Things to watch in Premier Sports Cup last 16 (2024)

Published

16 August 2024

It's that stage of the season again when Scotland's European representatives join the clubs who navigated their way through the group stage in the last 16 of the Scottish League Cup.

Here's what to look out for in five Saturday and three Sunday ties in what is now marketed as the Premier Sports Cup.

You could bill this as the day Aberdeen begin life without Bojan Miovski.

But, in truth, the Dons had all but wrapped the North Macedonia striker in cotton wool pending Thursday's sale to Girona.

The Dons have still managed six straight victories in an impressive start to Jimmy Thelin's tenure as manager.

Latest signing Topi Keskinen, the winger who arrived this week from HJK Helsinki, will hope to compensate for the exiting firepower on his possible debut along with former Troyes midfielder Ante Palaversa.

Queen's Park banged in 15 goals of their own winning three group-stage games, but their one meeting this season with Premiership opposition ended with a 5-1 thumping away to Hibernian and they have not won in two Championship outings since.

It would be a major shock if Callum Davidson's side can repeat the last meeting between the sides, when the Spiders won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, also in the League Cup, way back in 2006 at Firhill.

Dundee have dispelled fears that their top-six Premiership finish was a flash in the pan by going unbeaten in six games this season, scoring 23 goals and only conceding five.

Tony Docherty's side, still led by midfielder Luke McCowan after a failed bid from Hibernian for their captain, will entertain second-tier Airdrieonians in Saturday's Premier Sports Cup last 16 seeking a fourth consecutive home win after last weekend's impressive 3-1 dismissal of Heart of Midlothian.

While Rhys McCabe's visitors have scored 15 goals in four wins of their own this season and only lost 2-1 away to top-flight Aberdeen in the group stage, they were brought down to earth by Friday's 5-0 Championship hammering away to Ayr United.

They will be hoping last season's 1-0 group-stage win at home to Dundee is more of a precedent than their last visit to Dens Park, when they were thumped 6-2 in the Scottish Cup in November 2022.

McCabe strengthened his defensive options on Friday by signing Sam Graham, the 24-year-old who left National League outfit Fylde this summer.

Hearts' optimism after last season's third-place finish, a summer of transfer activity while retaining top marksman Lawrence Shankland and an opening-day Premiership draw with runners-up Rangers, took a bit of a bashing after last weekend's 3-1 defeat by Dundee.

Will that persuade head coach Steven Naismith to hand a quickfire start to Andres Salazar, the Colombia left-back who arrived on loan from Atletico Nacional?

While the Edinburgh side have yet to win this season, albeit only two games, League 1 champions Falkirk have won five out of six, culminating in a routine 2-0 Championship defeat of Dunfermline Athletic in what would normally be a tough local derby.

John McGlynn has already steered his side to a win over Premiership visitors Dundee United in their League Cup group-stage opener and will have high hopes of preventing Hearts record a fourth consecutive win at Falkirk Stadium.

Spartans were the shock troops of the group stage, topping their section at the expense of Livingston after winning 1-0 away to the side just relegated from the top flight.

Doug Samuel's League 2 side have gone five unbeaten since an opening-day home 3-0 defeat by Dunfermline.

Ross County are themselves six without defeat, with four routine group-stage wins being following by two Premiership draws, as Don Cowie's team prepare for their first-ever meeting with Spartans.

Ronan Hale continues to be the man to watch, with his stoppage-time equaliser at home to Dundee United being the striker's fourth goal in as many games since arriving from Cliftonville.

Cup holders Rangers will look to put Tuesday's Champions League qualifying defeat by Dynamo Kyiv behind them in the first of four all-Premiership ties.

It means Philippe Clement's side return to the national stadium having won just one of their four outings this season - Saturday's narrow defeat of struggling visitors Motherwell.

Rangers' temporary home amid Ibrox renovations was far from full to watch them against the Ukrainians - how many will turn up to see them against less lauded opponents from the east after such a European body blow?

Craig Levein's visitors have had a mixed start to the season but arrive on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Kilmarnock, albeit the hosts were down to 10 men for most of game.

The form of Benjamin Kimpioka, with six goals already this season, and fellow striker Adama Sidibeh, with four, has led to media speculation about their futures and scouts will be keen to see how they test a Rangers defence that lost left-back Ridvan Yilmaz to injury on Tuesday.

Indeed, St Johnstone have not scored in the latest five meetings between the sides since winning at McDiarmid Park in November 2022.

Saints lost all three meetings last season by an aggregate of 8-0 and they have suffered four straight defeats away to Rangers since a penalty shoot-out Scottish Cup win at Ibrox in April 2021.

St Mirren will head to Tannadice with a combination of regrets and pride in performance as they look to extend their unbeaten run there to five games.

They ran Brann close on Thursday until two late goals took the more experienced Norwegian side through to the Europa Conference League play-offs.

Now Stephen Robinson's team must recover from their travels as they look to avoid a third consecutive defeat in a week after Aberdeen ended their four-game unbeaten start to the season.

In contrast, Dundee United had a shaky start, losing their group-stage opener to League 1 champions Falkirk, but have since gone five unbeaten, albeit they have had to settle for a point in both games on their Premiership return.

Will Luca Stephenson be the latest summer arrival to impress if the 20-year-old on-loan Liverpool wing-back is handed a debut by Jim Goodwin?

Motherwell's problems continue to mount with the news that Apostolos Stamatelopoulos has been sidelined for six weeks after the former Newcastle Jets striker was forced off during Saturday's defeat by Rangers.

With fellow summer signing Filip Stuparevic recovering from his injury, manager Stuart Kettlewell moved this week to bring striker Tony Watt back to his former club on loan after limited game time with Dundee United.

Well's only wins this season have been over fourth-tier sides Edinburgh City and Clyde and they are without a win in three outings as they entertain a Kilmarnock side on a high after Conference League progress.

A single goal against Tromso in Norway was enough to secure a first win in five outings this season, but manager Derek McInnes will no doubt shuffle his pack again as he aims to end a run of five visits to Fir Park without a victory while looking towards next week's play-off round tie against FC Copenhagen.

League Cup last 16 weekend concludes by handing Hibs the chance of quickfire revenge over Celtic.

That is easier said than done considering Sunday's 2-0 Premiership defeat was on their own patch and this time they have to visit the home of league champions who have scored six and are yet to concede in their two games so far this season.

David Gray's side found the net 14 times in three group-stage outings, but defeat by League One side Kelty Hearts and two Premiership losses without scoring have heaped early pressure on the man confirmed as head coach after his spell as caretaker last season.

While Hibs will be unable to field latest midfield loan recruit Kwon Hyeok-kyu against his parent club and have fewer forward options after Dylan Vente joined Zwolle on loan, Celtic's firepower is boosted by the return of Adam Idah.

Now he has made the switch from Norwich City permanent, the Republic of Ireland striker will be looking to continue the scoring rate that bagged him nine goals, including a double against Hibs, in 19 games on loan.

With him in tow, Brendan Rodgers' hosts will be even stronger favourites to continue their 18-game unbeaten run - and four straight wins - over Hibs at home and take their place in the quarter-final draw shortly after full-time.

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