The Falkirk goal is living a charmed life at the moment.

Kenneth Vargas is in among it again, this time drawing a save from goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth.

It was a nice shot on the turn after Yutaro Oda found the striker in the middle.

Quiet start at Ainslie Park, with the home side continually looking to get down the wide areas - not a surprise given Blair Henderson's prowess in the box.

County, meanwhile, are content keeping it tight at the back early on and holding on to possession.

John Robertson
Former Hearts striker on BBC Sportsound

We're seven minutes in and Hearts could have scored three goals.

Hearts should really be two, if not possibly three, goals ahead.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland at Pittodrie

A very lively start at Pittodrie by the home side.

This is a first look at Jimmy Thelin's Aberdeen for me.

One thing that has stood out so far is Sivert Heltne Nilsen's use of the ball. The midfielder doesn't waste a thing - simple but effective.

Aberdeen have certainly started this game on the front foot, with Calum Ferrie under early pressure.

The goalkeeper did well to deny Nicky Devlin after the right-back got in behind. A testing opening five minutes for the Championship visitors.

Another near miss for Hearts as Kenneth Vargas sends an effort off the underside of the crossbar on the turn from six yards after Yan Dhanda's corner is helped on.

Early chance for Hearts as Yutaro Oda sets up Liam Boyce just inside the box, but the striker cannot keep his thundering effort down.

Former Hearts forward John Robertson's view: "It should be 1-0."

We're off around the country.

We'll know this evening five of the teams reaching the League Cup quarter-finals...

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Scotland at Dens Park

A question I put to manager Tony Docherty, who has rotated today, with Trevor Carson coming back in and taking the captain's armband.

Who is first-choice goalkeeper?

Jon McCracken has had the gloves for most of the games so far, so this is Carson's chance to give the boss something to think about.

Docherty says it's what he wants - competition for places.

The last time the Dons met the Spiders in 2006, Queen's Park were still amateurs and playing in the old third division.

They were also playing in strange surroundings, the League Cup second-round tie having been moved to Firhill, the home of Glasgow rivals Partick Thistle, because of a Rolling Stones gig at Hampden.

It didn't stop the side managed by former Aberdeen midfielder Billy Stark rocking the Dons as the top-flight visitors crashed out after a penalty shoot-out following a goalless draw.

There's only one division between the sides now, but it will still be a major shock if Callum Davidson's side were to paint it black for the hosts this time.

Image source, Getty Images

Spartans were the shock troops of the group stage, topping their section at the expense of Livingston after winning 1-0 away to the side just relegated from the top flight.

Indeed, Doug Samuel's League 2 side have gone five unbeaten since an opening-day home 3-0 defeat by Dunfermline.

County, who face the Edinburgh side for the first time ever, are themselves six without defeat, with four routine group-stage wins being following by two Premiership draws.

Ronan Hale continues to be the man to watch for Don Cowie's team, with the striker having scored four goals in as many games since arriving from Cliftonville.

Falkirk Stadium is the best place to be if you want a cup "shock", according to many pundits.

Hearts' optimism after last season's third-place finish, a summer of transfer activity while retaining top marksman Lawrence Shankland and an opening-day Premiership draw with runners-up Rangers, took a bit of a bashing after last weekend's 3-1 defeat by Dundee.

While the Edinburgh side have yet to win this season, albeit only two games, League 1 champions Falkirk have won five out of six, culminating in a routine 2-0 Championship defeat of Dunfermline Athletic in what would normally be a tough local derby.

Indeed, John McGlynn has already steered his side to a win over Premiership visitors Dundee United in their League Cup group-stage opener.

Ross County boss Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "[Ainslie Park] is very impressive. It’s the first time I’ve ever been here - you can see how they are doing really well.

"They are going to be seeing it as a real opportunity, they are at home. They have done really well to get to this stage of the competition.

"But as I always say, it’s about our team. It’s all about mindset. There is a huge motivation for Spartans today, playing against a Premiership team and causing an upset. It’s about us applying ourselves and leaving no excuse.

"We’ve not got to the latter stages of a cup in a long time. It’s a great opportunity for it."

Image source, SNS

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has been explaining his eight changes to BBC Sportsound: "We've built a squad that's going to need to be used in the fixtures that are coming up. As the games now come, we need to use everybody.

"I made a few mistakes [in the 3-1 defeat by Dundee] myself, but I'll learn from them.

"The reason [Craig Gordon's] playing is because we've got two goalkeepers who are really neck and neck in terms of quality. We've yet to distinguish who's going to be our number one."

Image source, SNS

Queen's Park head coach Callum Davidson tells BBC Scotland: "First and foremost, it was great to get out of the group stages for the first time in the club's history.

"This is a bonus. We played against Hibs in the group stage and didn't give our best, so we'll try and rectify that and be brave, have a go at times.

"It's a cup tie, anything can happen. Let's hope we can cause an upset. We need to keep the crowd quiet for 30 or 40 minutes and frustrate them as much as we can."

Image source, SNS

Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Sportsound: "It's set up as a good game of football. We've been going along quite nicely. Hopefully, we can make a good account of ourselves. There's over 6,000 here.

"We want to try and cause an upset. We're not going to sit back and wait to get beat. We're going to go and have a go. On our day, we can give them a game.

"We've been very consistent. Our selections have been very consistent."

Image source, SNS

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Scotland at Dens Park

If I don't get some goals here at Dens, I'll be mightily surprised.

Dundee are one of the form teams in the country, scoring 23 goals in their six games so far, five of which they've won.

Airdrieonians weren't doing too badly either up until last week's mauling at Ayr. Prior to that, they'd won four of their five games, scoring 16 goals.

Should be good here.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Falkirk Stadium

Other than another Premiership side, a trip to Falkirk is probably the most difficult tie Hearts could have faced.

And, in John McGlynn, the home side have a manger who knows all there is to know about how to beat Hearts having worked there in the early part of his managerial career.

Steven Naismith knows the focus of attention is all on how Hearts respond after last week's humbling at Dens Park and, in bringing back Craig Gordon, he is offering a 41-year-old an opportunity to prove once again he is worthy of the number one jersey.

And, with Lawrence Shankland and others dropped to the bench, it’s an indication of the depth of squad he has available.

Dundee have dispelled fears that their top-six Premiership finish was a flash in the pan by going unbeaten in six games this season, scoring 23 goals in the process.

Tony Docherty's side, still led by midfielder Luke McCowan after a failed bid from Hibernian for their captain, entertain second-tier Airdrieonians seeking a fourth consecutive home win after last weekend's impressive 3-1 dismissal of Heart of Midlothian.

While Rhys McCabe's visitors have scored 15 goals in four wins of their own this season and only lost 2-1 away to top-flight Aberdeen in the group stage, they were brought down to earth by Friday's 5-0 Championship hammering away to Ayr United.

They will be hoping last season's 1-0 group-stage win at home to Dundee is more of a precedent than their last visit to Dens Park, when they were thumped 6-2 in the Scottish Cup in November 2022.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland about his choice to pick 21-year-old Jack Milne in place of the suspended Slobodan Rubezic: "It's about the right-side specifically, and how he performed in training sessions. He's showing up well, he's comp.

"Rich [Jensen] is left-footed and Angus [MacDonald] has been out for a few weeks. It's a good time for Jack to show himself and I have big trust in him."

As for the the League Cup, the Swede says: "We want to do well in every competition and have the hunger to get winner. It's the cup, so the winner takes it all."

Image source, SNS