This weekend we see a halt to the highly competitive Scottish Premiership as the beloved Scottish Cup returns, with the last 16 teams all battling it out to book their place in the quarter-finals. With every match leading them one step closer to the oldest national football trophy, let’s dive into who is facing who.

We begin with Friday night’s action as Championship side Airdrie host struggling Premiership side St Mirren. These two sides have waited over 20 years to face each other once again in the Scottish Cup. Back in 2004, St Mirren edged their way to the next round after running out a 2–0 victory.

St Mirren, in recent times have been struggling with their league form, having only recently registered their first three points in eight games against league leaders Hearts. With one win under their belt, could this be the boost they needed to go on and lift another trophy this season? Airdrie are in a much similar position as St Mirren- one that involves battling it out at the bottom of the table. This may not prove to be the game of the weekend; however, with the romance of the cup, you never can tell.

Prediction: St Mirren 3 Airdrie 1

Saturday has a much fuller card, with the next five matches being played across the day, with both Celtic vs Dundee and Aberdeen vs Motherwell kicking off later in the evening.

The first game on the agenda is Dundee United against Spartans FC. Although these two teams are separated by two leagues, this could prove to be an interesting matchup. Dundee United find themselves lacking a consistent run of decent form, which has seen them tumble down to eighth place. They did show signs of life against Hibernian on Wednesday night; however, a goal late in stoppage time for the hosts snatched three points away from Jim Goodwin’s side. Spartans, on the other hand, have been flying in League Two and currently hold pole position, with it looking increasingly likely they will receive promotion. Having only lost five games this season, the Edinburgh side will be going all guns blazing in Dundee.

The Spartans have never made it beyond the last 16, and with quarter-final action on the horizon, they will not go down without a fight. With a very apt name, Spartans aren’t known for their lack of courage.

Prediction: Dundee United 2 Spartans 1

What would be the point of a Scottish Cup weekend if it didn’t host a few derby matches — derbies that are steeped in rivalry, passion and, of course, the bragging rights. The first derby of the afternoon comes from Fife as Dunfermline Athletic take on Kelty Hearts.

Despite only being six miles apart, this fixture has only taken place on five occasions — with two cup meetings and three league meetings, all of which have taken place in the last three years. Although not a hundred-years-old derby fixture, this game could still prove enthralling. Both teams have grafted to get this far in the competition, seeing off opposition from across all leagues, and with a massive derby game just 48 hours away, neither team will be backing down.

Prediction: Dunfermline Athletic 1 Kelty Hearts 1 (4–2 penalties)

The final fixture of the afternoon is a 372-mile round trip for the faithful Partick Thistle fans, as they travel to the very north of Scotland to take on Elgin City. Not a game for the faint-hearted, so get your woolly jacket at the ready as the game could get nippy.

This should realistically be a game that is Partick Thistle’s for the taking, as their league form has been superb and rightfully places them in a play-off spot for the Premiership. Elgin City have been struggling of late and find themselves slipping down the League Two table. With their last win coming in mid-November, they are clinging on as they hope to avoid a relegation battle. That’s not to say that stranger results haven’t occurred, but on this occasion, I don’t believe Partick Thistle will throw this away.

Prediction: Elgin City 0 Partick Thistle 4

Turning our attention to the evening action as Celtic host Dundee, Celtic will be hoping to avoid cup embarrassment, but with protests looming in the background, could a lack of fans in the stadium knock the team off kilter?

Celtic have been finding their groove once again with Martin O’Neill at the helm for the third time and with the reigning champions unbeaten in seven games across all competitions, they will be eager to put on a show. Premiership opposition Dundee have had a rather inconsistent run of form — some weeks they can go on a three- win bounce and others they can maintain a winless streak. With inconsistency becoming a staple in their season, will that begin to seep into their cup form? In the cup, Dundee have shown they can be a challenging side to break down and possess great determination to claw back goals to defeat Kilmarnock in the previous round. This fixture holds one question — who desires quarter-final football most? It’s just a matter of which sides turn up on Saturday night.

Prediction: Celtic 3 Dundee 2

The final match of the evening, and rounding off the Saturday card, is current holders Aberdeen against unstoppable Motherwell. Aberdeen are aiming to retain their crown as Scottish Cup holders, whilst Motherwell will be eyeing another golden opportunity for silverware this season.

Berthél Askou’s side are playing some of the best football in Motherwell times — fans are excited to watch their side play, which has not always been the case. With the Steelmen continuing on an upward trajectory, silverware is a real possibility. Aberdeen are still on the search for a new manager and have been struggling to really kick on this season. Their mammoth win against Livingston sparked a sliver of hope before that was torn away by Kilmarnock. Both teams come into this game rested as their fixtures were postponed on Wednesday night, so potentially some extra training sessions will have been had. With over 1,000 Motherwell fans making the long journey north this weekend, Pittodrie should be a hub of cup magic and a catalyst for a palpable atmosphere.

Prediction: Aberdeen 0 Motherwell 2

Sunday hosts the final two cup matches of the round, with Rangers taking on Queen’s Park — some potential déjà vu for the boys in blue — and the final derby, Stenhousemuir against Falkirk.

The original Glasgow derby is the first match taking place. Queen’s Park were reinstated to the cup after Stranraer were removed for fielding an ineligible player, a sight Rangers fans may have wished to avoid given the last meeting between these two. In the exact same fixture, at the same time last year, Queen’s Park stunned the Ibrox crowd as they knocked the Glasgow side out of the cup in what was a shock exit. Tavernier missed a last-gasp penalty as Queen’s Park held on to their 69th- minute goal.

Second time can be the charm, but in this fixture who will it be for? Will Rangers triumph, or can Queen’s Park stun Ibrox two years running?

Prediction: Rangers 5 Queen’s Park 0

The final game of the Scottish Cup action, and capping off the weekend, is another derby match. Current League One promotion favourites Stenhousemuir take on rivals Falkirk. When these two teams meet, it can become a mixed bag of results. On two occasions, Stenhousemuir have been the dominant force and given Falkirk little to feed off. The reverse of that is Falkirk producing the exact same type of result the next time they play one another. It is quite literally tit for tat when these two play.

With Ochilview Park nearing a sell-out, this game should be bouncing, and the Warriors don’t hold their name for no reason. Stenhousemuir have had to dig themselves out of the trenches on a few occasions; however, with their magnificent play this season, they could run this game very close. As the closing game of the weekend, would there be time for one more cup upset?

Prediction: Stenhousemuir 1 Falkirk 3

This is a competition that delivers excitement every time teams step out on the field, and this weekend should prove to be no different. Nobody wants to throw away their chance at silverware this season, but with so many viable contenders, it is far too close to call. I don’t know about anyone else, but I won’t be taking my eyes off this weekend’s fixtures. Long may the glory of the Scottish Cup reign on.

Louise Davidson

I have a keen interest in sport journalism and broadcasting.