Preview: Falkirk vs St Mirren - prediction, team news, lineups

Falkirk will welcome St Mirren to the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday afternoon for a matchday one clash in the Scottish Premiership.

The hosts finished sixth in the standings last season, while the visitors narrowly secured their survival with a victory in the relegation playoff final.

Match preview

Falkirk enjoyed a stunning first year back in the Scottish Premiership since 2009-10 last term, securing a sixth-placed finish with 49 points from 38 league fixtures.

John McGlynn's side did, however, endure a challenging end to the campaign, with six defeats in their final seven games, and that has persisted at the start of the new term.

Despite beating Airdrieonians 2-1 in a pre-season friendly, followed by a commanding 5-0 victory against Edinburgh City in the Scottish League Cup group stage, the Bairns went on to lose two of their next four games.

A 1-0 loss to Ayr United and a 4-2 penalty defeat to Alloa Athletic, following a 1-1 draw, saw Falkirk disappointingly fail to progress from Scottish League Cup Group G, finishing second and five points behind the leaders Ayr United.

However, Falkirk did win their final group fixture against Stranraer, 3-0, and they will be hoping to build on that victory and make a winning start to the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership campaign on Saturday.

In contrast to the hosts, St Mirren endured a miserable 2025-26 campaign, falling from a sixth-placed finish in the previous season to 11th and having to compete in the relegation playoffs to secure their survival.

Following a 1-1 draw with Partick Thistle in the first leg of their relegation playoff final, Marcus Fraser scored the only goal in the second leg to seal a 1-0 win and 2-1 aggregate triumph, narrowly ensuring St Mirren would remain in the top division.

Craig McLeish's side have subsequently built on that triumph, winning against Arbroath in a pre-season friendly before finishing top of Scottish League Cup Group C with three wins and one defeat.

That loss did come in their last match against Dunfermline Athletic, losing 1-0, but the Saints will be encouraged by their overall strong start to the competitive campaign.

St Mirren will also draw confidence from their record at the Falkirk Stadium last term, winning 2-1 in each of their visits to the Bairns' home ground.

Falkirk form (all competitions):

W W L W D W

St Mirren form (all competitions):

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Team News

Ben Parkinson and Ross MacIver each scored two goals during Falkirk's Scottish League Cup group stage, and the pair should start in attack on Saturday.

Ethan Ross and Craig Sibbald could join them in the attacking quartet, while Ben Krauhaus and Brad Spencer may partner at the base of midfield.

Meanwhile, summer signing Samuel Ramos has already scored three times for St Mirren this term, and the Spaniard should start alongside Ryan Carr and Killian Phillips in midfield.

Elsewhere, Eseosa Sule could lead the line, while Alexander Gogic and Richard King should partner at the heart of the defence.

Falkirk possible starting lineup:

Hogarth; McMillan, Melniks, Henderson, McCann; Krauhaus, Spencer; Parkinson, Sibbald, Ross; MacIver

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Chapman; Fraser, King, Gogic, Fieldson; Phillips, Carr, Ramos; Idowu, Sule, Mochrie

We say: Falkirk 1-2 St Mirren

Falkirk have experienced a challenging start to the term, while St Mirren have started strong and also boast a good recent record at the Falkirk Stadium, leading us to expect the away side to claim all three points.

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