Livingston vs Ross County Prediction: Battle of the bottom teams

When Livingston hosts Ross County at Almondvale Stadium on Tuesday evening, it will be a clash between the bottom two teams in the Scottish Premiership. Livingston currently trails their opponents by six points at the bottom of the table, while Ross County has two games in hand over the teams directly surrounding them.

Indeed, having amassed only two points from their last 14 league matches, Livingston's six-year tenure in the Scottish Premiership seems to be nearing a dismal conclusion under the management of David Martindale. The Lions suffered a crushing 4-1 defeat at home to Dundee on Saturday, making it particularly disheartening as they had an extra player for the final 16 minutes of regular time, plus injury time, following Luke McCowan's expulsion for a second bookable offense.

Tete Yengi capitalized on his team's numerical advantage by converting a penalty, reducing the deficit to half with 12 minutes remaining and sparking hopes of a late comeback. However, goals from Zach Robinson and Michael Mellon secured a well-deserved victory for the visitors. The loss leaves Livingston trailing by nine points in the relegation battle, with only 12 matches left to secure their position. A third consecutive home defeat against Ross County could leave them isolated in the automatic relegation spot, necessitating immediate plans for a return to the top division.

On the other hand, Ross County experienced a narrow 1-0 defeat away to the league leaders, Celtic, on Saturday. Alistair Johnston provided the hosts with an early lead within the first minute, but Derek Adams' team demonstrated resilience in containing the reigning champions of Scotland. Despite their commendable performance, it doesn't align with the typical display of a team battling against relegation. However, their current position is reflective of their recent form, having only secured one point in their last five matches.

Former Bradford City boss Adams initially made an impressive start, garnering seven points from his first three matches since taking charge in late November, with his team keeping clean sheets in all three games. Unfortunately, they have been unable to maintain that defensive solidity, failing to score in four of their last five matches and subsequently sliding down the league table. A victory in the upcoming clash would propel them above St Johnstone before hosting them on Saturday, providing a significant boost to their aspirations of avoiding a second consecutive 11th-place finish.

Livingston possible starting lineup:

George; Donnellan, Nottingham, Obileye; MacKay, Shinnie, Holt, Penrice; Yengi, Bradley; Anderson

Ross County possible starting lineup:

Wickens; Brown, Ayina, Nightingale, Borthwick-Jackson; Sims, Jenks, King, Loturi, Dhanda; Brophy

The manner in which Livingston performed and suffered defeat against Dundee in their recent match hinted at a team that seems resigned to relegation this season. In contrast, Ross County displayed resilience in their narrow loss to Celtic earlier on Saturday. Therefore, it is conceivable that the visitors may break their six-game winless streak against the bottom team in the division on Tuesday, potentially lifting them out of the relegation places.