Aberdeen, Dundee, St Mirren and Kilmarnock Fight to Avoid Play-Off
Livingston may finally be confirmed as the bottom club in the Scottish Premiership this weekend, but the battle to avoid the relegation play-off place remains intense among Aberdeen, Dundee, St Mirren, and Kilmarnock.
With five fixtures remaining before the league splits into two sections of six, Livingston’s fate could be sealed if Kilmarnock earns more points at Aberdeen than Livingston does away at St Mirren on Saturday.
While this would not be the earliest relegation confirmation in the Premiership era—Heart of Midlothian holds that record after being relegated a game before the split in 2014 due to a 15-point deduction—Livingston would become only the second newly promoted side to be relegated immediately since the Premiership was rebranded 13 years ago, following Dundee in 2022.
Assuming the 12-point gap becomes insurmountable, the focus shifts to the teams above Livingston who are striving to avoid a two-leg play-off against the Championship side that wins the Premiership play-off final.
Saturday Eyes on Pittodrie and Paisley
Livingston’s upcoming match at St Mirren has historical significance, as St Mirren played a role in relegating Hearts 12 years ago despite Hearts winning their game that day. St Mirren also contributed to Gretna’s earliest relegation this century, with the Borders club losing 2-0 at Paisley in March 2008 and subsequently liquidating after a 10-point deduction.
At that time, St Mirren finished 10th, one place above Kilmarnock, when no play-off existed for the second-bottom team. This season, the stakes are higher as Neil McCann’s St Mirren face Aberdeen, who sit two points behind the Buddies and five points behind their hosts and Dundee.
Aberdeen extended their lead over Kilmarnock after defeating Hibernian at home, ending an eight-game winless streak, while Kilmarnock drew 2-2 with Dundee. Head coach Stephen Robinson, recently appointed after leaving St Mirren, will be seeking his first win in four games with Aberdeen to alleviate mounting pressure as the club faces the prospect of its first-ever relegation.
Kilmarnock’s form has improved since McCann’s January appointment, but they face a tough challenge to avoid repeating their 2021 relegation after a 28-year top-flight stay ended with a play-off loss to Dundee. Their chances at Pittodrie are slim, having not won in 13 away trips since September and losing their last four visits to Aberdeen.
St Mirren, aiming to extend their eight-year Premiership stay, will look to recover from their Scottish Cup semi-final loss. Despite a 6-2 defeat to Celtic, interim manager Craig McLeish highlighted their resilience in forcing extra time after trailing 2-0 before conceding four goals in six minutes.
St Mirren will also be cautious of Livingston, who have lost only two of their last seven matches under new head coach Marvin Bartley and nearly ended their winless streak before a 3-2 loss to Dundee United.
Livingston have not won away since beating East Fife in the League Cup opener and have failed to win at SMiSA Stadium in 10 visits, losing the last four, including a 1-0 defeat in December. Their last three meetings with St Mirren ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, all at home, with Livingston losing only the first after a penalty shoot-out in the Scottish Cup before two league draws.
"Irrelevant" - Neil McCann on "completely different" Aberdeen
Sunday Serves Up Dundee Derby
Dundee begin their post-split fixtures with a city derby that could influence their remaining four matches. With Dundee United 12 points clear of Kilmarnock, United are safe from relegation but remain motivated to deepen their rivals’ difficulties.
Dundee won 1-0 at Tannadice in January and denied United revenge at Dens Park last month with two stoppage-time goals to salvage a draw, starting a four-game winless run for United.
United showed resilience by coming from behind to beat Livingston last time, while Dundee drew 2-2 at Rugby Park despite Kilmarnock twice leading. United are unbeaten in six games, winning their last three, and a fourth consecutive top-flight win since November 2014 would reinforce their status as the best outside the top six.
Dundee are unbeaten in four visits to Tannadice since September 2021, winning the last two. Another victory would significantly boost their chances of extending their three-year Premiership tenure.
