Championship side Kilmarnock travel to Easter Road on Sunday, where they will face Premiership outfit Hibernian in the second round of the Scottish League Cup.

The hosts have won this competition three times in their history, while the visitors' one and only League Cup triumph was in 2011-12.

Match preview

Hibernian manager Jack Ross pictured in October 2020 © Reuters

Hibernian come into this weekend's game after suffering a 4-1 defeat away at Croatian side HNK Rijeka in the second leg of their Europa Conference League third-round qualifier on Thursday, losing 5-2 on aggregate.

With the score at 1-1, the dismissal of Darren McGregor in the 67th minute proved to be the catalyst for their heavy defeat, as three strikes in the final 25 minutes condemned the Edinburgh outfit to their first loss of the season and elimination from Europe.

Manager Jack Ross admitted that McGregor's red card had "a major bearing on how the game unfolded" but was clear to state that the rest of the group did not do enough to respond when going down to 10 men.

Hibs now turn their attention to the League Cup, a competition they last won in 2006-07 and since then have reached four semi-finals and one final.

Ross's men have won each of their last four meetings against Kilmarnock, including all three encounters last season, so they should be confident in claiming a victory on Sunday and progressing to the quarter-finals.

Kevin Nisbet pictured for Hibernian in October 2020 © Reuters

Even though 16 new players have been brought in this summer, Kilmarnock's squad seemed to have gelled well together already as they have had a strong start to the new campaign.

Now playing in the Championship, following their relegation last season, Killie have won their opening two league matches, beating Ayr 2-0 on the opening day before securing a narrow 1-0 victory away at Queen of the South last weekend.

Prior to their season opener in the league, Kilmarnock finished top of their group in the League Cup, with eight points from their four matches.

Killie won 2-0 against East Kilbride in their first game, however they were subsequently handed a 3-0 defeat because they fielded an ineligible player. After that, they won their next three games, including a penalty shootout win against Greenock Morton.

Manager Tommy Wright is now preparing for a clash with Hibs, who were the last side to eliminate Killie in the knockout rounds of the League Cup, winning 5-4 on penalties in September 2019.

Kilmarnock have failed to win any of their last seven away trips to Easter Road, but Wright is hopeful that his side can build on their strong start in the league and put up a fight on Sunday.

Hibernian form (all competitions):

Kilmarnock Scottish League Cup form:

Kilmarnock form (all competitions):

Team News

Hibernian's Martin Boyle pictured in October 2020 © Reuters

Hibernian remain without Chris Cadden, Melker Hallberg and Sean Mackie who are all recovering from long-term injuries.

Captain Paul Hanlon, who missed the Europa Conference League second leg in midweek, could be available this weekend after being forced off against Ross County with a head injury.

Christian Doidge is another who is looking to work his way back into the fold; the Welsh forward had been suffering with COVID-19 over the summer but he is set to be in the matchday squad this weekend and could start ahead of Kevin Nisbet, who is doubtful with a dead leg.

Left-back Josh Doig played for 90 minutes in both of the last two games and will be in contention to start again on Sunday despite speculation surrounding his future.

As for Kilmarnock, Wright may decide to name the same starting lineup for the third successive game, which would include seven summer signings.

Defenders Jason Naismith, Euan Murray and Chris Stokes are all set to keep their places in the back four, while Stephen McGinn and Fraser Murray, who joined from Hibs this summer, are also likely to start.

In attack, 20-year-old Innes Cameron is expected to start as the loan striker, which would see Scott Robinson begin on the bench once again.

Hibernian possible starting lineup:
Macey; McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Doig; Doyle-Hayes, Newell; Boyle, Magennis, Murphy; Doidge

Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
Hemming; Naismith, E. Murray, Stokes, Haunstrup; Burke, McGinn, Alston, F. Murray; Polwarth; Cameron

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We say: Hibernian 2-0 Kilmarnock

Hibs will be keen to bounce back from their European exit with a strong showing on Sunday, and they will fancy their chances of claiming a victory against Championship opposition.

The hosts will be the favourites to win this encounter and they should have no problems in securing a routine win at Easter Road.

Top tip

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Written by
Oliver Thomas

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 40.33%. A win for Kilmarnock had a probability of 31.71% and a draw had a probability of 28%.

The most likely scoreline for a Hibernian win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.12%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.24%) and 2-0 (7.62%). The likeliest Kilmarnock win was 0-1 (10.43%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.11%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with a 7.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Hibernian would win this match.