Hearts and Aberdeen will bring the curtain down on the opening weekend of the new Scottish Premiership season when they face off at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh on Monday evening.
The hosts endured a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, finishing in seventh place and slipping out of the top four for the first time in three seasons.
Where to watch: The match will be available for viewing live on Sky Sports Football in the UK or you can go live in play with Bet365.
When to watch: The kick off time of the Hearts v Aberdeen match is at 20:00PM BST on August 4th, Monday.
You can watch Hearts v Aberdeen LIVE in play with Bet365 here
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The home side managed just 40 points across the campaign, 22 fewer than they collected the year before and conceded 47 goals. The third worst defensive record in the league.
The summer has brought renewed optimism for the Tynecastle side.
Derek McInnes has returned to manage Hearts, and early signs suggest a positive shift in direction.
The Edinburgh side have won all four of their League Cup group games and recently thumped newly promoted Sunderland 3-0 in a friendly.
Aberdeen arrive on the back of a better league finish last season, claiming fifth place, and more significantly, they lifted the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years.
The silverware was a major achievement for the Dons, though there are still clear issues to resolve especially defensively.
Last season, Aberdeen conceded 61 goals, more than any other team in the top half of the table.
Preseason hasn’t provided much encouragement for Dons fans either.
Jimmy Thelin’s Dons beat Cove Rangers 2-0 but were well beaten by Ipswich in their final warm up game, losing 3-1.
The club’s inconsistent form on the road remains a big concern particularly at Tynecastle, where they haven’t managed a league win since 2017.
Both sides will see this as an opportunity to lay down a marker at the start of the new campaign, but it’s Hearts who appear to be heading into the match with better form, stronger momentum, and home advantage on their side.
