Big chance for Dunfermline!

Ewan Otoo cuts a brilliant cross back to David Wotherspoon on the edge of the box but he spoons his left-footed strike well over the bar. He was in acres of space.

Willie Miller
Former Aberdeen captain on BBC Sportsound

Mats Knoester looks as though he's got a good left foot, he plays the ball extremely well.

He looks a confident player as well. So far he's looked pretty impressive.

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Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland at Pittodrie

Sivert Heltne Nilsen is certainly taking his captaincy role seriously. Constantly organising his charges during breaks in play.

Chris Kane’s giving Kristers Tobers and Mats Knoester plenty to think about.

Aberdeen pour forward centrally and Dunfermline back off. The ball is played to Kevin Nisbet, almost on the edge of the six yard box. The ball gets caught under his feet and it's cleared.

Aberdeen keep knocking on the dour and Topi Keskinen shows some lovely skill to tee up Nisbet, but again it's blocked.

Willie Miller
Former Aberdeen captain on BBC Sportsound

This has been a good spell from Aberdeen, keeping Dunfermline pinned back. They're looking dangerous down the wide areas.

Dunfermline look to hit on the counter but Mats Knoester stops the attack in its tracks as he wipes out Chris Kane.

No booking for the new man, rather surprisingly.

Good positive play from Archie Stevens as he gets down the right and fires a cross into the box, but Ross Doohan collects as the ball is a yard or two too far in front of Chris Kane.

Aberdeen reply quickly, through Alexander Jensen on the right, but his fine cross also has no takers.

Willie Miller
Former Aberdeen captain on BBC Sportsound

Ten minutes in, it hasn't been an electric start from the home side, that's for sure.

You'd think Jimmy Thelin would have asked for an early breakthrough to settle everybody down. They're slowly getting to grips.

Dunfermline have looked very competitive indeed.

Pape Gueye gets away from two challenges and bursts forward down the left. He squares to Topi Keskinen, but the ball pops up and the Finn can't get any purchase on his finish.

A good response from Aberdeen.

Dunfermline win an early free-kick as Chris Hamilton is bundled to the ground by Pape Gueye.

David Wotherspoon stands over it, delivers well... but Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen nods over. Good chance that.

And we get under way at Pittodrie. Your referee for this one is Steven MacLean.

There is VAR in this one, as well.

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland at Pittodrie

The Dons’ players, who haven’t had much joy in front of goal recently, have just been doing some shooting practice pre-match.

Initially it was average, but then captain for the day Sivert Heltne Nilsen curled a beauty into the bottom left, closely followed by Ante Palaversa. We’ll see if either of them can deliver in the match itself.

It's been a long time since these two sides met - a League Cup clash in September 2012.

There was a Scottish Cup meeting at Pittodrie not long before that, in 2009, back in the days of replays. Dunfermline won that one on penalties.

Six of the last 10 have gone the way of the Dons, though, and Dunfermline haven't won at Pittodrie in 90 minutes since 2003.

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Dunfermline boss Michael Tidser tells BBC Scotland: "We know it'll be a tough task, everyone knows their form hasn't been great but they'll be trying to make amends.

"They're still a good team with good players and they'll look at this as an opportunity to kickstart their season. We need to be brave and today is a perfect platform to showcase how we've grown in the last few weeks.

"We need to get over [the last game] quick. That's football and it can't all be smooth. The boys have been bang at it since I've come in, but it's all getting to know each other."

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: "We have to win today, that's clear. Performance-wise, I hope we can see a different approach with more directness.

"There was a big difference in training this week, with a lot of new energy.

"You can't predict the future, that's why we love the sport. You try to find solutions when you have problems. It's tough sometimes, but it's still an amazing job to have."

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Both clubs pay tribute to former manager Jimmy Calderwood today.

He died last month at the age of 69, having been diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2017.

The Glaswegian led Dunfermline to promotion to the Premier Division in 2000 and guided them to a record fourth-place finish in the top flight four years later.

At Pittodrie, he took the Dons to third place in 2006-07 and his team famously drew with Bayern Munich in the Uefa Cup.

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It's only been four days since Dunfermline lost to Livingston in the SPFL Trust Trophy semi-final, and new boss Michael Tidser also changes four as a result.

Joe Chalmers comes in, while Chris Kane is back to lead the attack after scoring a hat-trick last weekend in the Fife derby.

Former Scottish Cup winner David Wotherspoon is also named in the starting XI, and on-loan Rangers forward Archie Stevens is recalled.

Kieran Ngwenya, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Omar Taylor-Clarke and Ephraim Yeboah are dropped to the bench.

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Jimmy Thelin changes four the visit of the Pars, as his side return to the respite of Scottish Cup - the competition that has provided their only win since November.

Mats Knoester, the Dutch centre-back signed from Ferencvaros, makes his debut in defence alongside Jack MacKenzie, who makes his first start for a month.

Sivert Heltne Nilsen comes back into the midfield while Kevin Nisbet starts up front against his former club.

Nicky Devlin, Alfie Dorrington, Grame Shinnie and Leighton Clarkson all drop to the bench.

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Aberdeen: Doohan, Jensen, Tobers, Knoester, MacKenzie, Heltne Nilsen, Palaversa, Okkels, Keskinen, Nisbet, Gueye.

Substitutes: Ritchie, Devlin, Shinnie, Clarkson, Morris, Dorrington, Boyd, Ambrose.

Dunfermline Athletic: Oluwayemi, Comrie, Benedictus, Chilokoa-Mullen, Otoo, Chalmers, Hamilton, McCann, Stevens, Wotherspoon, Kane.

Substitutes: Mehmet, Ngwenya, Fogarty, Ritchie-Hosler, Taylor-Clarke, O'Halloran, Yeboah, Hampson.