Scottish Cup is season-defining for Dundee United and Aberdeen - Mark Reynolds
- Published
Mark Reynolds (right) will face his former club again on Sunday
Dundee United captain Mark Reynolds says Sunday's Scottish Cup quarter-final away to Aberdeen is "almost season-defining" for both teams.
Reynolds' visitors are clear of relegation concerns in the Premiership's bottom six.
The home side look unlikely to catch Hibernian in the race to finish third.
"They are, however, many points above Livingston in fifth, so their season is almost the cup as well, as is ours," defender Reynolds said.
"It is a huge game. It is almost season-defining for both teams to try and progress in the cup."
Three Premiership meetings between the teams this season have produced a United win and a couple of goalless draws.
Meanwhile, a United side showing seven changes lost 3-0 away to Kilmarnock on Wednesday as Aberdeen were denied a win over Celtic by a stoppage-time equaliser.
"It is cup football and previous fixtures, previous results, previous clean sheets and form - that will all go out of the window and it will just be about who turns up on Sunday in the 90 minutes and who can put their game plan in place better," Reynolds suggested.
Reynolds was part of the Aberdeen side that won the League Cup in 2014 in what was Derek McInnes' first season in charge.
That marked the start of a successful eight years at the helm at Pittodrie before the manager's recent exit and arrival of Stephen Glass as his replacement.
With Micky Mellon in his first campaign as United manager after promotion was won under Robbie Neilson, Reynolds believes another successful cup run could lay the foundations for similar success at Tannadice.
"I think we have done a lot better than people maybe give us credit for, we have managed to stay in the league comfortably, we were a point outside top six and we have got a chance to go to Hampden," the defender added.
"So we just need to go and try and take that and really solidify it. When Derek McInnes came in at Aberdeen, that was what set the tone and there is no reason why we couldn't go and do that again here as well."