The most intriguing encounter in the Scottish Premiership this midweek comes from Dens Park, where relegation-candidates Dundee FC and Ross County go head-to-head on Wednesday.
Results at the weekend mean it is now a three-way battle to avoid the drop, and these two sides find themselves just above the automatic relegation spot, with the fixture likely to decide who will end up going into the playoff.
Match preview
In a clash between 10th and 11th, only two points separate the sides, with Dundee slightly better off at present, but St Johnstone’s win over Ross County means that they are not out of contention to survive yet.
Dundee also had a disappointing weekend, losing 3-2 at Kilmarnock, meaning they can longer reach the side above them, and it continued a woeful run of form that has seen Tony Docherty‘s men lose nine of their last 13 matches.
Returning to Dens Park may do little to alleviate their poor from either, because no team in the Premiership has fewer home points than their tally of 19, and the hosts have won just once here since the start of December.
Some will see it as fortunate that Dundee are facing their two relegation rivals in their final two matches, meaning their destiny is well and truly in their own hands, but that could make any defeats even more fatal.
Fears will heighten when the hosts look back to the three previous meetings with Ross County this season, as all three have ended in defeat, including 3-0 in the first clash at Dens Park back on Boxing Day.
Don Cowie‘s side have hit rock bottom since then though, and are fortunate that St Johnstone have been equally as poor over the past few months.
County could have ensured they would avoid automatic relegation if they took anything from their trip to St Johnstone on Saturday, but they were beaten 2-1, falling to a seventh straight loss in the Premiership.
The gap has therefore closed to three points between County and the side currently bottom of the standings, and similar goal differences mean it may well go down to the wire.
A win here would take County out of the bottom two entirely, before Dundee and St Johnstone face each other on the final day, and potentially take points off each other, but recent form suggests taking anything here will be a tall order.
Team News
Dundee have much of their first-team squad available for this one, with Jordan McGhee the only player currently sidelined for the hosts, but Sebastian Palmer-Houlden is a slight doubt.
The home faithful will be hoping for another big performance from Simon Murray, who, despite the club’s predicament near the bottom, is tied at the top of the Premiership scoring charts with 16 goals this campaign, and now faces the team he scored 16 league goals for last season.
Ross County will be without Zac Ashworth after he was sent off late in the defeat at St Johnstone at the weekend, joining a number of players on the sidelines who are currently injured.
Goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw is close to a return but will most likely play second-fiddle to Jordan Amissah, while Ryan Leak, Noah Chilvers and Andrew Macleod are set to miss out, with Scott Allardice fighting to be fit in time to make a comeback.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Carson; Astley, Shaughnessy, Donnelly, Larkeche; Mulligan, Portales, Cameron; Adewumi, Murray, Tiffoney
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Amissah; Wright, Lopata, Nightingale, Tomkinson; Nisbet, Randall, Samuel; Phillips, Hale, Harmon
We say: Dundee 1-0 Ross County
Even though Ross County have won all three games against Dundee this season, they cannot buy a victory at the moment, losing seven in a row, scoring just four goals.
Dundee are hardly doing much better, but have been competitive in recent weeks, like when they won at Hearts, and were only narrowly edged out by Motherwell and Kilmarnock, and they are favourites to ensure their survival on home soil here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
