Aberdeen vs Heart of Midlothian prediction 01.08.2026 | Scottish Premiership

Aberdeen enter this one on the back of a disappointing 2025–26 season where they finished ninth with 40 points, failing to make the top-six split. The Dons struggled heavily at Pittodrie Stadium last term, winning only six out of nineteen home matches and finishing with a negative goal difference on home turf.

Stephen Robinson's side have built some momentum recently though, rolling into the opening weekend on a flawless Premier Sports Cup group campaign. The Dandies secured a perfect four-match winning streak in Group A, dominating opponents and emerging with the best record in the tournament.

Looking to completely erase memories of their previous poor home league form, the team is led by star striker Kevin Nisbet, who has been in terrific form since the return of competitive football, scoring six goals in those four cup clashes.

The manager will also rely on new summer signing Dan Happe, who has integrated seamlessly into the central defense and even scored in their recent cup victory against Queen's Park.

Heart of Midlothian prepare for this one on the back of a spectacular 2025–26 season where they finished second with 80 points, pushing Celtic all the way to a final-day title decider.

The Jambos proved highly effective on their travels last term, locking down the league’s second-best away record with 9 wins and 4 draws from 19 road matches.

However, Wouter Vrancken's men enter the new campaign lacking momentum after a brutal 6-0 aggregate elimination by Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying.

The new head coach will desperately lean on forward Cláudio Braga, who has looked lively in attack and took on the heavy burden of replacing departed talisman Lawrence Shankland.

Compounding their shaky start to the season, the manager must navigate this tough trip to Pittodrie without right-back Christian Borchgrevink, who remains sidelined with an injury.