‘Marvin Bartley from 35 yards’: Journalists’ predictions for Hibs v Aberdeen

Our online team try to finish the season on a high by predicting the outcome from Easter Road this Sunday as Hibs welcome Aberdeen in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
Aberdeen were victorious on their last trip to Easter Road. Picture: SNSAberdeen were victorious on their last trip to Easter Road. Picture: SNS
Aberdeen were victorious on their last trip to Easter Road. Picture: SNS

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Craig Fowler: Hibs have not had a great record against Aberdeen at Easter Road over the past couple of seasons, winning only once in five games. They’re also not in great form at the moment as the unbeaten league run under Paul Heckingbottom quickly turned into one win in six. The upside is that Aberdeen, while in better form, aren’t really playing all that well at the moment. While they defeated Hearts last weekend, they were far from convincing in dispatching a team that had rested several key players and has been dreadful for the most part in 2019. The result means more to the visitors, but Hibs should have enough to get a result. Prediction: Draw

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Patrick McPartlin: Picture the scene: 89 minutes gone, the game locked at 0-0, and a Hibs corner is cleared only as far as Marvin Bartley, who hits it on the drop from 35 yards past a motionless Joe Lewis for his first goal in green and white on his final appearance. Sounds unlikely, but then nobody saw Hibs drawing 5-5 with Rangers on the final day of last season so anything’s possible. In reality, I think this could be a cagey game - Aberdeen should win it, and they will if the same Hibs team that faced Kilmarnock trot out at Easter Road, but I don’t see Heckingbottom letting that happen. It’ll be the last hurrah for a good few members of the Hibs team - and I think they might all put in a performance and sneak a victory. Prediction: Hibs win

Aberdeen were victorious on their last trip to Easter Road. Picture: SNSAberdeen were victorious on their last trip to Easter Road. Picture: SNS
Aberdeen were victorious on their last trip to Easter Road. Picture: SNS

Neil McGlade: Much of the attention at Easter Road will be on the departing Bartley. The central midfielder has built up a great rapport with the supporters and will be desperate to sign off his time in Leith with three points. Bartley might not be the only one heading for the exit door with the likes of Marc McNulty and Stephane Omeonga due to return to their parent clubs following successful loan spells. Aberdeen still very much have their eyes on third so manager Derek McInnes will have his players fired up. Heckingbottom will expect a reaction from his players having branded them “rubbish” in last weekend’s defeat at Kilmarnock. But I can’t split them here. Prediction: Draw.

Joel Sked: If we can have the same entertainment as the final game of last season at Easter Road then Leith is the place to be. Aberdeen are gunning for third place and have already tasted victory twice in the east of Edinburgh. Their tails will be up and Hibs will have to match it if they are to get their first victory of the split. Fans will be turning up to pay tribute to heroes who they have grown to love over a long and short time with Bartley and Omeonga departing. It is the time to let go and hopefully we see an attacking performance from Hibs after their struggles at Rugby Park. Draw.

Anthony Brown: Hibs have shown at various points this season that they remain capable of competing with any side in the country on their day, but they are yet to win any of their six meetings with current top-four sides under Heckingbottom. The goals have dried up recently and, although they are still perfectly capable of making this a tight match, Aberdeen’s greater need for the points in their quest to finish third should give them an edge. Prediction: Aberdeen win

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