Preview: Hibernian vs. Kilmarnock - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh disconnected Boxing Day's triumph implicit Hearts successful the Edinburgh derby, Hibernian instrumentality to Scottish Premiership enactment against Kilmarnock, keen to grounds a 4th league triumph successful Sunday's gameweek 20 clash astatine Easter Road Stadium.

Beating Hearts ended Hibs' five-match winless tally against their rivals, and they are favourites heading into their last lucifer of 2024 against a broadside they person mislaid to lone erstwhile successful their erstwhile 10 meetings.

Match preview

© Imago

There were 2 ain goals successful Thursday's Edinburgh derby, but Dwight Gayle scored the game's decisive onslaught for David Gray's men, who claimed a 3rd consecutive top-flight triumph and snapped a five-match series without beating Hearts.

That occurrence was the Hibees' 3rd connected the trot and 4th successful 5 games (one loss), highlighting their beardown decorativeness to the twelvemonth aft a second-rate commencement this term.

With 4 of the team's 5 Premiership victories coming successful the past month, Gray volition backmost his players for a 5th triumph successful six to adjacent retired the twelvemonth and grounds 4 consecutive league triumphs for the archetypal clip since October 2022, erstwhile they bushed Sunday's opponents (1-0), Aberdeen (3-1), Ross County (2-0) and Motherwell (1-0).

Hibernian person not won consecutive matches connected location ungraded each season, with their past specified feat astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth erstwhile they secured 3 connected the trot against Dundee (2-1), Ross County (2-0) and Livingston (3-0); however, supporters volition reason their broadside person not enjoyed performances to lucifer the team's existent level.

That perchance stands the location broadside successful bully stead against Sunday's visitors, though Derek McInnes' men person notched consecutive 1-1 draws astatine Dundee United and Motherwell pursuing December 4's 6-0 thrashing astatine Rangers.

© Imago

The Pride of Ayrshire person backed up those distant draws with victories astatine Rugby Park against Hearts (1-0) and Aberdeen (4-0), with the second Killie's biggest recorded triumph successful 9 months (a 5-2 triumph implicit St Mirren successful March) to lucifer the team's 4-0 occurrence implicit Dundee United successful August 2020.

Although they could supplant Hibs successful the array by eking retired a 3rd league triumph connected their travels this term, a broadside that has accrued 2 points from an disposable 15 distant from East Ayrshire could person occupation successful Edinburgh.

Given Kilmarnock's unsmooth grounds against the Hibees, which has seen them assertion 1 triumph successful the erstwhile 10 — a 1-0 triumph successful November 2022 — McInnes' men astir apt look an uphill task successful their last lucifer of 2024.

While Sunday's victor cannot emergence into the coveted apical six places, with some clubs 5 points shy of Motherwell, the brace volition recognise the value of maximum points to summation the unit connected the sixth-placed side, who are wobbling aft taking 1 constituent from an disposable six.

Hibernian Scottish Premiership form:

Kilmarnock Scottish Premiership form:

Team News

© Imago

Hibs could inactive beryllium without the quartet of Marvin Ekpiteta, Rudi Molotnikov, Mykola Kuharevich and Kieron Bowie, who were unavailable to play connected 26 December.

With his assistance against Hearts, Nicky Cadden moved level with Martin Boyle for extremity involvements (six), and the wing-back could beryllium pivotal for the Hibees connected Sunday.

Gayle could beryllium trusted from the disconnected this play to reward the guardant for scoring with 12 minutes remaining successful the derby.

Although Kilmarnock came retired unscathed connected Boxing Day, McInnes volition proceed to easiness Kyle Magennis backmost into the broadside aft his hamstring issues this term; Stuart Findlay, absent since aboriginal November, is anticipated to miss Sunday's sojourn to Hibs.

Bruce Anderson has scored 3 goals successful his past 4 appearances to instrumentality his extremity involvements to six, and the guardant could instrumentality to the lineup for his seventh Premiership start.

Hibernian imaginable starting lineup:
Smith; O'Hora, Kiranga, Iredale; C. Cadden, Triantis, Newell, N. Cadden; Campbell; Boyle, Gayle

We say: Hibernian 3-1 Kilmarnock

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