Scottish Premiership Picks: East faces west again and can Dons react?
- Published
The big games keep coming in the Scottish Premiership, with Glasgow's two giants facing their Edinburgh counterparts over two days of fixtures this weekend.
Here's some of the major talking points:
Game of the weekend - Hibernian v Celtic
Nick Montgomery's unbeaten run as Hibernian head coach has ended after five games, although he pointed out that it came with a degree of controversy away to Rangers last weekend.
On Saturday, it's the league's ultimate test for Montgomery as reigning champions and leaders Celtic visit Easter Road.
Brendan Rodgers' side have dropped just two of a possible 27 points so far this season and have been buoyed by their performance and first point in Champions League Group E against Atletico Madrid in midweek.
They will also be keen to stretch their lead at the top to 10 points before Rangers face Heart of Midlothian on Sunday.
A win for ninth-placed Hibs, though, would have Montgomery's side racing up the table above their Edinburgh rivals, who currently sit fourth, while defeat could even drop them to second bottom.
Hibs will take heart from their 4-2 triumph when Celtic last made the trip to Leith in May, ending the Glasgow side's nine-game unbeaten run at Easter Road.
That brought the total goals scored in last season's four meetings between the sides to 21 - an impressive 5.3 per game.
Both sides had a different manager then, of course, but we could be in for a similar goal-fest considering the new incumbents' attacking philosophies.
'Away at Ibrox you don't expect any favours' - Montgomery
Player to watch - Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian)
Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland ended an eight and a half-week goal drought in last weekend's 4-1 home loss to Celtic.
Still, the striker's numbers are on a par with this time last term - and that ended in a season's haul of 28.
What makes the current campaign of particular interest to Shankland is next summer's European Championship.
He has struggled to displace Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes from Steve Clarke's starting line-up and faces a challenge to make Scotland's final squad for Germany.
All he can do is keep scoring. He did so on his last trip to Ibrox but this time faces a defence who survived a tough Europa League test on Thursday to come away from the Czech Republic with a goalless draw.
Can Shankland and Co., who currently sit fourth, go one better than Sparta Prague against their second-top hosts?
Manager in focus - Barry Robson (Aberdeen)
Aberdeen ran the full gamut of emotions against Europa Conference League opponents PAOK on Thursday.
Leading 2-0, the Dons were pegged back, denied a penalty then ultimately beaten by a late spot kick awarded by VAR.
It's not the first European set-back Aberdeen have endured this season and the challenge for manager Barry Robson is to mount a response to their first defeat in six games as they visit Kilmarnock on Sunday at lunchtime.
The hosts, of course, have a familiar face in the dugout - Derek McInnes, who signed Robson when he was Dons manager in 2013.
McInnes steered his side to a 2-1 win over Aberdeen in their last visit to Rugby Park in December, but that was their first home success in 19 meetings there and it remains their only victory over the Dons in 14 overall.
Robson, whose side sit a point behind their fifth-top hosts, will hope history reverts to type against his former boss.
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