Two teams who are both on runs without a win will compete on Wednesday as Livingston travel to the Pittodrie Stadium to face Aberdeen.
With just two points separating them in the league table, the fixture is one of great importance to both clubs who will be eager to climb up the table, away from the relegation zone.
Match preview
© Reuters
Aberdeen's run of losses was stretched to three games at the weekend when they collided with Celtic, falling short in a 2-1 loss, despite the fact they had fought back into the match with an equaliser from Lewis Ferguson.
It has been a difficult period for the club, who have only managed to secure one clean sheet in the past six fixtures, during which time they have only won twice.
The recent run of form has resulted in Aberdeen slipping down the table into eighth place, with just two points between them and the relegation zone.
With Livingston only sitting out of the bottom two places via goal difference, there is a lot on the line in this particular fixture, placing pressure on each team.
Things were tight when the Dons last encountered the Lions on only the second game of the season, but Stephen Glass did see his squad earn three points on that day.
© Reuters
Even though Bruce Anderson had given Livingston the lead, Aberdeen managed to fight back to secure the three points with a 94th-minute goal from Jack McKenzie.
The Lions had their five-match unbeaten streak ended at the weekend when they competed against the league leaders Rangers, in what ended up being a comfortable day for the Gers.
David Martindale saw his team fall behind in the eighth minute and that was extended again before the 20th and despite Anderson scoring before halftime, a third goal secured a result for the defending champions.
However, even though Livingston had been undefeated, their previous three performances all resulted in draws and it is that lack of victories that have stopped them from climbing up the table.
With Dundee now being level on points with them, they will need to begin picking up points from somewhere if they are to stay above water within the league.
- W
- D
- W
- L
- L
- L
- W
- D
- W
- L
- L
- L
- W
- W
- D
- D
- D
- L
- W
- W
- D
- D
- D
- L
Team News
© Reuters
Dylan McGeouch had to be replaced during Aberdeen's recent loss against Celtic due to a calf injury and it is unlikely that he will be able to feature in this match.
Scott Brown also came off with a problem at the weekend due to a hamstring issue; however, Glass was more confident that he could be available on Wednesday night.
Livingston will have the option of bringing Ayo Obileye back into the starting XI in midweek as his suspension is now over, which could result in the club returning to a back five.
However, that would mean a lot of reshuffling would need to take place after Martindale has operated with just three at the back recently to accommodate the change.
Aberdeen possible starting lineup:
Lewis; Gurr, McCrorie, Bates, Hayes; Brown, Ferguson, Jenks; Hedges, Watkins, Ramirez
Livingston possible starting lineup:
Stryjek; Devlin, Fitzwater, Parkes; McMillan, Holt, Omeonga, Forrest; Bailey, Motano; Anderson
We say: Aberdeen 1-1 Livingston
There is very little to separate these two clubs at the moment both in their form and in points, which should lead to a closely-contested fixture.
Livingston have been picking up a lot of draws as of late and this could be another occasion where that takes place, as each team will not want to give away too much in this one.
Top tip
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 Aberdeen win with a probability of 51.43%. A draw had a probability of 27.3% and a win for Livingston had a probability of 21.31%.
The most likely scoreline for an Aberdeen win was 1-0 with a probability of 15.4%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (10.89%) and 2-1 (8.74%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.37%), while for a Livingston win it was 0-1 (8.75%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with a 10.9% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Aberdeen would win this match.
