Preview: Motherwell vs. Hearts - prediction, team news, lineups

After getting back to winning ways before the international break, Motherwell will be aiming for consecutive victories on Saturday when the SPL returns.

However, Hearts will have the same aim when they travel to Fir Park after they defeated Dundee United in their last outing.

Match preview

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Prior to the international break, Motherwell were suffering from a difficult run of form which saw them fail to win in five consecutive fixtures.

That was a run that began the last time they faced Hearts, with the Jam Tarts earning a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Liam Boyce and Stephen Kingsley.

However, the Steelmen were able to get things back on track in their most recent outing, stopping their rut with three points against Aberdeen.

It was a much-needed win for Graham Alexander's men after they had slipped down the table, with the club currently 12 points adrift of table-toppers Rangers.

They will now be looking to continue that form at the weekend, but they will need to sharpen up defensively, with only the bottom two teams in the league having conceded more goals than them.

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This could prove to be difficult though as only Celtic and Rangers have found the back of the net more frequently than Hearts in the SPL so far.

Their attacking qualities were on full display during their most recent performance when they scored five times against Dundee United as they went on to win 5-2.

It was a victory that brought an end to a run of four games without one, and more importantly for Hearts, it saw them respond to their first defeat of the season.

The Jam Tarts had lasted longer than any other team in the division before losing, but that came in a 2-1 loss against Aberdeen in a game that saw Andy Halliday earn a red card.

However, they are still only six points behind Rangers, who are now in a transition period following the departure of Steven Gerrard and they will be confident of placing pressure on the title holders moving forwards.

Team News

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After returning to a more positive performance against Aberdeen, Alexander might look to name the same starting XI on Saturday in order to keep Motherwell's momentum going.

One man who is sure to be in the team is Kevin van Veen who managed to score twice in that match, therefore he should be expected to lead the line once again.

John Souttar was amongst the goals for Scotland while away on international duty, and the defender will be certain to keep his place in the Hearts back line this weekend as his strong form continues.

However, the club will be without Halliday who is serving the last of his suspension following his straight red card, while Boyce has a question mark surrounding his fitness heading into the match.

Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Kelly; Mugabi, Johansen, Ojala, McGinley; Maguire, Goss, O'Hara; Watt, Roberts, Van Veen

Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Kingsley, Souttar, Halkett; Smith, Devlin, Cochrane, Baningime; Mackay-Steven, Ginnelly, Gnanduillet

We say: Motherwell 1-3 Hearts

While Motherwell were able to get back to winning ways during their most recent outing, Hearts will prove to be a stern test in order for them to repeat that feat.

The Jam Tarts have only slipped up once all season and their attacking qualities will likely prove too much against one of the weakest defences in the league.

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