Kilmarnock are set to travel to the Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park on Saturday afternoon, still in search of their first win of the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season.
The hosts sit eighth in the table with six points from one win and three draws, while the visitors are in 11th place with three points, all from three draws.
Match preview
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After suffering relegation from the Scottish Premiership in 2018-19, Dundee found themselves bouncing back and forth between the top flight and the Scottish Championship in the following seasons.
They earned promotion back to the Premiership in 2020-21 by winning the playoffs, but were immediately relegated in 2021-22, only to secure their return to the top flight as second-division champions in 2022-23.
The 2023-24 season not only saw Dundee secure their place in the top division for a second season for the first time since their initial relegation in 2019, but they also fantastically finished in sixth place.
Tony Docherty's side faced difficulties toward the end of the season, going winless in their last eight matches with three draws and five defeats, but they rebounded with a strong start to the new campaign.
Dundee remained undefeated in their opening nine fixtures of 2024-25, winning six and drawing three, but they have since lost their following three matches, leaving them without a victory in five games.
The Dark Blues will be desperate to put that dismal run to an end on Saturday, and a match against a struggling Kilmarnock could provide them with the perfect opportunity.
Kilmarnock have managed just one victory in their initial 13 outings of the 2024-25 season, a 1-0 win against Tromso IL in the second leg of their Conference League third qualifying round.
While that victory saw them advance into the playoff qualifying round, they ultimately failed to qualify for the league stage as they lost 3-1 to Copenhagen on aggregate.
Derek McInnes remains fairly relaxed about his team's current situation, even though Killie are one of only two teams yet to secure a victory in the Scottish Premiership. However, he believes that a win on Saturday would come at the perfect time with the international break right around the corner.
Team News
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The hosts are without Joe Shaughnessy (knee) and Jordan McGhee (calf) for this match, with both not expected to return to the side until later this month.
Despite suffering a third consecutive defeat to Aberdeen last weekend, Dundee delivered a promising performance, which may lead Docherty to field the same lineup in this match.
As for the visitors, Kyle Magennis is out of the team with a hamstring injury, while Stuart Findlay is also a doubt after coming off in the 19th minute of their draw with Dundee United last time out.
Kilmarnock came agonisingly close to achieving their first league victory against Dundee, leading 3-1 before conceding two late goals, including an equaliser in the 99th minute, which could prompt McInnes to name the same starting eleven for this match.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
McCracken; Ingram, Portales, Robertson, Koumetio, Larkeche; Braybrooke, Sylla, Cameron; Tiffoney, Murray
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
O'Hara; Burroughs, Mayo, Deas, Ndaba; Armstrong, Polworth, Lyons, Kennedy; Watkins, Vassell
We say: Dundee 1-2 Kilmarnock
Both teams have struggled to secure victories in the early stages of the campaign, but with Dundee losing their last three matches, their confidence is likely to be low heading into this one.
In contrast, Kilmarnock came very close to their first win in their previous outing, which could boost their spirits going into this match, suggesting a win for the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
