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

Separated by only two points, fourth-placed Hearts and fifth-placed Hibs will both be desperate to secure the capital bragging rights on the final weekend of the campaign.

Match preview

Hearts head into Saturday's showdown on the back of a spirited 2-2 draw with Rangers, despite facing 19 shots while seeing just 30% of the ball at Ibrox on Wednesday.

Star striker Lawrence Shankland netted his 24th league goal of the campaign to put the visitors ahead inside the first minute, with strikes from Todd Cantwell and Fashion Sakala turning the game around, but 18-year-old Aussie Garang Kuol came off the bench to score a 94th-minute equaliser and rescue a precious point for his team.

Thanks to Wednesday's effort, the Jam Tarts have lost just one of their last five matches, picking up two wins and two draws in the process, with a 6-1 thrashing of Ross County preceding a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Aberdeen earlier this month.

Not only have Steven Naismith's men won two of their last three home league games, but they have also won eight of their previous 11, while Hearts have scored at least two goals in 11 of their 12 league victories at Tynecastle this season.

Having achieved a memorable 3-0 victory over Hibs on home soil back in January - thanks largely to another Shankland brace - the Jam Tarts will be confident of claiming the bragging rights once again.

As for Hibernian, they notched a hugely impressive 4-2 victory over Celtic on Wednesday, coming from 2-1 down to humiliate the champions in front of a jubilant Easter Road crowd.

Daizen Maeda's second-half red card proved to be the turning point in the match, as Hibs scored three goals in the final 15 minutes following the sending off, with French forward Elie Youan bagging a brace against the runaway leaders.

The Hibees have now won three of their last six games, suffering a solitary defeat along the way, with a four-match losing run across March and April firmly in the past.

Although Lee Johnson's men have failed to win any of their previous four away games - recording two draws and two losses - they have suffered only two defeats in their last eight Premiership outings on the road.

That said, Hibs have managed to keep just one clean sheet in their previous eight away league matches, so they will struggle to keep the ball out of their net against Hearts, who boast the third-best offensive record in the division.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

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W

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D

W

D

Hibernian Scottish Premiership form:

W

D

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D

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W

Team News

Hearts' injury list contains Beni Baningime (knee), Liam Boyce (knee), Craig Gordon (leg), Craig Halkett (knee) and Gary Mackay-Steven (foot).

Josh Ginnelly will continue to lead the line for the hosts, while top scorer Lawrence Shankland will operate behind the lone striker, with Alan Forrest and Yutaro Oda occupying the wings.

Peter Haring and Cameron Devlin are expected to anchor the midfield, while Kye Rowles, James Hill, Toby Sibbick and Nathaniel Atkinson should make up the back four.

On the flip side, Hibernian will be without the injured trio of Martin Boyle (knee), Kyle Magennis (muscle) and Aiden McGeady (hamstring) on Saturday.

Elie Youan will continue in attack after scoring twice against Celtic in midweek, with Jake Doyle-Hayes, James Jeggo and Joe Newell lining up in midfield.

Hibs are expected to continue with a 5-3-2 formation, meaning that Manchester United loanee Will Fish should join Paul Hanlon and CJ Egan-Riley at centre-back.

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Clark; Atkinson, Sibbick, Hill, Rowles; Devlin, Haring; Oda, Shankland, Forrest; Ginnelly

Hibernian possible starting lineup:

Marshall; Miller, Fish, Hanlon, Egan-Riley, Stevenson; Doyle-Hayes, Jeggo, Newell; Youan, Nisbet

We say: Hearts 2-2 Hibernian

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