Newly-promoted Dundee will be hoping they can claim all three points when they welcome St Mirren to Dens Park on Saturday afternoon, for their opening encounter in the 2021-22 Scottish Premiership.
The visitors, meanwhile, have won five of their last seven meetings against the Dark Blues and will be looking to improve on their seventh-placed finish from last season.
Match preview
© Reuters
Dundee secured promoted from the Championship last season by beating Premiership side Kilmarnock 4-2 on aggregate in the relegation playoff final in May.
The Dark Blues return to the top-flight after just two years away and will be looking forward to exciting encounters against the Old Firm as well as the Dundee derby against their rivals United.
Manager James McPake is upbeat ahead of the new campaign and is hoping his side can use their positivity and momentum to get off to a good start in the Premiership.
Dundee's campaign has already begun in the League Cup, where they won all four of their group stage matches, by an aggregate score of 14-2, and they have been rewarded with a home tie against Motherwell in a few weeks' time.
McPake's men, however, head into Saturday's game after failing to win any of their last five meetings against St Mirren as well as any of their last four on home soil.
Dundee's main priority will be survival this season, but a strong start to their campaign could see their aspirations change.
© Reuters
St Mirren enjoyed an impressive campaign last season, completing their most successful Premiership campaign in over 30 years by finishing in seventh place with 45 points, their highest top-flight tally since 1925-26.
The Saints also reached two domestic cup semi-finals, losing 2-1 to eventual Scottish Cup winners St Johnstone and 1-0 to Livingston in the League Cup.
Manager Jim Goodwin can be proud of his team's achievements last season and he will be hoping they can kick on and improve further across all competitions.
Like Dundee, St Mirren have also won all four of their group stage matches in this season's League Cup, though they were rarely tested against lower league opposition.
The Saints were awarded a 3-0 win in their opening match – as Dumbarton pulled out due to a positive coronavirus case among their camp – before conceding just once and facing only five shots on target in their next three games against Dunfermline, Stenhousemuir and Partick Thistle.
St Mirren have also had few problems when facing Dundee in recent years, winning five of their last seven meetings against them. With three of these victories coming at Dens Park, Goodwin's men will fancy their chances of securing another three points on Saturday.
- W
- D
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Dundee's new recruits Luke McCowan, Paul McMullan and Ryan Sweeney will be all be hoping they can force their way into the starting lineup on Saturday, though the latter is expected to begin on the bench.
Last season's Championship Player of the Season Charlie Adam is set to start in central midfield, while either Jason Cummings or Danny Mullen, who scored eight goals last term, is likely to start up front.
As for St Mirren, Goodwin is expected to stick with the 3-4-3 formation he used for much of last season, which could see captain Joe Shaughnessy, Richard Tait and Conor McCarthy all start in central defence.
Key midfielder Jamie McGrath – who scored 17 goals across all competitions last season – is set to start in the middle of the pitch alongside either Alan Power, Cameron MacPherson or Ethan Erhahon.
New signings Curtis Main and Eamonn Brophy could partner each other up front, while Greg Kiltie could play in the number 10 role.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Legzdins; Elliot, Fontaine, Ashcroft, Marshall; Anderson, Byrne, Adam; McMullan, Cummings, McCowan
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Alnwick; Tait, Shaughnessy, McCarthy; Henderson, McGrath, Power, Tanser; Kiltie; Main, Brophy
We say: Dundee 1-1 St Mirren
Six of the last seven meetings between Dundee and St Mirren have seen both teams score and goals are to be expected once again on Saturday.
Both sides will view this opening fixture as a great opportunity to claim three points, but with little to separate the two teams, a score draw could be on the cards at Dens Park.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
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 Dundee win with a probability of 39.66%. A win for St Mirren had a probability of 34.53% and a draw had a probability of 25.8%.
The most likely scoreline for a Dundee win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.49%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.59%) and 2-0 (6.65%). The likeliest St Mirren win was 0-1 (8.74%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.25%). The actual scoreline of 2-2 was predicted with a 5.5% likelihood.
