St. Johnstone
- Simo Valakari has built a possession-based system that has seen his St. Johnstone side dominate the Scottish Championship 2025/2026 campaign, sitting top of the table with 65 points from 32 games.
- The hosts have a strong home record of W9, D6 and L1 in the league this season and have been strong recently, going unbeaten across their last 5 games (W3, D2).
- This included a 4-2 away victory over Arbroath and a 1-1 draw against Queen’s Park.
- St. Johnstone are a narrow, possession-first side with players that can play in a way that suits their style and an attacking talisman that can finish off the chances they create.
Airdrieonians
- Airdrieonians FC have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 5 matches, with the Scots thrashing Ross County 4-0 away last time out but failing to back that up with a 3-1 loss to Raith Rovers a week prior.
- The visitors have won just 5 of their 16 away games this season, drawing 3 and losing 8, which leaves them 9th in the Championship 2025/2026 with 30 points from 31 games.
- Airdrieonians are a streetwise side, they’ve had a tough season, but under new boss Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, they’ve played with an air of pragmatism and a transition-based style that has allowed them to be a threat in the Championship.
Head-to-Head
St. Johnstone have won the last 3 head-to-heads in the Championship, including a 1-0 away win seven weeks ago .
Key Players
- St. Johnstone’s Joshua McPake is the club’s top-scorer this season with 15 goals in 30 appearances.
- Euan Henderson is Airdrieonians FC’s frontline man, with the striker scoring 9 goals in 31 Championship games this term.
Betting Insights
- Airdrieonians have conceded 20 goals in 16 away Championship games, so St. Johnstone will look to take advantage of the visitors’ defensive vulnerabilities on the road.
- We’re backing St. Johnstone to secure the win here, but we think they’ll be pushed hard, so we’re adding Over 2.5 goals and Both Teams to Score - No to our main selection.
Prediction
This will be a clash between a team that controls the ball and a team that thrives in transition, so it will be interesting to see if St. Johnstone can hold onto the ball against an opposition that will do anything to stop them from playing their game.
