The Premier Sports Cup is in full swing, and this weekend promises to be an exciting one as Scotland’s European representatives join the clubs who navigated their way through the group stage in the last 16. With a total of eight ties taking place over Saturday and Sunday, there’s plenty of action to look forward to. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from each of the matches.
The Dons Look to Bounce Back
Aberdeen will be looking to put the loss of Bojan Miovski behind them as they take on Queen’s Park in the Premier Sports Cup. The Dons had all but wrapped the North Macedonia striker in cotton wool pending Thursday’s sale to Girona, but they’ve still managed to string together six straight victories in an impressive start to Jimmy Thelin’s tenure as manager. Topi Keskinen, the winger who arrived from HJK Helsinki, will be hoping to compensate for the exiting firepower on his possible debut.
Queen’s Park, on the other hand, have been in fine form themselves, banging in 15 goals of their own in winning three group-stage games. However, their one meeting this season with Premiership opposition ended in a 5-1 thumping away to Hibernian, and they’ve not won in two Championship outings since. It would be a major shock if Callum Davidson’s side can repeat the last meeting between the sides, when the Spiders won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, also in the League Cup, way back in 2006 at Hampden.
Aberdeen’s Chances
Despite the loss of Miovski, Aberdeen are still looking strong, with a solid defense and a potent attack. With Keskinen potentially joining the fray, they’ll be looking to exploit any weaknesses in Queen’s Park’s defense. The Dons have been in fine form, with six straight victories under their belt, and they’ll be looking to make it seven against the Spiders.
Queen’s Park’s Hopes
While Queen’s Park may not have the same level of talent as Aberdeen, they’ve shown they can cause an upset or two. They’ll be looking to exploit any weaknesses in the Dons’ defense and catch them off guard. With the likes of Luke McCowan and Simon Murray in fine form for Dundee, they’ll be hoping to spring a surprise and knock out the Premiership side.
Other Ties to Watch
In addition to the Aberdeen vs. Queen’s Park tie, there are several other matches worth keeping an eye on. Dundee entertain second-tier Airdrieonians, seeking a fourth consecutive win after Saturday’s impressive 3-1 dismissal of Heart of Midlothian. Rhys McCabe’s visitors have scored 15 goals in four wins of their own this season and only lost 2-1 away to top-flight Aberdeen in the group stage.
Hearts, on the other hand, are looking to bounce back from a disappointing start to the season. After a summer of transfer activity and retaining top marksman Lawrence Shankland, they were expecting big things. However, they’re yet to win this season, and Steven Naismith may be tempted to hand a quickfire start to Andres Salazar, the Colombia left-back who arrived on loan from Atletico Nacional.
Falkirk’s Hopes
Falkirk have been one of the surprise packages of the season so far, winning five out of six and culminating in a routine 2-0 Championship defeat of Dunfermline Athletic. John McGlynn has already steered his side to a win over Premiership visitors Dundee United in their League Cup group-stage opener, and they’ll be looking to prevent Hearts from recording a fourth consecutive win at Falkirk Stadium.
St. Mirren’s European Adventure
St. Mirren will head to Tannadice with a combination of regrets and pride in performance as they look to extend their unbeaten run there to five games. They ran Brann close on Thursday until two late goals took the more experienced Norwegian side through to the Europa Conference League play-offs. Now Stephen Robinson’s team must recover from their travels and look to avoid a third consecutive defeat in a week after Aberdeen ended their four-game unbeaten start to the season.
In addition to these ties, there are several other matches to keep an eye on, including the all-Premiership clash between Rangers and St Johnstone. With the League Cup last 16 coming to a close on Sunday, it’s sure to be an exciting weekend of football in Scotland.
Premier Sports Cup last 16 fixtures:
* Aberdeen vs. Queen’s Park
* Dundee vs. Airdrieonians
* Hearts vs. Falkirk
* Rangers vs. St Johnstone
* Hibernian vs. Celtic
The matches will take place on Saturday and Sunday, with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals. It’s shaping up to be an exciting weekend of football in Scotland, and fans will be eager to see how their teams perform in the Premier Sports Cup.