It’s the final weekend of the Scottish League Cup group stages and there’s still plenty to play for ahead of the Round of 16 and the introduction of the European sides next month. The 11 clubs joining Rangers, Celtic, St. Johnstone, Aberdeen and Hibs in the next stage is far from decided with even those qualified already unsure if they’ll join those five sides in being seeded in the draw for the first knockout round or not, meaning a lot of this weekend’s football is finely poised. I’ve had a look at a handful of the games that stand out to me below.
Dundee v Forfar
Only four teams remain with a perfect record in the League Cup groups and Dundee will want to maintain that with a win against Forfar at Dens this weekend.
Dundee’s pre-season and group stage form and performances have been impressive which bodes well ahead of their return to the Premiership, though their covid-awarded 3-0 win over Ross County does mean we haven’t seen them against a Premiership side yet. They did draw 2-2 with Premier League side West Ham in their final friendly before the League Cup and have stuck six past Montrose and Brora in the two games they’ve actually played, meaning a win against Forfar and James McPake’s side will be seeded in the Round of 16 and headed into the new season on a real high.
Forfar, though, will have ambitions of spoiling that 100% record and know a win would see them top the group ahead of Dundee. They too were awarded the win against Premiership Ross County which has given them the chance of topping this group. I’d be surprised if they were to get anything in this one and these two did meet in pre-season, with Dundee running out 3-0 winners.
Again, it was just a pre-season friendly so you don’t want to read too much into it, but it probably is a fair reflection of where these two outfits are with a Dundee side who look in good shape for a Premiership season against League One Forfar and I think we’ll be in for a similar score line in this one.
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Score Prediction: Dundee 2-0 Forfar
Raith Rovers v Alloa
Qualification through to the Round of 16 is in Raith’s hands, with John McGylnn’s men sitting pretty atop Group D despite a penalty shoot-out loss to Livingston during the week.
They welcome League One Alloa to Stark’s Park this weekend in what represents a good chance for Raith Rovers to get the needed points on the board, and leave them in with a sniff of being seeded in the next stage of the League Cup. That may be unlikely but getting a win against Barry Ferguson’s men certainly isn’t. They’ve looked very impressive over the group stage so far and registered clean sheets in each of their three opening ties. Alloa have been significantly less impressive, losing to Highland League Brechin during the week meaning this is little more than a glorified friendly for Ferguson’s men.
Raith have coped admirably well with the loss of star midfielder Regan Hendry up until now, a player who was far too good for the Championship and should do really well at Forest Green. It is up to the likes of Dylan Tait, Lewis Vaughan and new signing Dario Zanatta (a player who always impressed me at Alloa and Partick in the past) to step up in Hendry’s absence, something they’ve done well thus far.
While a lot has changed over the summer, be it the personnel on both sides, or the management team and division in Alloa’s case, it’s worth noting that Raith made relatively light work of Alloa in the Championship last season, picking up nine points from nine while rattling in 10 in the process as Alloa ultimately dropped down to League One.
Raith should be comfortable against Alloa with the visitors knowing that they can’t get through this group, whereas the hosts still have a great chance of topping it and should do exactly that if they play anything like they have so far in the League Cup.
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Score Predictions: Raith 2-0 Alloa
Morton v Clyde
There have been some critics of this League Cup format in the past but not only has it brought fresh life to a once dwindling in importance competition, it also does throw up groups like this Group G.
Clyde, Kilmarnock, Stranraer and Morton all still have a chance of a top two finish in this group, and although Morton’s progression through to the knockouts is virtually impossible, it still sets up what should be an exciting final day of League Cup action for this group. Stranraer sit top largely thanks to their 3-0 awarded win over Morton and Killie’s misdemeanour of playing a suspended player, but it has left Group G finely poised.
As for this tie, Clyde know eight points gives them a great chance of playing knockout League Cup football. Killie can only match that points total but have a worse goal difference meaning a Clyde win at Cappielow should see them through to the Round of 16. Morton, though, is no easy task and Gus MacPherson’s men will be keen to enter the Championship season on a bit of form, having taken favourites for their very league, Killie, to penalties during the week. There were signs of positivity in that draw with Killie and they’ll be expectant of ending the League Cup with another strong performance, even if they can’t quite get over the line and into the knockout stages.
This one is set up nicely and an early Morton goal could have massive implications across the group, not just for a Clyde side who will have to go for it then but also over at Rugby Park in the game between Kilmarnock and Stranraer. Oh, it could be a great day of League Cup football, I tell you.
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Score Prediction: Morton 2-1 Clyde
St. Mirren v Partick Thistle
It’s a Super Sunday of League Cup action with a double header of vitally important ties live on the telly, the first of which takes us to Paisley and Group H where St. Mirren know a big win would see them seeded in the Round of 16 draw.
St. Mirren know a win by three goals or more will put them as one of the three seeded group winners, with Jim Goodwin’s men competing with Dundee and Hearts to join Dundee United on 12 points from 12. I wouldn’t be shocked to see those three sides win this weekend so that does mean goal difference will be vital in trimming the four group winners into three seeded sides. There’s a big advantage to being seeded in the Round of 16, as it means you’ll avoid Rangers, Celtic, St. Johnstone, Aberdeen and Hibs so it’s not to be sniffed at.
Partick themselves retain a faint hope of making the Round of 16, though they know it would take everything going in their favour. They’d need second placed Dunfermline to drop points to Stenhousemuir the day before and better that result themselves to have a chance of being one of the three best-placed second finishes. They’d need an improbable 3-goal swing win against St. Mirren and Dunfermline to drop points against Stenny to top the group. Both situations are unlikely but it does give Ian McCall’s men reason to treat this one as more than just a bounce game ahead of their Championship season opener next weekend against Queen of the South.
St. Mirren should have just too much for their Championship counterparts, but they shouldn’t have it easy enough to guarantee their seeded status, instead having to rely on one of Hearts or Dundee slipping up.
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Score Prediction: St. Mirren 2-1 Partick Thistle
Hearts v Inverness
The second instalment of Super Sunday takes us to the capital where Hearts still have a good chance of being one of the three seeded sides from the group stages, and a big win against Inverness would guarantee them of being on the right side of the Round of 16 draw.
Hearts are just one of three teams that can join Dundee United on picking up maximum points from the group stages and there’s every chance that themselves, St. Mirren and Dundee could all get to that perfect tally of 12 points from 12. That would mean it would come down to goal difference between the four clubs and it’s very tight in that respect. A win by two clear goals would secure the Championship winners seeded status and that’s something I fancy them to do against an Inverness side fully focused on the start of their league season.
Inverness’ 3-1 midweek defeat at League One side Cove Rangers was worrying for a few reasons. The performance in the loss left many Caley fans bemused, especially with qualification through the groups in their own hands ahead of the game yet it was manager Billy Dodds’ comments immediately after the loss that left many fearing the worst for Inverness. Dodds stated that he hadn’t worked on his back four yet after the 3-1 defeat to the League One outfit. He’s been in charge for over 6 weeks so to say he’s not coached his defence just 10 days before the start of the new league season does not bode well, especially with a motivated Hearts being their next opponent this weekend.
It should be fairly routine for Hearts at Tynecastle here and even though they need to grab a couple of goals to secure their seeded spot, it won’t come at the cost of their defence, with a keeper in Craig Gordon currently on a club-record of 10 consecutive clean sheets. I wonder if Dodds could ask Hearts gaffer Robbie Neilson for some tips on how to set up a defence?
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Score Prediction: Hearts 3-0 Inverness
Kilmarnock v Stranraer
Also, in the finely poised Group G, Killie are still favourites to top this group but they have to win to be in with a shout of that, and possibly even win big.
As I mentioned in the Clyde section, Killie’s goal difference is worse than Clyde’s. Now, it’s no guarantee that Clyde will pick up all three points at Cappielow today but should they do just that, Tommy Wright’s Killie will have to make up that two goal difference, and really batter Stranraer.
Wright has actually mentioned his side’s need for goals, something that has got Stranraer manager Jamie Hamill fired up (not that getting Hamill angry takes much doing as anyone that has watched him play football can testify), and they should really go at their fourth-tier opponents today and do have the talent to rack up a few goals.
Stranraer actually top this group currently, though since the tournament revamp in 2016 no fourth-tier side has managed to get the League Cup groups. I don’t expect Stranraer to be the side to change that today and, in fact, could be in for a bit of a hiding from their Championship opponents.
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Score Prediction: Kilmarnock 3-0 Stranraer
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *
