Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Scottish Premiership match.
This is a pivotal clash in the race for European qualification. Aberdeen trail third-placed Hibernian by three points, with Dundee United positioned between. For the hosts, anything short of a win would be unacceptable.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen enter the match as slight favourites, but their position is far from secure. They have only themselves to blame for a disappointing second half of the regular season, having slipped from second to fifth. They dropped to fifth place at the last moment following a 2:2 home draw with Rangers. While the result itself was respectable, they once again let the win slip away—conceding the equaliser in the 96th minute. Since the start of spring, Aberdeen have avoided defeat, but have managed just two wins in five matches.
Hibernian
Hibernian, by contrast, have set the standard in the second half of the regular campaign—even Celtic have taken notice. Over the course of 17 matches, Hibernian have climbed from the foot of the standings to third. Since matchday 16, they have remained unbeaten, with only five of those games ending in draws. Hibernian have won their last three fixtures with an aggregate scoreline of 9:0.
Aberdeen vs Hibernian Prediction
The teams have already met three times this season as per the league's structure. The first match ended in a 3:3 draw, but once Hibernian began their impressive unbeaten streak, Aberdeen lost both subsequent encounters (3:1 and 2:0). We expect Hibernian to edge this one as well, but for added security, backing them with a zero handicap looks wise.
