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Having finished second in the Ladbrokes Premiership for the past four seasons, Motherwell face difficult opponents in Aberdeen on Saturday.

We take a look at Derek McInnes’ side ahead of the first meeting between the two sides this season.

Hard to beat

Despite sitting eighth in the league, the Reds have only suffered two defeats in all competitions this season.

That includes a double header against Premier League side Burnley, who left Pittodrie with a 1-1 draw before registering the same score line at Turf Moor. Sean Dyche’s men managed to win in extra time though, with the game ending 4-2 on aggregate to the English side.

Since then, only Kilmarnock have got the better of the Dons, when they won 2-0 at Pittodrie earlier this month.

Tricky Pittodrie

The Reds have a strong record against the Steelmen on their own turf, suffering just one defeat in the last seven games against the ‘Well up north.

That defeat came last season though, in the only game between the two at Pittodrie in 2017/18, when the Fir Park side put in a stunning display and won 2-0.

Only Celtic, Rangers and Motherwell managed to leave Aberdeen with all three points last term.

New faces

Since the last meeting between the two sides at Hampden back in April, there have been a number of changes in personnel for Saturday’s opponents.

Anthony O’Connor and Adam Rooney switched the Premiership for England’s League One and National League respectively, whilst Stephen Gleeson and Chris Forrester came the other way.

James Wilson and Tommie Hoban were two interesting acquisitions for the Dons, having arrived on loan from Manchester United and Watford respectively.

After a narrow defeat to Hearts at Fir Park, the Steelmen travel to Pittodrie for the first time in 2018 in search of a return to winning ways.

Here is a look at the game in numbers.

Two

The slender points total separating Motherwell in ninth from Aberdeen in eighth.

A win for the Steelmen would see them jump above the Dons in the table, whilst a win for Derek McInnes’ side could potentially see them move in to the top six.

Both sides are also looking for their second wins of the Premiership campaign.

Five

Despite meeting on five occasions last season, there was never a game when both sides managed to score.

In those games, Stephen Robinson’s men kept three clean sheets, scoring eight goals in total. The Dons, on the other hand, kept two cleans sheets and scored three.

The last meeting at Pittodrie was in November 2017, when the Fir Parkers won 2-0.

298

Saturday’s fixture against last season’s runners-up in the Ladbrokes Premiership will be the 298th time the two sides have met.

Should Stephen Robinson’s men pick up three points, it will be the 84th time the claret and amber side have put the reds to the sword.

The Dons have had the upper hand over the years though, and are in search of their 125th win over ‘Well.

Chris Cadden sits down for a coffee and a chat ahead of the Steelmen’s trip to Pittodrie, fresh off the back of representing Scotland yet again.

Our interview was filmed at the Windmills Cafe in Motherwell.

Windmills is a social enterprise cafe in the heart of Motherwell which is committed to ensuring young people with learning disabilities have equal access to meaningful work experience opportunities. For more information, visit Windmills Cafe’s website.

Trevor Carson suffered no serious injury in the tackle that saw him substituted during the weekend match with Hearts.

Following scans on Monday and Tuesday, the goalkeeper was shown to have sustained no bone break or fracture.

There is no other damage other than initial cuts, bruises and minor soft tissue damage.

The Northern Ireland international is an injury doubt for the weekend trip to Aberdeen and will continue to be assessed.

Fans can pay at the gate for our next Ladbrokes Premiership fixture away to Aberdeen.

Stephen Robinson’s men had a 100% record at Pittodrie last campaign and head north looking to turn performances into more points on the board.

Adult entry will cost £26, while there are a range of concession prices available.

Over 65s can get in for £19, while over 75s and under 21s can gain entry for £15.

Under 18s go for £10, and children aged 12 and under can get in for £6.

Anyone requiring ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Brian on 07428 225254.

Motherwell went into Saturday’s game with league leaders Hearts in improved form, but lost out by one goal in a tight affair at Fir Park.

This is the Story of the Match from our first encounter with Craig Levein’s side this season.

Motherwell battled in vain as they narrowly lost out 1-0 to Ladbrokes Premiership leaders Hearts.

Steven Naismith netted the only goal as Trevor Carson suffered a potentially serious injury in the build-up.

Steven Naismith’s first half goal decided a tight encounter at Fir Park as Motherwell suffered a 1-0 defeat against Hearts.

Stephen Robinson named an unchanged side from the 3-1 victory over Dundee two weeks ago, as the Steelmen looked to follow up on a first league win.

Despite a hugely positive opening half, where Curtis Main went close with a volley and Richard Tait was denied from close range, Hearts took the lead against the run of play.

Uche Impeazu latched on to a Carl McHugh back pass, colliding with Trevor Carson, before Naismith picked up the loose ball and passed the ball home.

It left the Fir Park side a goal down, but also forced an early change as Carson was stretchered off with a painful injury to his ankle.

The second half was a largely frustrating one for Robinson’s men, with all substitutions used after just 60-minutes, Hearts sat in and looked to hold on to their lead.

And despite McHugh’s best efforts to nod home a Gaël Bigirimana cross, the visitors held on to maintain their perfect start to the Premiership campaign.

Peter Hartley, Mark Gillespie and Curtis Main reflect on the 1-0 defeat against Hearts. 

Gillespie, who was sent on to replace the injured Trevor Carson, said: “I think we can take a lot of positives. We were in the game right until the end but maybe didn’t have that quality in the final third.”

Stephen Robinson says his team matched Hearts all the way in their Ladbrokes Premiership clash, with the game decided by one pivotal moment.

The Motherwell boss urged fans to remember where the Gorgie club find themselves in the league, with them top with a 100% record from five matches.