Saturday 17th February 2018 Kick off 1500hrs Hibs v Aberdeen Football – Scotland – Scottish Premiership It’s a rarity for the game of the weekend in Scotland to feature neither Celtic or Rangers but that is most certainly the case for this set of fixtures as fourth placed Hibs host Aberdeen – who sit second – at Easter Road. The desire for three points for both is obvious as the hosts could move to within two points of Rangers in third whilst Aberdeen could cut the gap between Celtic and themselves to five points. Plenty to play for in the Scottish capital and it looks set to be an enthralling encounter.
Hibs have been extremely consistent in the Scottish top flight having only been promoted to the Premiership this season. It’s a tremendous job that Neil Lennon has done but his ambition is greater than just finishing fourth, even though that would be an achievement all things considered. Lennon will be targeting Rangers who sit directly above them, particularly on the back of their 2-1 win at Ibrox earlier this month which illustrated once again that there is little between those clubs. Winning at Ibrox and taking points off the champions Celtic have been real highlights for the Easter Road club but where they have fallen down is their performances against Aberdeen. The Hibees have lost twice to the Dons this term and the last meeting which ended 4-1 at Pittodrie was arguably the lowest point of their season and Saturday presents an opportunity to exact some revenge. Following their defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Cup, all Hibs’ attention is now focused solely on finishing as high as they can in the league and it will allow Lennon to prioritise the Premiership. A seven point lead over their Edinburgh rivals should give them some freedom and confidence to stride on and close the gap on the teams above them.
Every time you think Aberdeen are losing their grip on second spot in the Premiership, the dandy Dons show great resilience to bounce back and put a string of wins together. For a team who have been the second force in Scotland for the last few seasons, reached both domestic cup finals last season and have had to contend with key players leaving, it’s really a brilliant job that Derek McInnes is doing and continues to do. They travel to Easter Road on Saturday on the back of four straight wins, which back up what was their third defeat of the season to Rangers. It has been the performances against both Glasgow teams that have prevented them from being closer to Celtic at the top of the table but on the flip side, a win on Saturday would cut the gap to five points – for 24 hours at least – and that would be testament to the consistency they’ve shown against the other nine clubs in the league. Unlike their opponents this weekend, Aberdeen continued their progression in the Scottish Cup with a 4-2 win over Dundee United. If they can finish second (or better) once again and reach the final then it will have been another successful campaign for McInnes and his players.
Hibs v Aberdeen Betting Tip
It will be the biggest crowd in Scotland on Saturday and both sets of supporters will create a great atmosphere which will be fitting for a clash between clubs who have really added to the Scottish Premiership. Hibs have not enjoyed a brilliant home record despite what has been a very positive season, managing only five wins from their 12 home games. One of their four defeats came against Aberdeen back in October but it was a game where Lennon and his players would feel they should have taken something from. For Aberdeen it was one of eight victories on their travels in the league this season but they have won only three of their last six, after five wins and two draws in their first seven away matches of the season.
Since returning from the winter break at the end of January, both of these teams have lost just once in their four league games. Aberdeen have faired better overall, though, and they are also scoring more goals with a lot of that down to the return of Niall McGinn who was linked with Hibs before deciding on his former club. McGinn and his team-mates are in good heart at the moment and may just have the edge to overcome Hibs for the third time this season.
Aberdeen 19/10 @ Marathon Bet
