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

The Dons head into the game on the back of a midweek victory, but the hosts will be looking to extend the gap between them.

Match preview

Dundee have had a mixed first half of the season in terms of results, but they have been a much stronger team at home which should inject some confidence into the group this weekend.

The Dark Blues do head into Saturday on the back of a 1-0 victory against Ross County, with a 97th-minute winner from Joe Shaughnessy showcasing their ability to fight until the last minute.

That spirit is something Dundee will need to retain moving forward, allowing them to grind out a few more positive results during the busy winter period.

The fact Tony Docherty's men have only lost twice in their previous six outings showcases the improvement in consistency which has allowed them to climb up the table.

However, the Dark Blues fans will now expect that to continue moving into the second half of the campaign, and a victory this weekend could aid that as Dundee might move as high as fifth depending on other results.

Aberdeen will be out to stop that from happening though, and they should have some momentum behind them after their midweek fixture against Livingston.

The Dons came from a goal behind to capture an important three points courtesy of a Bojan Miovski brace, which allowed the team to bounce back from the disappointing loss in the Scottish League Cup.

Aberdeen had the chance to claim silverware last weekend in the final against Rangers, but ultimately came up short in a narrow 1-0 loss.

However, the fact that Barry Robson's men did not let it negatively impact them is a positive for the team moving forward, especially since they can now progress up the table with a win this weekend.

Aberdeen will have nothing to base Dundee on though considering that their previous fixture this season was postponed, which should make it a more open contest for both teams.

Dundee Scottish Premiership form:

W

W

L

D

L

W

Aberdeen Scottish Premiership form:

L

D

L

L

W

W

Aberdeen form (all competitions):

L

L

W

W

L

W

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Team News

Following a resolute performance at the back against Ross County, it is unlikely any changes will be made to the back three for Dundee this weekend as they aim for consecutive clean sheets.

Diego Pineda remains an injury concern for the Dark Blues though, and he is set to be on the sidelines once more this Saturday.

With eight goals to his name in the Scottish Premiership this season, Miovski will be the main attacking threat for the Dons heading into this one, and fresh from scoring a brace in midweek he will have no shortage of personal confidence.

Slobodan Rubezic will once again be available for Aberdeen following his suspension, but after a victory against Livingston it remains to be seen whether he will be drafted back into the team.

Dundee possible starting lineup:

Carson; Kerr, Shaughnessy, Lamie; McGhee, Cameron, Boateng, McCowan, Donnelly; Rudden, Bakayoko

Aberdeen possible starting lineup:

Roos; Gartenmann, MacDonald, Rubezic; Devlin, Shinnie, Clarkson, Hayes; McGrath; Miovski, Duk

We say: Dundee 1-1 Aberdeen

There is very little to split these two teams in terms of league position and form, which should lead to a close fixture between them.

It is set to be a competitive match, and because of the closeness, it would not be a surprise to see them battle out a draw.

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