Scottish Premiership Picks: Dundee-Motherwell showdown, Myziane Maolida & Stephen Robinson
- Published
Most of the hype this weekend will understandably be on Sunday's potential title showdown between Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers, but there's still plenty to play for 21 hours earlier in the Scottish Premiership.
Kilmarnock clinched a top-six finish last weekend and St Mirren can do likewise as they host a Heart of Midlothian side all but safely ensconced in third.
That would leave Dundee, Hibernian, Motherwell and Aberdeen chasing one remaining place, while the battle to avoid a relegation play-off is developing into a two-horse one between St Johnstone and Ross County.
Here's some of what to look out for on Saturday...
Game of the day - Dundee v Motherwell
Dundee are back in the top six after a win over St Johnstone in Perth and could be just 90 minutes away from their best finish since 2015.
Beat Motherwell and Tony Docherty's side will have ended the visitors' already slim hopes of sneaking into the top half as the Premiership prepares to split into two sections of six. And also the even more tenuous chances of Aberdeen, who are also six points behind with a worse goal difference.
Should Hibs suffer a shock loss at home to struggling Saints, Dundee will have achieved a feat few expected in their first season after promotion - and without having to rely on their game in hand.
Dundee are unbeaten in four games at home, but Well have won their latest two on the road, including a fine victory over then leaders Rangers, as they arrive looking to end a four-game run without a win over the Dark Blues.
Not surprisingly, Well manager Stuart Kettlewell insists he is not giving up on the top six while it remains mathematically achievable.
And Theo Bair has been a major reason why it is still possible, with no player having contributed more than his eight goals and two assists since the turn of the year.
Outwith the Old Firm, Well and their hosts are the division's form teams over the last four games, so Dens Park should witness another tight affair - and cup final atmosphere - considering the sides have drawn their two previous meetings this season.
Let's just hope the Dens Park pitch holds up against the rain.
Player to watch - Myziane Maolida (Hibernian)
Myziane Maolida scored Hibs' equaliser in Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Rangers
He reportedly once had an £85m release clause - and has been involved in £9m and £3.4m transfers - so it should perhaps be no surprise that Myziane Maolida is standing out with Hibs.
The France-born forward came through Lyon's academy ranks to the first-team before moving on to Ligue 1 rivals Nice while earning youth caps for the country of his birth.
However, after his transfer to Hertha Berlin, he ended up loaned out to Reims - then, at the start of this season, was relegated to the Bundesliga 2 club's second string.
A goal in each of his first two international appearances for Comoros in November suggested he was wasted at German fourth-tier level and the 25-year-old has struck seven more in 13 appearances since joining Nick Montgomery's side on loan in January.
Indeed, Maolida has scored in each of his latest four Premiership games.
The last Hibs player to score in five straight top-flight appearances was Christian Doidge in December 2019.
Maolida will fancy his chances of matching that feat against a St Johnstone side who arrive on the back of a run of one win in eight outings that has dropped Craig Levein's side dangerously close to the relegation play-off spot.
Manager in the spotlight - Stephen Robinson (St Mirren)
Stephen Robinson's star is rising again since his return to the Premiership from Morecambe two years ago.
So much so that the former Motherwell boss has been touted by some for the Aberdeen vacancy.
Given St Mirren are four places and 10 points better off, the Pittodrie hierarchy would quite rightly have pondered what the Northern Irishman might achieve with their greater resources.
The Paisley side are sitting safely in fifth place and need just two more points to secure a second successive top-six finish.
That feeling of "job done" might explain why the form has dropped a bit in recent weeks for both St Mirren and visitors Hearts, who have only won two of their latest six games.
However, assuming his side do finish in the top half, Robertson will want to improve on last year's season run-in, when they failed to beat any of the other top six.
They have won four and lost three of their latest seven home games - but two of those defeats were against Celtic and one versus Rangers.
Now, with the third-top side visiting again, a repeat of September's 1-0 win over Hearts would go some way to suggesting they can be more competitive this time.
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