Preview: Dundee vs Falkirk - prediction, team news, lineups

Dundee FC welcome Falkirk to Dens Park on Saturday, December 27, 2025, as the two sides meet in the Scottish Premiership with important points at stake at opposite ends of the table.

The hosts head into the contest under pressure after a difficult December, while the visitors arrive in steadier form, aiming to strengthen their mid-table position in a fixture that carries league significance.

Match preview

Dundee will host Falkirk with the Dee struggling in the lower reaches of the table and finding it difficult to convert competitive performances into consistent points, as their last outing saw a narrow 1–0 defeat away to Motherwell, extending a challenging December run.

Earlier in the month, the Dee showed resilience in a 2–2 draw at Livingston following a heavy 3–1 home loss to Aberdeen, and just days prior they were narrowly beaten 1–0 by Celtic at Parkhead, a match in which they remained competitive for long periods but were ultimately undone by a single decisive moment.

Dundee’s most positive result in recent weeks came on November 29, when they secured a 3–1 home victory over St. Mirren, but that win has not yet sparked sustained momentum, as defensive inconsistency continues to plague the team.

Across their last six matches, the Dark Blues have recorded one win, one draw, and four defeats, scoring six goals and conceding 10, with clean sheets rare and goals conceded late in matches repeatedly undermining their efforts.

Manager Steven Pressley will hope that a return to Dens Park can help stabilise performances, with home support often lifting Dundee this season even during difficult periods, and the clash with Falkirk presenting an opportunity to claim a vital result against a familiar rival.

Historically, Dundee hold an edge over Falkirk in head-to-head meetings, winning nine of their 21 competitive encounters, compared to six victories for Falkirk, while six matches ended in draws.

Falkirk travel to Dundee in steadier form, occupying a mid-table position in the Scottish Premiership, and while they have experienced occasional inconsistency, their ability to secure points against similarly placed sides has helped them avoid the relegation pressures facing their hosts.

Last weekend, the Bairns claimed a 1–0 away victory over Kilmarnock through disciplined defending and a decisive goal, providing a timely boost following a challenging run earlier in December.

John McGlynn’s side had previously suffered a 2–0 home defeat to Heart of Midlothian and a 3–0 loss away at Hibernian, also drawing 0–0 at home against Motherwell and earning a goalless draw at Rangers on November 30 before a 3–0 triumph over Dundee United away from home, with their last six competitive matches producing two wins, two draws, and two defeats, scoring four goals and conceding five.

Defensively, Falkirk have generally been well-organised, though heavy losses to Hearts and Hibernian have inflated their goals-against tally, with five clean sheets this season highlighting moments of defensive solidity.

Offensively, goals have been harder to come by in December, making set-pieces and individual moments of quality increasingly important.

Under manager McGlynn, Falkirk have emphasised shape and discipline, an approach evident earlier in the season during a 2–1 victory over Dundee, where they capitalised on key moments while limiting their opponents’ chances.

Dundee Scottish Premiership form:

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Falkirk Scottish Premiership form:

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Team News

Dundee could be missing two homegrown figures for the upcoming clash, with Simon Murray and Fin Robertson both nursing injuries ahead of the fixture.

Robertson was forced off at half time during last weekend’s defeat at Motherwell after captaining his boyhood club at just 23 years old, and while his knee problem has not required a scan, it may rule him out of at least the first match of the double-header.

Club captain Murray is also a concern after failing to train this week, having been left on the bench by head coach Pressley at Motherwell before coming on for the final 15 minutes and subsequently picking up a knee issue while attempting to meet a Yan Dhanda cross.

There is more encouraging news elsewhere, with Ryan Astley returning to training following a concussion sustained at Livingston, while Ethan Hamilton is expected to be available again after missing the weekend as his partner went into labour.

Defender Clark Robertson remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury picked up against Celtic in early December.

On the opposing side, Falkirk manager McGlynn is confident Brian Graham will be fit despite a knee knock, with the 38-year-old striker aiming to extend his scoring run at Dundee after netting the winner against Kilmarnock last weekend, a goal that took him to three in his last six appearances and five overall since his summer move from Partick Thistle.

Falkirk will also be without Ross MacIver and Gary Oliver through injury, although both are expected to return in January, while Barney Stewart is set to be recalled from his loan spell after scoring seven goals in nine games away from the club.

Dundee possible starting lineup:

McCracken; Wright, Koumetio, Graham, Astley; Hamilton, Dhanda, Digby; Congreve, Yogane, Hay

Falkirk possible starting lineup:

Bain; McCann, Henderson, Allan, Lissah; Cartwright, Spencer, Tait; Wilson, Miller, Graham

We say: Dundee 1-1 Falkirk

Given the recent form of both sides and Falkirk’s run of performances, a low-scoring contest appears likely, particularly with the visitors having failed to score more than once in any of their last five matches.

The game is expected to begin cautiously before gradually opening up as both teams search for a decisive breakthrough, with the outcome likely to hinge on a single moment of quality or a defensive lapse, making a draw or a narrow victory for either side a realistic possibility.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.