Thursday 8 March 2018 18:51, UK
The “Beast from the East” has subsided and spring has arrived in Scotland, just in time to shine down on a special weekend of football.
Over the next few days Rivalry Weekend grips Sky Sports coverage- with some of the UK's biggest derby matches being televised.
We start with Hibs v Hearts at Easter Road on Friday from 7.30pm as the maroon and green of Scotland's capital hope for their own preferred "natural order" to be restored. Ahead of the Edinburgh Derby, a special Rivalry Weekend programme is being shown from 6pm with guests and interviews looking ahead to the weekend's fixtures.
The second part of Scotland's rivalry double-header comes from Ibrox on Sunday as Rangers look to get their first win over Celtic in 90 minutes since 2012.
In between those two crackers, we have another derby to look forward to on Saturday in Scotland. There have been nine goals in the three Lanarkshire derbies so far this season, with Motherwell coming out on top twice, Hamilton winning the other.
In among the fire and fury of rivalry weekend are also key matches for St Johnstone Dundee, Ross County and Partick Thistle- who all need points to help their Premiership survival chances.
Hibernian v Hearts - Live on Sky Football from 7.30pm Friday
Andy Walker
Hibernian 2-0 Hearts
Key Player - Lewis Stevenson
Fantastic service to Hibs over the years, his team will be fired up for this one.
Ian Crocker
Hibernian 3-2 Hearts
Key Player - Florian Kamberi
Swiss striker has made a highly promising start to life in Leith.
Opta Stats
Hibernian have won just two of their last 10 top flight matches against Hearts on home soil (D4 L4).
However, Hearts are winless in their last two Scottish Premiership matches against Hibs (D1 L1), failing to score in both of those games.
Hibs are on a four-match unbeaten run at home in the league (W3 D1); they haven't gone five without a defeat in the Scottish Premiership on home soil since November 2012 (eight games), a run which included a 1-1 draw with Hearts.
Hearts have managed to win just once in their last seven away league games (D3 L3), losing two of the last three (D1).
Hearts are the only side yet to win a single game in which they have fallen behind in the Scottish Premiership this season, losing eight of the 10 matches they have been behind (D2).
Dundee v St Johnstone - Saturday 3pm
Andy Walker
Dundee 2-1 St Johnstone
Key Player - Mark O'Hara
His form has tailed off since his impressive start to the season, Dundee need him to ensure they aren't drawn further down the table.
Ian Crocker
Dundee 1-0 St Johnstone
Key Player - Simon Murray
A lively presence who can find a way to goal.
Opta Stats
Dundee have won three of their last four league matches against St. Johnstone (L1), keeping two clean sheets during this period.
St. Johnstone have lost each of their last four trips to Dundee in the top flight, having previously gone four matches unbeaten (W2 D2).
The Dee have lost four consecutive home league games, one short of their record of five straight such defeats in the Scottish Premiership, which they last did in October 2012.
St. Johnstone haven't scored a goal in any of their last four away outings in the Scottish Premiership, the longest run on their travels of any top flight side this season.
While the Saints have scored a league-low five goals from set-pieces this season, Dundee have conceded a joint-high 15 from these scenarios (along with Partick Thistle).
Hamilton Accies v Motherwell- Saturday 3pm
Andy Walker
Hamilton Accies 0-1 Motherwell
Key Player - Curtis Main
He's a powerful presence up front for Motherwell & their direct style suits his game.
Ian Crocker
Hamilton Accies 1-2 Motherwell
Key Playe- Curtis Main
Motherwell have a knack of finding the right players.
Opta Stats
Hamilton's 3-1 victory over Motherwell, the last time the two sides met in the Scottish Premiership ended a run of seven league matches without a victory against the Steelmen (D3 L4).
Motherwell are unbeaten in their last four trips to Hamilton in the top-flight (W3 D1), having failed to win any of their previous six visits (D3 L3).
Hamilton, 2-1 winners over Partick last time out, could win back-to-back league matches for just the second time this season, last doing so in August.
Motherwell have won two of their last three league games (L1), as many as they had in their previous 15 combined (W2 D4 L9).
Hamilton have scored six penalties in the league this season; no Scottish Premiership team has more (Dundee also have six).
Kilmarnock v Ross County - Saturday 3pm
Andy Walker
Kilmarnock 1-1 Ross County
Key Player - Liam Fontaine
The new signing from Hibs has to show the new manager Stuart Kettlewell that they can raise their game.
Ian Crocker
Kilmarnock 1-0 Ross County
Key Player - Kris Boyd
Goals goals and more goals.
Opta Stats
Kilmarnock have picked up just seven points from the previous 36 on offer against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership (W2 D1 L9).
Ross County have enjoyed six victories from their last seven trips to Killie in the top-flight (L1), keeping clean sheets in four of those matches during this period.
Killie are undefeated in their last six league games (W4 D2) and have lost just one of their last 13 such matches (W8 D4).
The Staggies have won just one of their last 15 league games (D4 L10), keeping only one clean sheet in this time.
Joint-Scottish Premiership top scorer Kris Boyd (13 goals) has scored 36% of Kilmarnock's 36 league goals this season, a league high proportion.
Partick Thistle v Aberdeen - Saturday 3pm
Andy Walker
Partick Thistle 1-3 Aberdeen
Key Player - Scott McKenna
Should be named in Alex McLeish's first Scotland squad on Monday, enjoying a fine debut season.
Ian Crocker
Partick Thistle 0-1 Aberdeen
Key Player - Graeme Shinnie
Sorely missed against Hibs and Celtic but now back in the groove.
Opta Stats
Partick Thistle have lost six consecutive Scottish Premiership matches against Aberdeen on home soil, conceding 10 goals in the last two such games.
In fact, Aberdeen are unbeaten in 12 top-flight matches against Partick Thistle (W10 D2), winning each of the last seven contests between the two sides in the competition.
The Jags have lost three consecutive league games for the second time this season, having previously done so when they lost all of their opening four top flight matches.
Aberdeen have lost a league-low four points from leading positions this season, winning 16 of the 18 games in which they have taken the lead at any stage (D2).
In 2018, the Jags have taken the lead in five Scottish Premiership matches and won just one of them (D1 L3), losing each of the last two by a 2-1 scoreline after going 1-0 up. Indeed, they have lost a league-high 23 points from leading positions this season.
Rangers v Celtic - Live on Sky Football from 11.30am Sunday
Andy Walker
Rangers 2-3 Celtic
Key Player - Callum McGregor
Should get the nod over Tom Rogic, McGregor has shown how well he handles these big match occasions.
Ian Crocker
Rangers 2-2 Celtic
Key Player - Jamie Murphy
This Rangers fan is capable of rising to the rather huge occasion.
Opta Stats
Rangers are winless in seven top-flight league matches against Celtic, with their last league victory over them coming back in March 2012 (3-2).
Celtic have won each of their last three visits to Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership - they have never won four consecutive away Old Firm matches in the history of the competition.
Rangers are on a run of four consecutive wins in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since December. They haven't won more than four on the bounce in the competition since October 2011 (nine games).
Despite a 2-0 win over Aberdeen in their last outing, Celtic have lost two of their last five away league games (W3), as many as they had in their previous 43 combined.
Scottish Premiership top scorers Rangers (59 goals) have both the joint-top scoring player (Alfredo Morelos, 13 goals) and top assister (Daniel Candeias, eight assists) in the competition this season.
Since scoring four goals in his first two league games against Rangers, Moussa Dembele has failed to find the net in each of his last three Old Firm derbies. The Frenchman, however, has had a hand in all of Celtic's last five league goals (two goals, three assists).
