Top-flight match, Nygren & Leven in focus in Scottish Cup

Premiership clubs enter the Scottish Cup this weekend – and some of them are facing each other.

Of the three all-top flight ties on Saturday, Falkirk’s visit to Hearts (20:00 GMT) is the one that most captures the imagination.

Hearts are flying high at the top of the Premiership, six points clear of their nearest challengers after a hard-fought midweek win over St Mirren.

Derek McInnes’ side had an early exit from this season’s Premier Sports Cup and will be eager to go far in the Scottish Cup, even more so with new signings in the door this month.

As for Falkirk, they ran Celtic close on Wednesday evening and the 1-0 defeat should not overly dampen what has been a fine campaign so far for John McGlynn’s side.

The two league encounters between Hearts and Falkirk this season have both been won by Hearts and the Bairns are yet to score in the fixture this term.

Falkirk won the last knock-out meeting between the two, 2-0 at home in the League Cup in August 2024, and also won on their visit to Tynecastle – 3-2 when both were in the Championship in January 2015.

Benjamin Nygren consolidated his status as Celtic’s top scorer with the midweek winner against Falkirk.

The 24-year-old Sweden midfielder moved on to 12 goals this campaign, five more than last season’s top marksman, Daizen Maeda.

Nygren has proved to be a versatile option in attack for Celtic since his summer arrival from Nordsjaelland, good with both feet and in the air while also possessing the ability to play in different positions.

Peter Leven’s third spell as Aberdeen’s interim manager has got off to a difficult start.

Successive 2-0 defeats by Rangers away and at home have done little to lift the mood at Pittodrie following Scottish Cup-winning manager Jimmy Thelin’s departure earlier this month.

The Dons are on a seven-match winless streak in all competitions, with only one draw picked up during that sequence.

Aberdeen start the defence of their Scottish Cup at home to Championship side Raith Rovers on Sunday (14:30).

The Kirkcaldy side enjoyed an immediate upturn in form after Dougie Imrie arrived from Greenock Morton as manager in November, albeit they have only won once in their latest five outings, and travel to Pittodrie without pressure in this tie.

Rovers won their latest knock-out meeting, 2-1 at home in the League Cup in August 2021, and won 1-0 at Pittodrie in their last Scottish Cup meeting in February 2010.