Arbroath will be hoping to continue their impressive season on Sunday when they welcome Hibernian to Gayfield Park in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

The visitors are in a difficult run of form heading into this match, having failed to win in their previous five outings, with their last victory taking place in this competition.

Match preview

Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers in action with Hibernian's Martin Boyle on December 19, 2021 © Reuters

Arbroath might be heading into this game as the underdogs, but considering the form they are in this season, the squad will have the confidence that they can earn a place in the quarter-finals.

The squad have only lost five times all season, with three defeats in the league and two losses during the Scottish League Cup, but that momentum and belief should serve them well on Sunday.

The Red Lichties currently sit top of the Scottish Championship, and with a five-point gap, the squad will believe that playing the likes of Hibernian is something they should be doing regularly.

Because of that, this marks a great opportunity for Dick Campbell's team to test themselves, with his team having only lost once since they began their journey in this competition 11 games ago.

Arbroath have been dominant in the previous two rounds of the Scottish Cup as well, winning each match 3-0, showcasing their defensive and offensive capabilities.

Hibernian's Paul Hanlon celebrates scoring their first goal with Jamie Murphy on December 19, 2021 © Reuters

Hibernian were also able to keep a clean sheet in their first fixture within this competition, but Cove Rangers forced the Hibees all the way to extra time in order to earn the right to play in this stage.

A 112th-minute goal from Kevin Nisbet managed to separate the two teams in the end, but the club will want to kick on this season, especially after they finished runners-up last year.

Hibernian were beaten 1-0 against St Johnstone in that game, and losing at the last hurdle is something that they have already experienced this season in the Scottish League Cup.

The Hibees showcased their qualities within knockout football by reaching the final before falling short against Celtic, and they will be hoping to set that right within this competition.

However, after five matches without a victory, Shaun Maloney has some work to do in order to get his team firing on all cylinders once again to earn a place in the next round.

Arbroath Scottish Cup form:

Arbroath form (all competitions):

Hibernian Scottish Cup form:

Hibernian form (all competitions):

Team News

Kevin Nisbet pictured for Hibernian in October 2020 © Reuters

Derek Gaston will be sure to start in goal for the hosts after he has kept two clean sheets in this competition already, with the shot-stopper having no shortage of confidence right now.

Meanwhile, Jack Hamilton will be one of Arbroath's major attacking threats, having scored a hat-trick in the previous round, and he will likely be joined by Craig Wighton up top.

However, the Red Lichties could be without their club captain Thomas O'Brien, after he had to be brought off in their previous outing with an ankle injury, which could prove an opportunity for Liam Henderson.

Matt Macey returned to the starting XI against Rangers, and he could be given more minutes this weekend as he returns to full fitness.

Paul McGinn was also brought back into the team after his spell on the sidelines due to injury, while Ewan Henderson could be set for more minutes on Sunday as he continues to make his mark in the squad.

Arbroath possible starting lineup:
Gaston; Thomson, Little, Henderson, C. Hamilton; Stewart, McKenna, Gold, Low; J. Hamilton, Wighton

Hibernian possible starting lineup:
Macey; Doig, Bushiri, Porteous, McGinn; Cadden, Stevenson, Doyle-Hayes, Mitchell, Henderson; Nisbet

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We say: Arbroath 2-1 Hibernian

Cup upsets are something that can take place in any round, and Arbroath could be the team that makes it happen prior to the quarter-finals due to the quality they have.

The momentum that they have right now and the home advantage that they also boost could prove to be too much for Hibernian overall.

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Hibernian win with a probability of 38.7%. A win for Arbroath had a probability of 34.65% and a draw had a probability of 26.6%.

The most likely scoreline for a Hibernian win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.27%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.36%) and 0-2 (6.78%). The likeliest Arbroath win was 1-0 (9.6%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.67%). The actual scoreline of 1-3 was predicted with a 3.7% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Hibernian would win this match.