After the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals took place last weekend, a full fixture list returns in the Scottish Premiership this weekend. Here are the main things to look out for in the latest round of matches.
Game of the Round – Hearts v Falkirk
A mouthwatering clash at the top end of the table, third-place Hearts host fourth-place Falkirk at Tynecastle on Sunday afternoon.
Hearts have endured a difficult week, with a loss to city rivals Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Barclays Hampden last Sunday coupled with a 3-1 defeat away from home to Swiss side Thun in their latest UEFA Conference League outing.
After qualifying for the league phase of the UEFA Conference League in August, Hearts faced the difficult task of balancing domestic and European football until at least December.
As expected, Wouter Vrancken and his players quickly felt the effects of this, an ongoing injury crisis means the Hearts boss is without ten first-team players through injury.
This has had a detrimental Impact on Hearts, who have recorded just one win in their last seven matches, but regardless of a tough spell they remain in third position with a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Falkirk arrive in the capital with a spring in their step, knowing they are currently the most in-form team in the league following four consecutive victories over Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Celtic.
Falkirk manager John McGlynn was rewarded for overseeing a stellar run of results during the month of October, having been named the Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month, with American striker Jacob Murrell also picking up the Player of the Month award after netting four goals in four matches.
The Bairns had to overcome a tricky start to their campaign, failing to progress past the group stages of the 2026-27 Premier Sports Cup, while waiting until mid-September to pick up their first three points.
They head into Sunday’s showdown knowing that a win would see them leapfrog their opponents, Hearts, into third place, for the time being.
Player Spotlight – Scott Bain
It’s not often a goalkeeper would be chosen for this slot, but it’s hard to ignore Scott Bain, who has received plenty of praise for his performance in Falkirk’s 2-0 victory over Celtic in the Premiership last weekend.
Bain’s shot-stopping throughout a match that was predominantly dominated by Celtic played a huge part in Falkirk getting over the line. Bain made a total of nine saves against his former club.
Bain was named in Sébastien Pocognoli’s Scotland squad earlier this week ahead of the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against North Macedonia and Switzerland.
The 34-year-old was rightly labelled as one of the standout keepers in the Scottish Premiership last season, and he has since replicated that form this term.
At 34, Bain will be desperate to continue his rich vein of form in the hope of strengthening an already strong case made for becoming Scotland’s number one, albeit against a Hearts side who have an excellent home record.
Team Spotlight – Aberdeen
Aberdeen welcome Hibernian to Pittodrie on Saturday evening with the later kick-off of 17:45.
It’s 12th against 10th in a prominent fixture at the bottom end of the Premiership table, with both sides urgently seeking to turn their fortunes around.
The Dons are only three points better off than their opponents following a highly inconsistent start.
With just three wins in eleven so far, pressure is mounting on Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson and his group of players.
Speaking ahead of the match, Robinson insisted that this game is a must-win for his side, who are severely lacking in confidence and are in the midst of a run of three defeats in their previous four matches.
The ex-St Mirren boss helped steady the ship last season, taking over in March when the Pittodrie club were involved in a relegation battle.
Robinson did enough to ensure Aberdeen finished above the relegation places, but despite that he has struggled to win over a fanbase who now hold plenty of criticism towards their team and its management with the atmosphere and mood around Pittodrie far from pleasant at the moment.
Aberdeen cannot afford anything less than three points alongside a positive performance, with a Hibs side awaiting them whose confidence is high after reaching the Premier Sports Cup final last time out.
In a potentially defining game for Stephen Robinson as Aberdeen manager, questions remain over whether they are capable of turning the tide.
The full fixture list is as follows:
Saturday 7 November
Dundee United v Motherwell, 15:00
St Johnstone v Dundee, 15:00
Aberdeen v Hibernian, 17:45 (Premier Sports 1)
St Mirren v Rangers, 20:00 (Sky Sports Football)
Sunday 8 November
Hearts v Falkirk, 15:00
Celtic v Kilmarnock, 16:00
