Boxing Day Scottish Premiership Features Edinburgh Derby

The second Edinburgh derby of the season is scheduled for Thursday, as a complete schedule of Scottish Premiership matches awaits on Boxing Day, following Christmas Day. The day’s events will span from lunchtime until evening, highlighting several key players and fixtures poised to deliver notable performances during the festive period. Boxing Day commences with a significant match at Tynecastle, featuring Edinburgh’s prominent clubs, Hearts and Hibernian, in their second encounter of the current season. “Spittal winner eases pressure – but derby is massive”. Their previous meeting resulted in a 1-1 draw at Easter Road, where Hearts secured a late goal to prevent a Hibs victory. Despite a season marked by challenges for both city rivals, recent performances show improvement, especially from Hibs. David Gray’s team secured all three points at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie on Saturday, marking their third win in four league matches. Hearts ascended from the bottom of the table, placing St Johnstone in last position, after defeating the Perth team 2-1 at home on Sunday. While European competitions might have diverted Neil Critchley’s squad this season, their remaining fixtures this term are exclusively domestic. A victory for the home team would see them surpass David Gray’s Hibernian. Conversely, if Hibs secure a win, they would extend their lead over Hearts to five points. Four of the last five matches between these teams have concluded in a draw, and the previous two victories in this fixture were decided by a single goal. For both teams to salvage their league season, a push towards the top six is essential, and Thursday’s match could serve as a crucial catalyst if either side manages to secure all three points. Hibs are reported to have a ‘different mindset’. Aberdeen began December as the primary contenders to leaders Celtic. After a streak of six matches without a victory, they now occupy third place, one point behind Rangers, having played an additional game. Prospects appeared promising for the Dons on Saturday when Topi Keskinen netted a deflected opening goal against Hibernian; however, Hibs responded strongly with three goals to secure all three points. The 21-year-old Finnish winger was among Aberdeen’s standout players during their strong start to the season, having scored five goals since his summer transfer from HJK and also contributing two Premiership assists. Kilmarnock will host Aberdeen on Thursday, following their 2-0 defeat at Pittodrie in August. While former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes’ Killie team might aspire to a top-six position, Jimmy Thelin’s Dons require renewed motivation to revitalize their season, and Keskinen is precisely the kind of player capable of challenging opposing teams. Furthermore, the winger would benefit from a robust start to 2025 if he aims to regain a place in the Finland national team, as their World Cup qualifying campaign is set to commence in March. Topi Keskinen (right) scored again on Saturday. Simo Valakari, one of the Premiership’s most recent managerial appointments, confronts a significant challenge at St Johnstone. Having secured only one point from a potential twelve in December, the Perth-based team currently sits in 12th place, one point behind. Nevertheless, Saints fans are aware that their three losses this month have all been by a single goal margin, and the point earned against Aberdeen away was achieved after the Dons had recovered from a deficit. In essence, the league standings are close, and Valakari’s team must discover a method to prevail in closely contested matches. Dundee United will visit them on Boxing Day, seeking their second consecutive victory against Saints. With three wins and one draw from 11 matches to date, the Finnish former Motherwell player Valakari has experienced a less than ideal start at McDiarmid Park, though he is not unique in this regard. Neil Critchley of Hearts has recorded five wins from 15 games, while David Gray at Hibernian has only recently elevated his win percentage into the upper twenties. Once more, the Scottish top flight remains highly competitive, implying that a single victory can significantly alter standings, and Valakari retains the capacity to steer St Johnstone away from the bottom of the table before the New Year.