In their first game of the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership, St Mirren are set to host Hibernian at St Mirren Park on Sunday.
The home side finished fifth in the Scottish Premiership last term with 47 points from 38 games, while the visitors finished eighth with 46 points.
Match preview
The hosts' points tally of 47 at the end of the overall 2023-24 campaign was only three more than they achieved in the 33-game regular season.
Last term, St Mirren scored 46 goals and conceded 52 times, and this made them the division's joint eighth-best offensive and joint fifth-best defensive team.
It should be noted that that the Saints ended the league season in terrible form, losing six of their final nine games.
However, their form in post-season matches has been better, with the home side having avoided defeat in all six games since the end of 2023-24, including a 4-1 aggregate win over Valur in the Conference League's second qualifying round.
Shaun Rooney will remember his opening goal in the second leg of that tie on August 1, because it was the Saints' first in European competition for 37 years.
Manager Stephen Robinson has been in charge since February 2022 and has an overall record of 37 wins, 21 draws and 47 losses.
Robinson's side had mixed fortunes at home in the league last season and in fact failed to win their last four fixtures at St Mirren Park, losing six of their last 11.
Opponents Hibernian finished the 2023-24 campaign with 46 points, a tally which was six fewer than they achieved in 2022-23.
The visitors scored 52 goals and conceded 59 times in the league last term, and these were the fifth-best offensive and joint eighth-best defensive records respectively.
Hibs' form since the end of 2023-24 has largely been excellent considering they have won six of their eight post-season matches, including a 4-0 win last time out against Peterhead in the Scottish League Cup on July 27.
In the 2024-25 League Cup, the away side have won three of their four matches and qualified to the next round of the competition as group winners.
David Gray, who has had three separate caretaker spells in charge of the club but was appointed permanently in June, will hope his side can overcome their poor away record in the Premiership.
Hibs have only won four of their last 24 matches on the road and have drawn 12 times in this period.
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Team News
Rooney's goal last time out against Valur could see him come into the starting XI on Sunday and make his first start for the hosts.
Caolan Boyd-Munce missed his side's win against Valur and is a doubt for the weekend's game, while Mikael Mandron could also be unavailable for St Mirren.
As for the visitors, they come into the game without Thody Elie Youan and have concerns about Chris Cadden, while Rocky Bushiri Kiranga was taken off after 30 minutes last time out against Peterhead.
Hibs have made several summer signings, and the likes of Josef Bursik and Marvin Ekpiteta can be expected to start on Sunday.
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Balcombe; Rooney, Fraser, Taylor, Brown; Adeniran, Gogic, O'Hara; Ayunga, Olusanya, Idowu
Hibernian possible starting lineup:
Bursik; Miller, Ekpiteta, O'Hora, Obita; Moriah-Welsh, Campbell, Allan-Molotnikov; Boyle, Vente, Newell
We say: St Mirren 2-1 Hibernian
Buoyed by their progression to the Europa Conference League's third qualifying round, St Mirren will be confident of victory on Sunday.
Additionally, Hibs' poor away record should see them come into the clash as underdogs.
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