| 3 | Rangers | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 23 |
| 4 | Dundee United | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 20 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 19 |
| 6 | St Mirren | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | -4 | 18 |
| 7 | Dundee | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 15 |
Stephen Robinson says his Motherwell players have stepped things up in training as they prepare for the first Ladbrokes Premiership game of the season.
The Steelmen travel to Hibernian on Sunday off the back of a four-game unbeaten run in the Betfred Cup group stages and are looking to continue their form into the league campaign.
The Ladbrokes Premiership campaign kicks off on Sunday as Motherwell make the trip to Edinburgh to take on Hibernian.
Here are some key numbers and stats you need to know going into the curtain raiser.
The number of years since Motherwell lost an opening day fixture away from home.
That result came in 2010 away to… Hibernian. The Steelmen had the lead early on through John Sutton but were pegged back through goals from Anthony Stokes, Paul Hanlon and Liam Miller, before a Jamie Murphy penalty rounded off the scoring in a 3-2 defeat.
Since then, Motherwell have won five of their seven opening day fixtures, drawn one and lost one, with that defeat coming at home to Rangers last season.
Eight is also the number of consecutive games Motherwell have scored at Easter Road.
You have to go back to 2009 for the last time we failed to net in Leith, when Stokes netted a double in a 2-0 win for the Hibees.
The amount of goals scored at Easter Road in the last four games played there. A 5-3 win over Kilmarnock towards the end of the 2017/18 campaign was followed by a 5-5 draw against Rangers.
The first two European games of the season saw yet more goal fests. A 6-1 win over NSI Runavik was then followed by a moderately calmer 3-2 comeback win against Asteras Tripolis.
The low amount of goals scored in Motherwell’s last five games on their travels.
Two 0-0 draws at Ross County and St Johnstone were accompanied by 1-0 victories at Dundee and Partick Thistle, and a 2-0 reversal at Hamilton Academical.
Motherwell will face Livingston in the last 16 of the 2018/19 Betfred Cup.
Having topped their group, the Steelmen were unseeded for Sunday’s draw at Tynecastle.
Stephen Robinson’s side will now make the trip to play the Lions at the Tony Macaroni Arena in the first knockout round.
The tie will be played on Saturday, 18 August with a 3pm kick off.
Motherwell took their time but eventually recovered from a potential Betfred Cup exit to defeat Clyde and reach the knockout stages.
Our Story of the Match feature captures the emotions and the action from our win at Broadwood from the angles you don’t normally see.
Motherwell will be one of the unseeded teams in the draw for the knockout stages of the 2018/19 Betfred Cup.
The Steelmen will learn their opponents on Sunday, immediately following the final group game between Hearts and Inverness CT.
The four European entrants will enter the round of 16 as seeds, with the best four group winners also being seeded.
One seeded spot is still to be confirmed. Motherwell’s potential opponents so far are:
Dependent on the result of Hearts v Inverness CT on Sunday, either Inverness CT or Livingston will be the final seeded team.
An Inverness CT win at Tynecastle, or a bonus point draw after penalties, will make them one of the seeds. Any other result will see Livingston seeded.
Motherwell will be joined as non-seeds by Inverness CT or Livingston, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Dundee, St Mirren and Queen of the South. The final place in the knockout stages will also be determined by the result in Sunday’s final match.
Stephen Robinson was pleased by the character shown by his side during their 3-1 comeback win over Clyde in the Betfred Cup.
The Motherwell manager saw his side a goal down at half time but they recovered to book their place in the knockout stages.
Conor Sammon, Danny Johnson and Elliott Frear spoke after the comeback 3-1 win over Clyde.
The result guaranteed Motherwell’s top spot finish in their Betfred Cup group, and a place in Sunday’s draw for the knockout stages.
Motherwell left it late to secure the win they needed to take the top spot in group G and progress to the last 16 of the Betfred cup.
Three goals in the final 15 minutes from strikers Curtis Main, Danny Johnson and Conor Sammon saw off a plucky Clyde side which had looked determined to hold onto David Goodwillie’s first half opener.
In the knowledge that nothing less than three points would guarantee their progress from the group stages, Motherwell had only injured pair Charles Dunne and Ryan Bowman missing from what might be considered their strongest line-up.
That meant Peter Hartley returned to partner Carl McHugh at the centre of defence while at the other end Main was back to pair up with mid-week goal hero Sammon.
The pressure on the Clyde goal was immediate and a couple of efforts from Main and Andy Rose sailed over Kieran Hughes’ crossbar.
The Bully Wee ‘keeper made his first save when he comfortably gathered Main’s tame effort from 20 yards. Hughes’ next stop was much more impressive diving full length to palm Elliot Frear’s left foot drive, at the end of a mazy run, round his right hand post.
In a collision with his own ‘keeper, McHugh came off second best and having failed to recover after onfield treatment, was replaced by Liam Donnelly.
Another tempting cross from Frear found Main six yards out but he sent his header narrowly wide of goal.
At the other end, Carson was virtually a spectator for the first half hour until he picked the ball out of his net after 31 minutes.
David Goodwillie looked offside as he chased a long ball into the ‘Well box, closely marked by Hartley. As the former Scotland striker checked back though, the ‘Well captain slid and won the ball, only for it to sit up kindly for the forward who kept his composure and side-footed beyond Carson in to the far corner.
That stunned the ‘Well players who failed to muster a response for the remainder of the first half.
When the game resumed, Alex Rodriguez Gorrin had replaced Alan Campbell. The Spaniard’s first action came within five minutes but he could only rattle a 25 yard free kick into the defensive wall.
The tempo of Motherwell’s game was lifted, though, with crosses from Frear and Cadden whizzing across the home box with no takers.
On the hour Stephen Robinson decided to go with three up front bringing on Johnson for Tait.
As Clyde bravely defended their lead and Motherwell needing a break in front of goal, it came after 76 minutes. Gorrin, who enjoyed an influential 45 minutes, whipped in a corner which Rose headed towards goal. And although the ‘keeper got a touch to turn the ball on to the bar, the ball rebounded down for Main to nod it over the line.
The ‘Well players sensed a killer second goal and within two minutes they were in front. Cadden burst from the middle of the park before feeding the ball out to Frear. His cross found Johnson beyond the six yard box who lashed his finish high into the net to put Steelmen ahead.
Danny Lennon’s side kept chasing an equaliser but in the final minute another sweeping move sent Frear heading for the goal line. This time his cross into the centre found Sammon who cushioned his header directing the ball in off the post to ease any doubts that ’Well would take the three points they needed.
Richard Tait says the team know exactly what’s expected of them as they play for top spot at Clyde.
After a draw at Stranraer in the second group match, Motherwell must beat the Bully Wee to secure first place and guaranteed qualification for the knockout stage of the Betfred Cup.
It’s a must-win for Motherwell as they make the short trip to Cumbernauld to face Clyde on Saturday.
Here’s all the important information you need if you’re heading to the final Betfred Cup group stage match.
The same pricing applies at Broadwood as for all of our games in the competition so far. At the gate you can pay £12 for adults and £6 for concessions to get in.
Motherwell fans should enter via turnstiles A, B and C in the main stand.
A win for Motherwell will guarantee we progress to the knockout stages of the Betfred Cup. The draw for the last 16 takes place on Sunday.
A draw – and a bonus point win on penalties – would put the Steelmen on nine points but behind Queen of the South on goals scored unless the game finishes 5-5 or any higher score draw.
In the event of Motherwell finishing on eight or nine points and coming second in the group, only four of the eight runners-up progress. It would then come down to results in other groups.
Charles Dunne has joined Craig Tanner on the sidelines long term with a groin injury. Ryan Bowman is also likely to miss out through injury.
