Preview: Aberdeen vs. Hibernian - prediction, team news, lineups

Both teams are winless right now in the SPL following difficult starts to the new season, with the visitors having failed to pick up a single point so far.

Match preview

Aberdeen have had a tough start to the new season which is reflected by their lack of victories in the Scottish Premiership to date, but they have proven to be hard to beat.

The Dons have drawn two of their three opening matches, with their only defeat coming against the defending champions Celtic, but they will be desperate to pick up more points due to the fact they sit just above the relegation zone.

However, Barry Robson's men do head into this match on the back of being knocked out of the Europa League after a 3-1 loss against Hacken, with Bojan Miovski's goal not being enough.

Over the course of the two games Aberdeen did push things, with the fixture ending 5-3 after two games, but the experience will have served the team well as they head back to league football.

Miovski has proven to be a handful as of late, with his last-minute penalty earning his team a point in their previous SPL match against St Mirren, and he will be aiming to keep up his attacking performances to fire the Dons to three points.

Hibernian are just as desperate to secure their first win of the season this weekend, especially since they have failed to gain a single point in this campaign.

The Hibees have lost all three matches in the SPL, and a big reason for that appears to be the defensive frailties that the team have had early on.

David Gray's men have conceded eight times this season, which is more than any other team in the league, and that problem was only enhanced when they competed against Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League.

Hibernian were soundly knocked out of the competition by the Premier League side who managed to win 8-0 on aggregate, which have only compounded the tough beginning to the campaign.

With the Hibees currently sat bottom of the league there is pressure on Gray to turn things around immediately as the club aim to start making progress up the division, even though he is only in on a caretaker business right now.

Aberdeen Scottish Premiership form:

Aberdeen form (all competitions):

D

L

W

D

D

L

Hibernian Scottish Premiership form:

Hibernian form (all competitions):

L

D

W

L

L

L

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Team News

Miovski is sure to lead the line for the hosts this weekend considering the impressive start that he has personally made to the new campaign, with his goal threat likely going to be an issue for Hibernian.

Rhys Williams managed to overcome a back injury to feature on the bench in midweek, but he was not used, with the break likely serving the Liverpool loanee well.

Nicky Devlin was once again used in a defensive capacity for Aberdeen's most recent performance, and he has proven to be comfortable enough in the position that he could keep his place.

The visitors are dealing with several long-term injury problems as Chris Cadden, Harry McKirdy and Jojo Wollacott are all out of action at the moment.

Jordan Obita found himself added to that list during the midweek game against Aston Villa as he had to be brought off, but he is set to be assessed before this game.

Aberdeen possible starting lineup:

Roos; Devlin, Rubezic, McKenzie; Morris, Clarkson, Shinnie, Hayes; Polvara; Miovski, Duk

Hibernian possible starting lineup:

Boruc; Miller, Bushiri, Hanlon, Stevenson; Jeggo, Newell, Campbell; Youan, Vente, Boyle

We say: Aberdeen 3-0 Hibernian

Both teams will likely see this as a perfect opportunity to secure their first victory of the season considering the poor start that each has had, but it is the hosts who will be the favourites.

Hibernian's poor defensive record is a major concern for them, and that is something that should lead to Aberdeen taking all three points.

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