Hearts vs St. Johnstone

St Johnstone, languishing at the foot of the Scottish Premiership, will face Hearts at Tynecastle Park on Wednesday night in their second-to-last league game.

The away side trail the safety zone by five points with just six points still up for grabs, while the hosts have already secured their place in the top tier for next season.

With only two matches left, St Johnstone are racing against time to preserve their 16-year tenure in the Premiership, sitting five points behind safety under Simo Valakari’s management.

The Saints have been rooted to the bottom of the league standings since matchday 18, with Valakari unable to turn the tide after Craig Levein’s sacking just five games into the season.

St Johnstone’s record stands at nine wins, five draws, and 22 losses from 36 matches, earning them 32 points—three shy of Ross County in the relegation playoff spot and five behind Dundee in 10th.

A vital 2-1 victory over Ross County in their most recent game gave their survival chances a boost, and the Saints need to capitalize on that result to avoid relegation.

However, St Johnstone have struggled against Hearts, losing all nine of their last meetings since their latest win, a 2-1 triumph in February 2022.

Hearts endured a disappointing start to the 2024-25 campaign, going winless in their first 10 matches across all competitions, a run that led to Steven Naismith’s departure.

While Neil Critchley steadied the ship and pushed Hearts toward a top-six finish, they fell agonizingly short, with two losses and a draw in their final three games leaving them one point behind sixth-placed St Mirren.

The Jambos’ struggles continued with a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish FA Cup semi-finals, followed by Critchley’s dismissal after a 1-0 loss to Dundee in the first post-split match.

Under interim boss Liam Fox, Hearts have bounced back with consecutive wins, defeating Ross County 3-1 and Motherwell 3-0, climbing to seventh in the standings, and they’ll look to extend that streak with a victory on Wednesday.

Hearts are expected to remain without Gerald Taylor, with the loanee sidelined by a knee injury that could keep him out until the end of the month. Meanwhile, Kenneth Vargas is also in doubt after being forced off with an issue in their previous match.

Having secured consecutive wins, the hosts may stick with a similar lineup for Wednesday’s clash. Lawrence Shankland, who has been in fine form with five goals in his last three appearances, is likely to spearhead the attack once again.

On the opposing side, St Johnstone will be without several key players, including Bozo Mikulic, Drey Wright, Sam McClelland, and Zach Mitchell, all of whom remain sidelined with long-term injuries.

The visitors come into this match on the back of a hard-fought 2-1 victory—a result that could prove pivotal in their campaign. With momentum on their side, manager Valakari may opt for an unchanged starting XI.