Thursday, July 17

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Sports Mole previews Saturday's Scottish League Cup clash between Stenhousemuir and Motherwell, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Motherwell, looking to continue their unbeaten start in Group G, will take on bottom of the group Stenhousemuir on Saturday in the Scottish League Cup. 

The hosts were defeated 3-0 in their only fixture thus far, while the visitors have beaten Clyde FC on penalties after a 2-2 draw and defeated Peterhead 2-1 in their two games.

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Match preview

After several years of competing for promotion from the Scottish League Two, Stenhousemuir finally secured their return to the third tier as League Two champions in 2023-24. 

The Warriors enjoyed a superb first campaign back in League One for the first time since 2018-19, finishing fourth in the table with 53 points from 36 league matches - securing their spot in the promotion playoffs. 

However, they were instantly eliminated from the playoffs in the semi-finals by Airdrieonians as they lost 5-2 on aggregate, meaning they will compete in League One once again in 2025-26. 

Gary Naismith will be hoping to build on their fourth-placed finish and push for promotion to the Championship once again this season, and a positive Scottish League Cup group stage could provide a strong foundation to work from. 

Stenhousemuir failed to get off to a winning start to the group, though, as they lost 3-0 to Greenock Morton, who were promoted as champions of League One last season. 

Looking to bounce back from defeat with a victory, Stenhousemuir will face a difficult task on Saturday, taking on Scottish Premiership side Motherwell. 

The Steelmen are undefeated in their opening two fixtures with five points, having defeated Clyde on penalties after a 2-2 draw and narrowly defeating Peterhead 2-1. 

Jens Berthel Askou will want an improved performance and more comfortable victory in their third matchday against Stenhousemuir, especially as they build toward their first Scottish Premiership fixture against Rangers. 

Askou was only recently hired as Motherwell manager following the departure of Michael Wimmer, so the Steelmen faithful will be hoping that his side can gel with his system in the coming weeks. 

Stenhousemuir Scottish League Cup form:

Stenhousemuir form (all competitions):

Motherwell Scottish League Cup form:

Motherwell form (all competitions):

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Team News

Matthew Aitken may be a doubt for Stenhousemuir after the forward was taken off just 24 minutes into the 3-0 defeat to Greenock Morton. 

Corey O'Donnell and Ross Taylor should still start in attack, while a similar defence and midfield is also likely to feature against the Steelmen. 

As for Motherwell, Lukas Fadinger impressed in their recent 2-1 victory against Peterhead - assisting the opener and scoring the second - and the attacking midfielder is anticipated to start here. 

In defence, Emmanuel Longelo could continue at left-back, especially after scoring the opening goal against Peterhead, while Paul McGinn could feature on the opposite side.

Stenhousemuir possible starting lineup:

Jamieson; Meechan, Buchanan, Graham, Bilham, Simpson; Anderson, McGill; Taylor, O' Donnell, Aitken

Motherwell possible starting lineup:

Connelly; McGinn, Gordon, Koutroumbis, Longelo; Slattery, Watt, Sparrow; Fadinger; Just, Sule

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We say: Stenhousemuir 0-2 Motherwell

 

Motherwell may have secured two narrow victories in their two matches thus far, but with more time to become accustomed to Askou's system, we believe they will produce a better performance and more comfortable victory here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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