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

Heart of Midlothian host Dundee Football Club in the Scottish Premiership at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, on Sunday.

Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm, with Wouter Vrancken's fourth-placed Jambos looking to build on a run of seven matches unbeaten across all competitions and Steven Pressley's sixth-placed Dark Blues aiming to end an away-day hoodoo at Tynecastle.

Both sides arrive off the back of midweek derbies, Hearts having beaten Hibernian 3-1 at Easter Road and Dundee having drawn 1-1 with St Johnstone in the Tayside derby at Dens Park.

Match preview

Hearts sit fourth in the Scottish Premiership table with nine points from four matches after James Wilson, Laurent Mendy and Josh McPake struck in a 3-1 win at Hibernian on Thursday.

Vrancken's reign began with four straight defeats, including a 6-0 aggregate exit to Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying, a 2-1 loss at Aberdeen on the opening day and a 6-1 first-leg hammering by Benfica in the Europa League qualifiers, but Hearts have since gone seven matches unbeaten in all competitions.

That turnaround began with a 4-0 rout of Dundee United, Tom Renaud's long-range strike and a Calvin Miller penalty settling the contest inside the opening 12 minutes before Claudio Braga and McPake added further goals.

Hearts then required a penalty shoot-out to see off Rapid Vienna on August 26, winning 4-3 on spot kicks after a 4-4 aggregate draw despite Tomas Magnusson's second-half red card, to book a return to the UEFA Conference League league phase.

Braga remains central to the Vrancken project and was again involved in the derby win, with the club also handing debuts to deadline-day arrivals Leart Kabashi and Aron Benjaminsen as their squad continues to evolve.

Hearts have won their last nine home league games and swept all three league meetings with Dundee last season, a record that has Tynecastle buzzing ahead of Sunday's visit.

Dundee sit sixth with seven points from five matches, a narrow 1-0 defeat to champions Celtic on the opening day preceding back-to-back 2-0 wins over Aberdeen and rivals Dundee United in the derby.

Joe Westley has scored both of Dundee's league goals this season, opening the scoring in the win over Aberdeen before netting a stoppage-time consolation in a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Dens Park last Sunday.

Pressley's side salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone in Wednesday's Tayside derby, a match Dundee led before conceding in injury time.

The head coach, a former Hearts captain who made more than 250 appearances for the Gorgie club and lifted the Scottish Cup there in 2006, made three changes for the St Johnstone draw, with Bradley Fink handed his first league start in place of Alan Forrest.

Dundee have a habit of springing surprises on the road, having ended a 21-year winless run at Tannadice with three straight wins over Dundee United and claiming a first Pittodrie win in 22 years earlier this year.

Pressley, whose previous role was head of individual player development at English Premier League club Brentford, has stressed that his players have shown before they can perform at daunting away venues, and Tynecastle is next on that list.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

Hearts form (all competitions):

Dundee Scottish Premiership form:

Dundee form (all competitions):

Team News

Blair Spittal is a doubt after leaving Easter Road in a moon boot and on crutches, though Vrancken said after the derby win that he does not believe the injury is too serious.

Tom Renaud is out with an ankle injury sustained during the play-off win over Rapid Vienna, while Malachi Fagan-Walcott has not yet returned to full training and Ageu remains sidelined by a longer-term issue.

Christian Borchgrevink, missing since a muscle injury last month, was again absent for the Hibernian trip, with Jamie McCart continuing at left-back in his place.

Tomas Magnusson was an unused substitute against Hibernian rather than suspended, and offers Vrancken cover in central midfield, with American forward JJ Williams, who made a 20-minute cameo at Easter Road, also pushing for involvement.

Simon Murray has been ruled out, while Ashley Hay and Imari Samuels have both been targeting a return this month having missed recent fixtures.

Westley picked up a knock of his own in the win over Aberdeen but has continued to feature, scoring again in the defeat to Hibernian.

Owen Goodman has retained the goalkeeper's jersey throughout the campaign, behind a defence built around Ryan Astley and summer signing Owen Bevan.

Fink's first league start against St Johnstone suggests Pressley is willing to freshen his attacking options for a testing trip to Edinburgh.

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Reus; Altena, Findlay, McEntee, McCart; Mendy, Magnusson; McPake, Braga, Miller; Wilson

Dundee possible starting lineup:

Goodman; Halliday, Astley, O. Bevan, Odutayo; Hamilton, Finnigan, J. Bevan, Forest; Wales, Westley

We say: Hearts 2-1 Dundee

Hearts' record of nine straight home league wins, allied to Braga's influence and the confidence generated by the Hibernian derby win, should be enough to see off a Dundee side who have shown they can compete but conceded late in each of their last two matches.

Pressley's men have the away-day pedigree to make this uncomfortable and Westley offers a goal threat on current form, but Tynecastle's recent record against Dundee, six clean sheets in the last 10 meetings and a clean sweep last season, points to another afternoon of frustration for the visitors.

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