Scottish Cup
2025-07-26 - Dunfermline Athletic vs Stirling Albion
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: Scottish League Cup Group Stage
Saturday 26th July 2025 - Kick Off 3pm
Preview
A thumping loss at dominant Hearts to open the League Cup Group Stage has meant Dunfermline Athletic have been playing 'catch up' over the last couple of weeks. Credit has to be given to the team for not only putting back to back wins on the board, but Dunfermline Athletic have a positive goal difference and that despite losing 4-1 at Hearts in the first League Cup tie played.
Wins over Dumbarton and Hamilton Academical have put Dunfermline Athletic in a position where they may just be able to sneak through to the next Round, although they need to produce another solid win on Saturday. Even then, it could come down to goal difference and other results going their way, but Dunfermline Athletic will note that 9 points has been enough to take five of the last six best Runners Up spots that have been handed out in this competition.
They are hosting this last Group Stage game and Dunfermline Athletic are facing a Stirling Albion team that have lost all of the ties played and who have yet to score a goal. Like others in this section, Stirling Albion found Hearts too much to handle, but they were beaten 0-2 at home by Hamilton Academical and lost 1-0 at Dumbarton in a fixture that the team may have been targeting as most likely from which to earn a positive result.
Stirling Albion will travel with nothing to lose now that elimination is confirmed and with the League Two action kicking off next week so with time to prepare for that. All of the pressure is on the hosts to get forward and win the game and that could allow Stirling Albion to express themselves with a bit more freedom.
However, the team have won 1 of their last 11 away games in all competitions going back to last season and will note that Dunfermline Athletic are the team playing with momentum having secured the consecutive wins in the Group.
The win over Hamilton Academical during the week means Dunfermline Athletic have won 3 of their last 7 home games at a higher level than the one that Stirling Albion are operating at and that is an advantage for the Scottish Championship club.
Dunfermline Athletic have won 10 of the last 11 home games played against Stirling Albion, including a 3-1 win most recently in July 2018 in the League Cup.
Prediction
There is a feeling that Dunfermline Athletic may need to win by a decent margin to have a chance of progressing to the Second Round and that is a factor that could place some pressure on the hosts.
Chasing a big win can make things difficult, but Dunfermline Athletic have momentum and they should have too much for Stirling Albion, who have lost all three League Cup ties without scoring a goal.
After wins over Dumbarton and Hamilton Academical, the hosts can put together enough in the final third to secure a solid victory on Saturday and retain momentum through to the Scottish Championship opener next weekend, even if the result is not enough to earn a spot in the League Cup Second Round.
The Pick :
Dunfermline Athletic 3-0 Stirling Albion
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Dunfermline Athletic - 1.5 Asian Handicap at 1.75 with Bet365
