Motherwell will host Aberdeen on Friday night in a huge match in the race for European football.
The Well currently occupy that precious third spot which would guarantee Europa League qualification football during the upcoming summer. The Dons are hot on their heels though, sitting a point off them.
Aberdeen are up the Motherwell bumper. (Photo by Scott Baxter/Getty Images)
It’s set to be an intriguing encounter so here are three individual battles that could go a long way to deciding the outcome of this tie.
Rolando Aarons v Andy Considine
Motherwell’s Newcastle loanee Aarons is getting used to what boss Stephen Robinson expects from him. On the right flank against Hearts, he turned in an energetic shift full of pace and trickery.
One of his toughest challenges yet though will be when he meets Considine on the left-hand side of Aberdeen’s defence on Friday night. The 32-year-old Aberdeen fans’ favourite has been in inspired form recently and will be brimming with confidence against Aarons.
Aarons’ biggest test yet? (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Both are coming into this off the back of some decent displays so it’ll be interesting to see how Aarons and Considine fare against each other.
Mark O’Hara v Lewis Ferguson
The respective legs of their teams in recent weeks, O’Hara and Ferguson are the battlers in the engine room. Winning the midfield war will be key to victory in this game.
Motherwell got the better of Derek McInnes’ midfield last time out and the Well were 1-0 winners at Pittodrie. Similarly, a dominant display in the middle from Greg Leigh and Zak Vyner inspired Aberdeen to a 3-0 win on their last Fir Park visit.
Dons were dominant. (Photo by Scott Baxter/Getty Images)
Whichever one of these two talented midfielder’s has a better match will likely have a telling impact on the game.
Peter Hartley v Curtis Main
A former Well man is coming back to Fir Park in good form, with Curtis Main scoring three in his last five for Aberdeen. It’ll likely be Peter Hartley that has the job of dealing with him.
The Well captain knows Main well, so his high-pressing style should be prepared for. That being said, it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, so the ex-Motherwell forward could end up being a problem for his former side on Friday.
Former Well man. (Photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
Having had just one clean sheet in their last nine, Hartley will surely be eager to grab one against a former colleague.