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Scottish Premiership | Gameweek 20
Dec 26, 2021 at 3pm UK
Tynecastle
RC

Hearts
2 - 1
Ross County

Smith (4'), Woodburn (42')
Halliday (87')
FT(HT: 2-0)
White (72')
Baldwin (44'), Clarke (70'), Spittal (75')

Preview: Hearts vs. Ross County - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Hearts vs. Ross County - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Sunday's Scottish Premiership clash between Hearts and Ross County, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Two teams at opposite ends of the table will compete on Sunday when Hearts host Ross County, with the Jambos aiming to pick up a second consecutive victory.

The Staggies are sat just above the relegation zone right now, and a defeat could see them drop into the bottom two, adding further pressure to this fixture.


Match preview

Hearts have fallen away from the title race as of late due to their inconsistent performances, with the Jambos having not won consecutive games since the start of October.

However, that is something that they could fix on Boxing Day as they head into the game on the back of a victory against Dundee, where Jamie Walker's 75th-minute goal secured the three points.

While they are currently 15 points away from Rangers, the squad will be hoping to maintain their third-place position, especially since they have built a gap between themselves and Motherwell.

The Jambos have been strong defensively this season, having only conceded 17 goals throughout the SPL, which is a record that only two teams can beat.

However, Hearts did concede twice when they last placed Ross County in what ended up being a thrilling draw between the two teams.

The game started at a blistering pace with two goals in the opening 15 minutes, but despite the Staggies taking a 2-1 advantage, Robbie Nielson's men were able to earn a point after Stephen Kingsley scored in the second half.

Despite the fact they are currently sat 10th in the table, Ross County are in strong form at the moment, having only lost once in their previous six matches.

That is a record they will wish to continue, especially after defeating their fellow relegation rivals St Johnstone during their most recent outing.

The Staggies scored in each half to earn the crucial three points which put some distance between themselves and the foot of the table.

However, there is only two points separating them and Dundee at the moment, with a defeat at the weekend potentially putting them in the relegation zone.

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W

Hearts form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W

Ross County Scottish Premiership form:
  • D
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • W

Ross County form (all competitions):
  • D
  • D
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • W

Team News

Cameron Devlin will miss out on the Boxing Day fixture due to suspension after he has gained too many yellow cards, which will force at least one change to the starting lineup.

Beni Baningime is due back in the near future from his injury, and Sunday's match could see him have a place on the bench if he is ready to play, but it will come too soon for Jamie Brandon to return.

Alex Iacovitti has remained absent from Ross County's starting lineup throughout this month due to his hamstring issue and his return date is unknown at this point.

Jordan White is expected to lead the line for his team though, while Regan Charles-Cook, Ross Callachan and Joseph Hungbo sit just behind.

Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Souttar, Halkett, Kingsley; Halliday, Haring, Cochrane, Moore; McKay, Mackay-Steven, Woodburn

Ross County possible starting lineup:
Maynard-Brewer; Clarke, Watson, Baldwin, Vokins; Spittal, Cancola; Charles-Cook, Hungbo, Callachan; White


We say: Hearts 1-1 Ross County

Despite the major differences between them in the league table, this will not be a routine game for Hearts due to the impressive form that Ross County are enjoying.

With the Staggies hoping to keep themselves out of the relegation zone, the squad are sure to put up a fight in this one, which could lead to the points being shared.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data




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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic000080265478
2RangersRangers000072234975
3Hearts000046341262
4Kilmarnock00004334951
5St Mirren00003843-543
6Dundee00004454-1041
Relegation Group
1Hibernian00004451-739
2Motherwell00004651-537
3Aberdeen00003549-1435
4St Johnstone00002446-2231
5Ross County00003256-2430
6Livingston00002259-3718
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
12Livingston3339212259-3718
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