Yan Dhanda curls a free kick high and wide for Ross County.

It was from a similar position to the one he stuck in the net against Hearts.

Poor effort this time from the Englishman.

Ooft, Georgie Gent swings in a cross to the near post and Blair Spittal almost gets there, but County keeper George Wickens beats him to it.

The pair clatter into each other for good measure, too. Ouch.

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County striker Jordan White flashes a header wide of Liam Kelly's goal.

Up the other end, Motherwell had already swung in two decent crosses. Lively start at Fir Park.

Away we go in the first match of the evening.

A proper six-pointer.

Aberdeen manager Neil Warnock tells BBC Scotland: "I have seen games here but it is just great to have the opportunity at a big club like Aberdeen. It is good for me to get my teeth stuck into the job and I'm really looking forward to it. I am going to learn about my players tonight - you don't get a tougher game than Ibrox.

"When you look at the top two teams you are always going to have a challenge when you look at the wage bills, but I do not think I have ever got a promotion by being the most expensive team in the league. Things are possible in football but you need a little bit of luck. You need one or two decisions to go your way and you need players that are willing to die for the cause. I think we have got a genuine bunch of lads and if we can give it a go that is all I ask tonight.

"It does not get much bigger than here. You look at the city, the pitch, the atmosphere, the crowd and the hostility. I love all that. We know they have got some good players but I think we have got a few too.

"I think attitude is important. It is no good having ability if you don't have the right attitude. I think I can make better players out of some of them. We have got a lot of ability, it is just knowing when to do certain things and when not to do them. It is just a bit of experience really.

"I think you have just got to wait and see. You can plan everything in the world but if the whistle goes and your lads aren't ready for it then it goes out the window. We are just looking forward to getting out there and putting our best foot forward.

"I get asked so many things, I haven't even won a game yet. Let's not get carried away. I will be doing my best and you can ask me that question [about my long-term future] at the end of the season - I don't want to work until I'm 100 though."

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Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland at Fir Park

While there may be a focus on Ibrox tonight and what difference Neil Warnock will make to Aberdeen, the battle at Fir Park could end up being a real cracker.

The lowly league position of both teams should ensure Motherwell and Ross County have a real go to try and ease their way out of any relegation fear.

Motherwell have scored in each of their last five games while County have shown recently at Tynecastle, where they were 2-0 down at half-time, they know their way to goal.

County know a win would take them back into the pack and level on points with Well and potentially just four points away from a top six spot.

Don’t you just love Scottish football?

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement tells BBC Scotland: "We had a lot of players coming out of injuries, so we need to make a rotation so that everyone can build towards their fresh shape.

"With the strikers, they can't play every game every three days in all three competitions. They are showing good things.

"I think there's still a good margin to grow and we're going to work really hard all together to make that come.

"As a top club, you need to have a good bench. We've struggled with injuries these last few months.

"It's a gigantic club with a lot of support and that gives us a lot of energy. We hope we can continue in this positive way because you win a few extra points if the fans are always behind you.

"I want to be top of the league at the end of the season. So we're going to focus really hard every day. I'm here for the club, I'm not here for myself or my ego. I love to see happy faces."

By the way, can we take a moment to think of the patter we have been denied with Kevin Muscat not being Rangers manager for tonight.

The football gods are well and truly against us.

Anyway, let's hear from the guy who landed the Ibrox gig.

Willie Miller
Former Aberdeen captain on BBC Sportsound

I think Warnock's a football manager rather than a football coach. He works on his personality and getting the best out of players.

If he can do that, he can ignite the season. He said he is up here to have a little bit of fun, if we can have a little bit of fun at Pittodrie that would be nice.

There is a Rangers manager who is fabulous at getting results. That is what Warnock has got to try and do with Aberdeen and hopefully get them into the top six.

From firefighting to "no-holds barred" training matches, we've had a look at what Neil Warnock will bring to Aberdeen.

One thing's for certain, it's going to be box office.

We'll give you a few minutes to have gander - just click here.

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Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell tells BBC Scotland: "I've been content with what I've seen in the last two league games. I felt we were the better side against St Johnstone and Kilmarnock.

"We do still need that wee bit extra to make sure we can get across the line.

"But we can't just rock up tonight and expect the same level of performance.

"I take a lot of from last year and found we got into a rhythm of how were were playing when the team selection was consistent.

"We started posting wins and a lot of points and that's what we've got to do again."

Rangers can go top of the league tonight. A win by a three-goal margin will do the job for Philippe Clement's men.

That could be a real momentum shifter, with Celtic going to Easter Road tomorrow night.

But Aberdeen won't lie down and allow that to happen easily. Another win at Ibrox would send them into the top six.

At the bottom, Motherwell can create a bit of daylight between them and County.

But, my days, a seismic win for the Highlanders would have Fir Park fearing the worst.

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• Fourteen of Ross County’s last 15 away league goals have been scored in the second half of matches, with the only exception being Simon Murray’s 28th-minute strike at Livingston.
• County are without a win in nine away league matches, their longest such run in the Premiership since going 11 without a victory on the road from September 2019 to February 2020.
• Motherwell have only won one of their last nine midweek games in the Premiership (D3 L5), a 2-1 win over St Mirren in February 2023.
• County’s 40 top-flight meetings with Motherwell have seen 116 goals (49 scored, 67 conceded) - their most against any opponent.
• Motherwell have conceded three goals in both of their two previous league meetings with Ross County this season, conceding as many goals overall in those two matches as they had against the Staggies in the previous two Premiership seasons combined.

Ross County manager Derek Adams tells BBC Scotland: "It's similar to Saturday's game against St Johnstone where we played ever so well but didn't take our chances.

"We've got to take the game to Motherwell and create opportunities but be more ruthless in the final third.

"We go with the same team again because I thought they played really well on Saturday.

"I signed Stuart [Kettlewell] for Ross County many years ago and he's got another opportunity here at Motherwell, a club I know really well having been here six years as a player.

"It's a game we're all looking forward to."

Motherwell are unchanged again following Saturday's draw with Kilmarnock.

Jon Obika has returned to training but isn't fit enough for a place on the bench.

Ross County also name the same XI despite falling to a costly defeat at home to St Johnstone at the weekend.

Derek Adams is still without seven players, including skipper Jack Baldwin and first-choice goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw, plus Connor Randall, Scott Allardice, Ross Callachan, Ryan Leak and Dylan Smith remain out.

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• Rangers lost their first home league meeting with Aberdeen this season 3-1 under Michael Beale. Not since April 1988 under Graeme Souness have they suffered consecutive home league defeats to the Dons.
• Aberdeen have only lost one of their last four league meetings with Rangers (W2 D1), winning as many of those four games as their previous 23 in the league against the Glasgow club beforehand.
• Rangers have won 15 of their last 16 midweek league fixtures since a 3-0 defeat to Celtic in February 2022. At home, they last lost a midweek league game in March 2020 to Hamilton, in a 1-0 loss.
• Aberdeen have only won one of their last five away league games (D1 L3), while they have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 on the road in the Premiership (a 3-0 win v Ross County in January).
• Since the start of 2016-17, James Tavernier’s 13 goals for Rangers against Aberdeen are the most one player has scored against a single opponent in the Premiership. 11 of those 13 strikes have been penalties.

Neil Warnock hasn't shaken things up too much from the Aberdeen side that held Celtic at Pittodrie at the weekend.

It's just two switches - Johnny Hayes comes in for Dante Polvara, while Leighton Clarkson is in for Killian Phillips.

He sticks with the back four that kept the league leaders at bay, while Bojan Miovski will be looking to score against the other side of the Old Firm after his fine goal on Saturday.

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There are four changes to the Rangers side that saw off Livingston in professional fashion on Saturday.

Cyriel Dessers returns to lead the line, with Fabio Silva on the bench after scoring his first goal for the club last time out.

Tom Lawrence replaces Ryan Jack in the middle of the park, while Ridvan Yilmaz and John Souttar are back in the defence in place of Borna Barisic and Leon Balogun.

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