Match Preview: RCFC v Aberdeen

Ross County will host Aberdeen at the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday as both clubs look to avenge their defeats from last weekend.

The clubs will battle it out for the 26^th time in a competitive fixture on Saturday and for the third time this season.

Opposition Focus

Derek McInnes’s side are sitting comfortably in 3^rd position in the Scottish Premiership and sit just 5 points behind Celtic in 2^nd. A win for the Dons would edge them closer to breaking into the profitable Champions League qualifying positions; a competition that the club has never taken part in.

Despite another steady season under the guidance of McInnes, Aberdeen are without a win in their last two after dropping points to Dundee United and Rangers.

The Dons were set to travel to the Tony Macaroni Arena on Wednesday evening to face the in-form Livingston, however, the fixture was postponed for a second time due to a waterlogged pitch. Their proposed opponents had won 8 matches in a row and were closing in on breaking up the Premiership’s stubborn top 4 teams. Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and Hibernian have occupied the top 4 spots since Aberdeen replaced Ross County on 29 August 2020.

In contempt of losing their most recent fixture, Saturday’s visitors have only lost 1 Scottish Premiership match in their last 8 and have only lost to 2 (Motherwell and Rangers) of the league’s 12 teams this season.

Ross County Focus

Despite a valiant effort, the Staggies lost their last match 3-1 to Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

John Hughes has seemed to revitalise the squad, but County need a victory on Saturday if they want to eject themselves from the bottom spot of the Scottish Premiership table. Just 3 points currently separate County in 12^th from St Johnstone in 9^th, with Motherwell and Hamilton also just 1 point better off than John Hughes’s side.

Yogi has managed to bolster his squad in the transfer window, bringing in French pair, Tony Andreu and Mohamed Maouche, to accompany the previously arranged winter arrival of Jason Naismith to the Highlands. Andreu made his first appearance for the club against Livingston on Saturday and will be hoping to play his part when County welcome Aberdeen this weekend.

John Hughes has defeated Aberdeen 7 times in his managerial career, picking up wins against the Dons as manager of 3 different clubs: Falkirk, Hibernian and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The gaffer will be hoping to add to this tally on Saturday in his first encounter with Aberdeen as Ross County manager.

Last Match

The sides last met in December when a Curtis Main double granted Aberdeen a 2-0 win and all 3 points at Pittordrie. The striker netted his second ever double in Scottish football, with the first coming against his current club for Motherwell in a Scottish Cup semi-final in 2018.