Livingston host Hibernian on Saturday afternoon in a meeting between two Scottish Premiership sides enduring and enjoying contrasting runs of form.

Livi's third loss on the spin was a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Aberdeen last weekend while Hibs extended their unbeaten streak to six league games with a 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out.

Match preview

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David Martindale's side have not scored a goal in more than five-and-a-half hours of football, last finding the net through Stephen Kelly against Killie at the start of February.

Scoring has been a problem all season for the West Lothian outfit; only Ross County have taken fewer shots while Livi have racked up the fewest home goals in the entire Premiership.

Livingston scarcely troubled Aberdeen's net last Saturday, offering a toothless attempt to respond to Bojan Miovski's first-half volley.

Aberdeen's gain was Livingston's loss as the Dons moved into the top half of the table at the expense of their visitors - this weekend is the first time Livi have been as low as seventh since the end of December.

They may not be prolific but Livi do offer a stubborn resolve on home turf, only losing to Celtic and Rangers in the league at the Tony Macaroni Arena since October.

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Saturday's match will be Hibernian's first outing since the passing of the club's 68-year-old owner Ron Gordon was announced last weekend.

When Hibs last faced Livi on Christmas Eve, they were eighth in the table, two places and three points behind their opponents.

However, only Celtic and Rangers have collected more Premiership points than Hibs in 2023, racing above Livingston and several other clubs on their way into fourth place.

Lee Johnson put the dramatic turnaround down to a January exodus of individuals that had "average to poor discipline" - only Kilmarnock saw more players leave the club during the winter window.

The Hibees had the luxury of coasting through the conclusion of their most recent match after Kyle Vassell's second-half red card for Kilmarnock ended the 2-0 win as a contest.

Team News

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Jamie Brandon recovered from a serious groin issue to make his first matchday squad since August but did not get off the bench against Aberdeen.

Long-term absentee Tom Parkes last turned out for Livi in December 2021 - against Hibs incidentally - but is highly unlikely to feature when the capital club make the short journey west.

The veteran Hibs winger Aiden McGeady suffered a hamstring injury during last weekend's win against Kilmarnock, casting a fog of doubt over his availability this Saturday.

Australia international Martin Boyle has already been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury but Rocky Bushiri could be back before the final whistle is blown on the campaign - though not as soon as this weekend.

In better news for Johnson and his staff, Mykola Kukharevych and top scorer Kevin Nisbet are expected to be available for the trip to the Tony Macaroni.

Livingston possible starting lineup:
George; Devlin, Fitzwater, Obileye, Penrice; Kelly, Pittman, Shinnie; Bradley, Anderson, Nouble

Hibernian possible starting lineup:
Marshall; Cadden, Fish, Hanlon, Cabraja; Egan-Riley, Jeggo; Henderson, Campbell, Hoppe; Nisbet

We say: Livingston 1-1 Hibernian

Livingston may lag behind in the bottom half of the table while Hibs occupy the lofty heights of fourth but only two points separate these sides, a narrow gap which might reflect a tight contest that we are tipping to end in a stalemate.


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