MX23RW : Thursday, October 31 23:20:38| >> :600:218879:218879:
[monks data]
Kilmarnock logo
Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 10
Feb 10, 2021 at 6pm UK
Rugby Park
Motherwell logo

Kilmarnock
0 - 1
Motherwell

FT(HT: 0-0)
Campbell (71')
Watt (78'), O'Donnell (81')

Preview: Kilmarnock vs. Motherwell - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Scottish Premiership clash between Kilmarnock and Motherwell, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Kilmarnock host Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday evening, hoping that the appointment of Tommy Wright as manager can kickstart a revival and move them away from danger.

Meanwhile, Motherwell, who won their previous visit to Rugby Park last season, could move five points clear of the bottom two with a victory.


Match preview

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright pictured in January 2016© Reuters

Kilmarnock announced the appointment of Tommy Wright as their new manager this week, replacing Alex Dyer who was sacked at the end of last month after a run 10 defeats from 13 matches.

Wright, who left St Johnstone in May after seven years in charge, said that it was an "easy decision" to take the job at Rugby Park and believes that it is the "perfect time" for him to return to management.

The 57-year-old will have little time to prepare for his first game in charge against a Motherwell side who Kilmarnock have already beaten this campaign, winning 2-0 away from home in December.

Last weekend's 2-0 defeat to St Mirren was their fifth successive loss in the league and Wright hopes to make an immediate impact and end this poor run of form with a victory on Wednesday, that could move Killie above Motherwell into ninth, four points clear of the bottom two.

Graham Alexander, now in charge of Motherwell, pictured in September 2020© Reuters

Motherwell were unable to secure their third league win in a row as they lost 2-1 away to Celtic last weekend.

The Hoops survived a late scare from the Steelmen who, after pulling one back through midfielder Allan Campbell in the 66th minute, came close to finding an equaliser when Harry Smith's header was cleared off the line in added time.

That result was Motherwell's 11th defeat of the season and sees Graham Alexander's men remain in ninth place, just two points above the bottom two.

Prior to their defeat against Kilmarnock earlier this campaign, the Steelmen won both of their encounters with Killie last season, including a 1-0 away win in December 2019.

With an important match against basement club Hamilton coming up this weekend, a victory on Wednesday night would provide a massive boost for Alexander's side in their quest to avoid the drop.

Kilmarnock Scottish Premiership form: WLLLLL

Motherwell Scottish Premiership form: DDLWLL


Team News

Declan Gallagher in action for Motherwell on November 10, 2019© Reuters

Kilmarnock will be without key defensive duo Kirk Broadfoot (knee) and Stuart Findlay (ankle) who are both suffering with injuries, while left-back Calum Waters also remains out with a groin strain picked up in December.

Centre-back Zech Medley, on loan from Arsenal, and midfielder Gary Dicker could fill in once again at the heart of the defence with Brandon Haunstrup likely to keep his spot at left-back.

Motherwell centre-back Declan Gallagher as well as left-backs Liam Grimshaw (illness) and Nathan McGinley (head) are all unavailable for selection, while goalkeepers Scott Fox and Trevor Carson continue to recover from their long-term injuries.

Midfielder Mark O'Hara, who returned to the bench last weekend after missing the previous four matches, is in contention to start ahead of either Robbie Crawford or Liam Polworth.

Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
Rogers; Millen, Dicker, Medley, Haunstrup; Power, Mulumbu, Tshibola; Burke, Kabamba, McKenzie

Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Kelly; O'Donnell, Mugabi, Lamie, Carroll; Campbell, Crawford, Maguire; Long, Cole, Watt


SM words green background

We say: Kilmarnock 1-1 Motherwell

Both sides are hovering precariously above the relegation zone and know that a few more defeats could see them slip into the bottom two. With little to separate the two sides, we could see a draw played out on Wednesday evening.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data



ID:434379:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect8125:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Motherwell win with a probability of 44.22%. A win for Kilmarnock had a probability of 29.33% and a draw had a probability of 26.4%.

The most likely scoreline for a Motherwell win was 0-1 with a probability of 11.36%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.92%) and 0-2 (8.07%). The likeliest Kilmarnock win was 1-0 (8.85%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.56%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with an 11.4% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Motherwell in this match.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Kilmarnock vs Motherwell

Kilmarnock
69.4%
Draw
13.9%
Motherwell
16.7%
36
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Ryan Christie in action for Celtic on September 27, 2020
Read Next:
Celtic could be without Ryan Christie for Motherwell clash
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic109102932628
2Aberdeen109102091128
3RangersRangers10613158719
4Motherwell105141313016
5Dundee UnitedDundee Utd104331412215
6Kilmarnock103341320-712
7St Mirren113261521-611
8Ross County112541018-811
9St Johnstone113171423-910
10Dundee102351418-49
11Hibernian10145915-67
12Hearts111371218-66


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!