This Sunday’s Scottish Premiership game sees Hearts make the trip to face Aberdeen at the Pittodrie Stadium. This result could have serious implications for league going forward seeing as hosts Aberdeen are one of only two teams with a 100% win record at this point in time.
Both of these sides have started this season well the polar opposite of each other. Aberdeen are sat in second to league leaders Celtic whereas Hearts are rock bottom. This match could determine where these teams will be playing next year as if Hearts continue this form, they could end up back in the Scottish Championship after a four year stint in the topflight.
Aberdeen’s go to man this season has been Pape Habib Gueye as he’s picked up five goals within the first seven domestic league matches but he is unfortunately out injured until around January 2025. Lawrence Shankland of Hearts normally is on show and could see himself bagging a goal despite having scored only once this season.
Predicted Line-Up: Dimitar Mitov; Jack MacKenzie, Gavin Molloy, Slobodan Rubezic, Nicky Devlin; Sivert Heltne Nilsen, Graeme Shinnie (c); Jamie McGrath, Leighton Clarkson, Topi Keskinen; Kevin Nisbet
After a disappointing ninth place finish last year, not many people were expecting Aberdeen to explode this year. They currently match all time Scottish Premiership winners Celtic on points as neither side have yet to lose. Six wins from six games, meaning they are sitting on 18 points, is an incredible feat for Jimmy Thelin and his men. The reason they are in second is due to their goal difference. Aberdeen have bagged 12 goals and conceded 4 from the six league games that have been played by them.
The Dons have heavily relied on Senegalese striker Pape Habib Gueye who in the five games he has featured in, has scored five times. Aberdeen will be rueing the fact that he will be unavailable to play in this one following him picking up an injury in his 4-0 Scottish League Cup Quarter-Final win versus Spartans FC. They can’t rely on one man to save them though so Aberdeen will likely start former Millwall striker Kevin Nisbet who has already scored twice in the league now.
Predicted Line-Up: Craig Gordon; Stephen Kingsley, Kye Rowles, Frankie Kent, Adam Forrester; Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin; Alan Forrest, Jorge Grant, Kenneth Vargas; Lawrence Shankland (c)
Now into their fourth year in the topflight of Scottish football after a slip in the Scottish Championship, it looks like Heart of Midlothian FC could be heading back down when we reach the end of the season. Seven games in and they are showing major signs as to why they look likely to go back down. Sat bottom of the standings, Hearts have yet to pick up a win. They have achieved five losses and two draws, leaving them on just two points.
The Jam Tarts have struggled to find goals with them only putting the ball in the back of the net four times, two of those goal contributions coming from centre forward Lawrence Shankland. The captain has recorded a goal and an assist for his club so far this season and with the added factor of him playing a former club, it could motivate him to add to that tally.
There have been 95 matches where these two teams have faced each other throughout history.
Hearts hold the advantage over Aberdeen by 48 wins, as they have 47 wins to Aberdeen’s 27. There has been 21 times where these two clubs could not find a winner making Hearts’ win ratio in this fixture 49.5%.
Over the last five meeting and Hearts still have the advantage. They’ve won three and Aberdeen have won twice, not allowing either side to share a point.
27th January 2024 – Hearts 2-0 Aberdeen – Scottish Premiership
9th December 2023 – Aberdeen 2-1 Hearts – Scottish Premiership
16th September 2023 – Hearts 2-0 Aberdeen – Scottish Premiership
20th May 2023 – Hearts 2-1 Aberdeen – Scottish Championship Group
18th March 2023 – Aberdeen 3-0 Hearts – Scottish Premiership
Aberdeen have been excellent in the opening six games of the season, winning all six matches but they are without their top goalscorer in Habib Gueye. Hearts pose a threat with club captain Shankland as he could really enjoyed scoring against one of his former teams.
For that reason, our betting experts have gone with Aberdeen To Win + Both Teams To Score as our best value tip for this game.
Odds of 5/2 mean that a £10 bet has the potential to return up to £35 in this match.
(odds subject to change)
Aberdeen 2-1 Hearts
We can see Aberdeen grabbing all three points and get them even closer to being top come the end of the season, despite the absence of Pape Habib Gueye. Hearts have been poor in both the attacking and defensive areas of the pitch so far but if anyone can grab a goal for them it will most likely be Lawrence Shankland.
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