Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Scottish Premiership match.
Aberdeen are the only team keeping pace with Celtic in the championship. To stay in contention, they need to win their fifth game in a row, this time against Motherwell.
Aberdeen
The team have not dropped a single point in four matches, but their last away win against Ross County was their toughest yet (1:0). In that game, the referee disallowed a goal for both sides, their goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov saved a penalty, and Kevin Nisbet scored the winning goal in the 98th minute. Aberdeen managed all this with just 0.35 xG. At home at Pittodrie, victories have come easier — they scored two more than their opponents.
Motherwell
Motherwell, like their next opponents, snatched a victory in injury time in the fourth round (2:1). Both goals against St. Johnstone came after corners. The players worked hard in attack, managing 14 (4) shots, though they only created 1.51 xG. In their first away match, the team couldn't put up much of a fight against runners-up Rangers, despite the narrow loss (1:2), allowing 10 shots on target, while only troubling the opposition goalkeeper once. Only misfortune prevented the Glasgow side from securing a more dominant victory in the first half.
Aberdeen vs Motherwell Prediction
In six recent matches between these clubs, Aberdeen have never lost (five wins and one draw), including taking seven out of nine points at home. Consequently, we don't think the balance of power will change drastically, especially given Aberdeen's excellent form.
