal in every single game this season, which will make them a threat on Saturday.

Team News

© Reuters

Motherwell will be without Glass for this match as he will be suspended following his red card last time out against Dundee, which will force Alexander to shuffle the deck.

However, he will be boosted by the return of Stephen O'Donnell, who played his first game in a month during Scotland's recent victory against Austria.

Kevin van Veen was able to recover from a back issue to feature as a substitute in their last outing, which could also see him in contention, while Watt is sure to continue leading the line after scoring in consecutive fixtures.

Austin Samuels was brought straight into the Aberdeen starting lineup during their draw with Ross County after signing on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he is likely to retain his place in the attack.

Meanwhile experienced midfielder Scott Brown will be expected to be at the heart of everything the team does, while Ramirez will look to score once again as he should start as the lone striker.

Motherwell possible starting lineup:

Kelly; O'Donnell, Lamie, Ojala, McGinley; O'Hara, Slattery, Grimshaw; Woolery, Nwogu, Watt

Aberdeen possible starting lineup:

Lewis; Ramsay, Campbell, Gallagher, McCrorie; Brown, Longstaff, Ferguson; Ojo, Samuels, Ramirez

We say: Motherwell 1-1 Aberdeen

Both Aberdeen and Motherwell have proven themselves to be difficult to defeat this season, and that is why they could end up battling out to a draw in this game.

They have each had brilliant moments, but also have shown some frailties at times as well, which could lead to plenty of chances for either side in this one.