Scottish Premiership gameweek 5 preview 2026/27
Gameweek 5 upcoming
Scottish Premiership Gameweek 5 Fixtures & Form
Celtic lead a full midweek card before Hibernian host Hearts in the Edinburgh derby on Thursday night.
By Jim · Fact-checked
Predictions at a glance
Quick picks: Scottish Premiership Gameweek 5
Jim’s published score calls before kickoff. Open the full prediction section for the evidence, probabilities and late-check notes behind every selection.
Celtic v Aberdeen
- Prediction
- 2–1
- Result
- Pending
- Outcome
- Pending
Dundee v St Johnstone
- Prediction
- 2–1
- Result
- Pending
- Outcome
- Pending
Kilmarnock v St Mirren
- Prediction
- 1–2
- Result
- Pending
- Outcome
- Pending
Motherwell v Dundee United
- Prediction
- 2–1
- Result
- Pending
- Outcome
- Pending
Falkirk v Rangers
- Prediction
- 1–2
- Result
- Pending
- Outcome
- Pending
Hibernian v Hearts
- Prediction
- 1–2
- Result
- Pending
- Outcome
- Pending
Scottish Premiership Gameweek 5 is a full midweek round on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September 2026. Celtic lead the table before hosting Aberdeen, while the Edinburgh derby between Hibernian and Hearts closes the card. The official SPFL fixture list confirms all six matches. ScoreSocial entries close at the first active kickoff shown in the app, so players should not wait for Thursday's derby.
Three or four league matches remain a thin form sample, but the latest table already supplies better evidence than the opening weekend. Celtic are the only side with nine points; St Mirren are unbeaten on seven; Hearts, Dundee and Hibernian each have six. At the other end, Kilmarnock have conceded 11 goals in three games. Those signals matter, but the compressed Sunday-to-Wednesday turnaround and any late official team news can still alter the level of confidence.
What matters this gameweek?
Scottish Premiership Gameweek 5 is a six-match midweek round on 2–3 September, with Celtic–Aberdeen starting a Wednesday card and Hibernian–Hearts closing it on Thursday. The official SPFL fixture list confirms the programme, so Wednesday's first active kickoff sets the ScoreSocial deadline rather than the Edinburgh derby. Celtic's perfect start gives them the strongest home baseline; unbeaten St Mirren travel to a Kilmarnock side that have conceded 11 goals, while Rangers try to build on their first league win at Falkirk. Dundee United's 4–0 victory is the largest recent result, but one explosive match should not become a four-goal expectation. The official SPFL results record supplies the table snapshot used below. Because recovery time is short and most clubs have played only three league matches, confirmed selection news can still move the confidence more than a single table place.
Table before Gameweek 5
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +6 | 9 |
| 2 | St Mirren | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +3 | 7 |
| 3 | Hearts | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 6 |
| 4 | Dundee | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Hibernian | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 6 |
| 6 | Motherwell | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +1 | 5 |
| 7 | Rangers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Dundee United | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 4 |
| 9 | St Johnstone | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
| 10 | Aberdeen | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| 11 | Falkirk | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 1 |
| 12 | Kilmarnock | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -9 | 0 |
P means played, W wins, D draws, L losses, GD goal difference and Pts points. This snapshot was calculated from the official SPFL results after the matches completed on 30 August 2026.
Previous round results and form
- Celtic 2–1 Falkirk
- Hearts 2–1 St Johnstone
- Kilmarnock 0–4 Dundee United
- Aberdeen 0–1 Rangers
- Dundee 1–2 Hibernian
- St Mirren 3–3 Motherwell
Dundee United supplied the surprise with four unanswered goals at Kilmarnock. Rangers and Hibernian also arrive from away wins, while St Mirren and Motherwell both protected unbeaten starts in a six-goal draw. The SPFL Sunday round-up confirms the decisive moments, including Lawrence Shankland's penalty and Jardell Kanga's stoppage-time equaliser. That evidence is useful, but the midweek recovery period is short enough that confirmed selection news deserves extra weight.
Gameweek 5 fixtures
Wednesday 2 September
- Celtic v Aberdeen
- Dundee v St Johnstone
- Kilmarnock v St Mirren
- Motherwell v Dundee United
- Falkirk v Rangers
Thursday 3 September
- Hibernian v Hearts
The fixtures were checked against the official SPFL schedule on 31 August. Kickoff arrangements can change, so organisers should use the live deadline in ScoreSocial.
Match-by-match preview
Celtic v Aberdeen
Celtic's perfect start and six-goal difference make them the clearest home direction in the round. Aberdeen have three points and have just lost 1–0 at home to Rangers. The short turnaround is the reason not to treat a home win or margin as automatic; confirmed rotation would affect the expected goal total more than the table position changes the result lean.
Dundee v St Johnstone
Dundee have played one match more than most of the division and lost 2–1 at home to Hibernian on Sunday. St Johnstone also lost by that score at Hearts. With both sides trying to respond quickly, this is a fixture where the draw deserves proper weight and a narrow probability margin should be described honestly.
Kilmarnock v St Mirren
Kilmarnock are the only side without a point and their minus-nine goal difference followed a 4–0 home defeat. St Mirren remain unbeaten after recovering to draw 3–3 with Motherwell. Form points towards the visitors, although one volatile home result is not enough on its own to predict another heavy score.
Motherwell v Dundee United
Motherwell's five points and unbeaten record meet the strongest single result from Gameweek 4. Dundee United's 4–0 win at Kilmarnock raised their attacking baseline, but it followed a difficult start and should not be treated as established four-goal form. The visitors' recovery time and any confirmed changes are central to the final margin.
Falkirk v Rangers
Falkirk competed in a 2–1 defeat at Celtic, while Rangers collected their first league win at Aberdeen. That away result makes Rangers the more credible direction, but the first three fixtures have not yet produced a dominant domestic sample. A measured away lean is more defensible than projecting a large win from reputation.
Hibernian v Hearts
The Edinburgh derby brings together two clubs on six points. Hibernian won at Dundee and Hearts beat St Johnstone, so both have fresh positive evidence. Derby history adds intensity but does not determine the score; venue, rest and late availability should decide how far either side moves from a draw baseline.
ScoreSocial fixture predictions
These exact scores are the recorded editorial-score-v3 calls from the provider-linked Scottish Gameweek 5 card. The model combines the early-season result baseline, home advantage and competition priors; the evidence remains thin, so every call is low or medium confidence rather than a guarantee.
| Fixture | Prediction | V3 evidence and editorial read |
|---|---|---|
| Celtic v Aberdeen | 2–1 | Home 46%, draw 36%, away 18%; expected goals 1.60–1.00. Celtic have the strongest direction, but the medium-confidence margin remains narrow. |
| Dundee v St Johnstone | 2–1 | Home 43%, draw 34%, away 23%; expected goals 1.55–1.10. Dundee receive the home edge in a developing sample. |
| Kilmarnock v St Mirren | 1–2 | Home 28%, draw 34%, away 38%; expected goals 1.35–1.60. St Mirren's unbeaten start supports the away lean, not a large margin. |
| Motherwell v Dundee United | 2–1 | Home 43%, draw 34%, away 23%; expected goals 1.55–1.10. The model prefers home advantage despite United's four-goal weekend. |
| Falkirk v Rangers | 1–2 | Home 28%, draw 34%, away 38%; expected goals 1.15–1.30. Rangers are a measured away selection with limited separation. |
| Hibernian v Hearts | 1–2 | Home 28%, draw 34%, away 38%; expected goals 1.30–1.45. Hearts have the slight edge in a derby with a substantial draw probability. |
The recorded predictions will not be changed after kickoff. If a fixture is postponed, it will be marked void and removed from the required picks and accuracy denominator.
Injuries and availability
No complete official Gameweek 5 absence list was available at the 31 August fact check. That does not mean every player is fit. The two-day turnaround makes club updates on Tuesday and Wednesday particularly important, and ScoreSocial will not turn unverified social-media claims into named injury news.
What the evidence suggests for predictors
- Celtic have the strongest home baseline. A perfect start supports the direction, but team selection still controls the margin.
- Kilmarnock–St Mirren is the clearest form contrast. The bottom side's defensive start meets an unbeaten visitor, although three games remain a small sample.
- Do not wait for the derby to enter. The common deadline is set by Wednesday's first active kickoff, not Thursday's featured match.
The Gameweek 4 preview now contains all six verified results and the transparent prediction conclusion. The Scottish Premiership prediction league guide explains the competition and open league.
Sources reviewed
Fact-check date: 31 August 2026.