Ross County will take on newly promoted Dundee United at the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday, with both teams aiming to get their first win of the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season.
The hosts finished in 11th place last year, only staying in the top flight thanks to a 6-1 aggregate victory against Raith Rovers in a playoff tie, while the visitors secured promotion by winning the Scottish Championship.
Match preview
© Imago
After jumping from a 10th-placed finish in 2020-21 to placing sixth in the league in 2021-22, Ross County would have been aiming to establish themselves as a mid-table side in the top division.
However, they instead fell back down the standings and have found themselves competing in the relegation playoff tie in each of the last two years, narrowly securing their survival on penalties in 2022-23 and comfortably winning 6-1 last year.
Don Cowie, who took over as interim boss in February before earning the permanent job in May, will be hoping he can steer clear of a third successive relegation playoff tie this season.
Cowie's team are enjoying a fantastic run of form since the closing stages of last season, undefeated in their last 11 matches across all competitions, with eight wins in that time.
They took a well-earned point from a tough encounter with Motherwell in their opening fixture last weekend, and Cowie will be hoping his men can take their first three points of the campaign against newly promoted opposition.
Dundee United also secured a point in their first match back in the top division since their disappointing relegation in 2022-23, a season in which they fell from 10th to 12th in the table after failing to win any of their five post-split season matches.
Jim Goodwin's team had a brilliant start in the Championship, going unbeaten in their first 14 matches, and although they did go on to lose five of their remaining 22 games, they comfortably won the league with a six-point lead over second place.
Despite starting the 2024-25 campaign with a dismal defeat to Falkirk FC in the Scottish Cup, Dundee Utd have since won three and drawn two of their following five matches, leaving them in positive form heading into this one.
Their first fixture in the Scottish Premiership pitted them against rivals Dundee FC in the first Dundee derby of the season, and Goodwin will be delighted with his side's 2-2 draw against a team that finished in the top half in the past campaign.
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- W
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Team News
![Jim Goodwin (Manager) of Dundee United during the 2024/25 Pre Season Friendly match between Dundee United and Luton Town at CalForth Construction Arena, Tannadice Park, Scotland on 26 July 2024 [on August 2, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/31/jim-goodwin.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Jim Goodwin (Manager) of Dundee United during the 2024/25 Pre Season Friendly match between Dundee United and Luton Town at CalForth Construction Arena, Tannadice Park, Scotland on 26 July 2024 [on August 2, 2024]")
© Imago
The hosts will be without both Max Sheaf and Ricki Lamie with the pair not expected to return from their respective injuries until later this month.
New signing Ronan Hale impressed during the Scottish League Cup matches, scoring three goals in two games, and the striker is likely to start in attack once again here.
Ross Docherty is unlikely to feature for the visitors as he continues his recovery from a calf injury, while Ryan Strain is not anticipated to return from his hamstring injury until October.
Kristijan Trapanovski, a new arrival at Dundee United, has made an impressive start with the club, scoring three goals in six appearances, and is expected to start in this match.
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Laidlow; Wright, Nightingale, Leak; Brown, Loturi, Randall, Grieves, Harmon; White, Hale
Dundee United possible starting lineup:
Walton; Graham, Gallagher, Holt; Sevelj, Sibbald, Babunski, Ferry; Thomson, Trapanovski; Van der Sande
We say: Ross County 1-1 Dundee United
Both teams enter this game in good form and appear evenly matched, and we expect that to play out in a closely contested match that we believe will end all square.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
