• Aberdeen failed to beat Rangers in any of their four meetings last season - losing three times.
• Rangers have won five - and drawn one - of their last seven league trips to Pittodrie.
• Aberdeen have won three of their past five games - losing once - at home on the opening day of the season.
• Rangers are on a 15-match unbeaten run in their first game in the top flight since they lost to Hearts in 1998.

Pittodrie is expected to be at near capacity for Rangers' visit.

Ten minutes away from kick-off and the tension is building.

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has told Sky Sports he is looking for his side to keep it tight at Pittodrie.

"I'm excited, but it's not about me," he said. "It's about Rangers and it's about the team.

"This is one of the toughest fixtures we'll face all season, so we'll need to bring our A-game. It's important that we do our stuff and get the right result.

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"Rangers conceded too many goals last season, they were maybe a soft touch, so it's important that we are strong and defend really well today.

"But I'm not interested in last season. I wasn't here. All I'm interested in is the future and building a strong Rangers.

"I want us to play with an intensity and tempo, especially in the later stages of the game."

Both today's sides were in Europa League action on Thursday and emerged with contrasting emotions.

Rangers were held 1-1 at home by a dangerous Osijek side but progressed to the third round of qualifying thanks to their stubborn 1-0 first-leg win in Croatia.

Aberdeen emerged with many plaudits for holding Burnley to two 1-1 draws over 90 minutes before conceding twice goals in extra time down at Turf Moor to a side commanding many millions more in the transfer market and who finished seventh in English top flight last season.

Who of the two sides will have recovered best mentally and physically?

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Derek McInnes has confirmed to BBC Radio Scotland that Dominic Ball will replace the Shay Logan at right-back in the absence of the injured Tommie Hoban.

"Tommie was brought he can play in a lot of positions and would have been our right back with Shay suspended," said the Aberdeen manager.

"Dom has done it before and played very well against Scott Sinclair for Celtic.

"Stephen Gleeson comes in for Tommie in the middle of the park and hopefully his calmness on the ball will be important for us.

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"The atmosphere is always charged here when the two teams play each other and you need that calmness in possession and aggression when you need it.

"The 11 on the pitch are good enough to go and get the job done today.

"I expect an improvement from Rangers because they have been nowhere near it in recent seasons, but we showed we have made an improvement too against Burnley."

BBC Scotland pundit Steven Thompson thinks there are promising signs for Rangers under new manager Steven Gerrard.

"They have had an impressive pre-season," he said. "I think it is about taking small steps for Rangers and I don't think their fans should get carried away like they have before.

"Celtic have dominated Scottish football for two seasons now, winning every trophy, winning the league comfortably.

"For Rangers, I think it is about finishing second. Aberdeen have been the second best team in Scottish football for four years.

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"Can they win an Old Firm game? They haven't won one in 10 attempts.

"Maybe a bit of silverware. Can you stop Celtic doing another treble by grabbing a cup?

"I think those small steps are what needs to happen for Rangers and the early signs are good as Gerrard has brought competition for places with his signings, although I think he's a centre-forward short."

Willie Miller
Former Aberdeen defender on BBC Sportsound

Remember you can follow today's build-up and live commentary of both Premiership matches now on BBC Radio Scotland FM and 810MW.

Richard Gordon is your host, with Rob MacLean providing the commentary from Pittodrie and Paul Mitchell later from Easter Road.

Former Aberdeen defender Willie Miller, ex-Rangers and Dons striker Billy Dodds, Jim Duffy, the former Hibs boss, and former Dundee United manager Peter Houston offer expert analysis.

Ryan Jack returns to face his former club. The Rangers midfielder got himself sent off on his first trip back to Pittodrie last season.

Manager Steven Gerrard was full of praise for the 26-year-old in midweek, saying he was "jealous" of his display against Osijek.

"I've got a good type on my hands there," said Gerrard. "He's a player who cares, who wants to win and is prepared to go out and do exactly what you've asked of him."

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Rangers also make changes after their European exertions, with midfielders Josh Windass, Jamie Murphy and Scott Arfield getting the chance to show what they can do from the start.

Wide men Ryan Kent and Daniel Candeias drop to the bench after impressing in Thursday's 1-1 draw at home to Osijek, along with Ovie Ejaria.

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Dominic Ball and Stephen Gleeson come into the Dons' starting line-up, replacing the right back Shay Logan and injured Tommie Hoban from Thursday's extra-time loss at Burnley in the Europa League.

Hoban might have been a direct replacement for Logan at right-back had he not been ruled out.

We await Derek McInnes' formation with interest.

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Aberdeen: Lewis, Ball, Devlin, McKenna, Considine, Shinnie, Gleeson, Ferguson, Mckay-Steven, McGinn, Cosgrove.

Substitutes: Cerny, Forrester, Wright, May, Campbell, Anderson, Harrington.

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Flanagan, Jack, Coulibaly, Arfield, Murphy, Windass Morelos.

Substitutes: Alnwick, Halliday, McCrorie, Kent, Candeias, Sadiq, Ejaria.

Craig Levein's rebuilt Hearts recorded the most impressive result in the Premiership's opening day, coming from behind to sweep aside Hamilton Academical at the Hope Stadium.

Catch up on the match reports below:

Celtic 3-1 Livingston

Hamilton Academical 1-4 Heart of Midlothian

Kilmarnock 2-0 St Johnstone

St Mirren 2-1 Dundee

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Hopefully today's games are as entertaining as BBC pundit Steven Thompson's TV meltdown on Sportscene yesterday.

Champions Celtic, Hearts and Kilmarnock all made impressive starts to the Scottish Premiership season yesterday, while St Mirren also sneaked a win after their return to the top flight.

Now attention turns to the game of the weekend as Aberdeen, runners-up for the past four seasons, entertain a Rangers side rebuilt by Steven Gerrard and looking to improve on consecutive third places.

That's first up at 13:00 and is followed two hours later by Motherwell's trip to face a Hibernian team who, like Rangers, will be high in confidence after a fine midweek Europa League win.

Stay with us for two potentially close-fought encounters.

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