Hibs vs Aberdeen Prediction: Heading for extra-time at Hampden?

A spot in the Scottish League Cup final is the prize on offer as Hibernian face Aberdeen at Hampden Park on Saturday evening.

Both clubs will be hoping the domestic cup can offer a reprieve of sorts after poor runs of form. Aberdeen's win over Motherwell on Wednesday followed a four-game winless run in October while Hibs are currently five games without a victory to bring a premature end to Nick Montgomery's honeymoon period in charge.

If the sides needed any more motivation then they need look no further than the other side of the draw where Celtic, reigning champions and winners of six of the last seven finals, are conspicuous by their absence.

Team News

Montgomery's decision to rest some key players on Tuesday looked like paying dividends as his side went 2-0 up against Ross County before throwing two points away in the last 20 minutes.

Joe Newell was only brought on after the equaliser while Martin Boyle played the last half hour. Goalkeeper David Marshall watched on from the bench but all three seem certainties to start on Saturday.

Christian Doidge is one to watch as he nears a return to the side but Harry McKirdy, Chris Cadden and Jake Doyle-Hayes are all ruled out again.

Aberdeen resisted the urge to rotate in midweek despite playing the day after Hibs, making only one change. Duk, scorer of 18 goals last season, will hope to return to the starting XI after scoring the fourth on Wednesday.

The Dons should have most of their squad available but defender James McGarry and winger Shayden Morris, both of whom have been absent since September, remain injured.

Match Odds

Hibs are the favourites to reach the final at 11/8. Aberdeen are priced at 15/8 to go one better than last year and for those fancying extra-time a draw can be found at 11/5.

Both teams to score is available at 8/11, while over 3.5 goals, which has won in three of the last five games between the sides, is 5/2.

Over 47.5 booking points @ 4/6

There's nothing clever about this one - simply, it's a cup semi-final at Hampden.

Both clubs have been starved of success in recent years. Hibs last won a trophy in 2016 while you have to go further back to 2014 for Aberdeen's last piece of silverware.

This fixture has been dominated by cards with four of the last five producing at least six, and the Dons have seen red twice in that period.

Expect another feisty encounter between two sides with a lot to prove this season.

Draw @ 11/5

With the stakes so high it wouldn't be a surprise to see a tight affair on Saturday.

Under 1.5 goals could be the play at 9/4 but with both conceding twice in the latter stages in midweek, can either defence be trusted?

Instead, an extra 30 minutes of action feels more likely with both teams no stranger to a stalemate.

Hibs have drawn four of their last five while the Dons - who took last season's semi with Rangers to extra-time - have been held twice in the same number.

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