Dundee are 12th out of 12, without a win in their first eight league matches and struggling to find goals.
It’s unlikely they’d find anyone in worse form to play this weekend.
However, next opponents Aberdeen are actually that opponent, slightly, having lost four straight Premiership matches.
Who is in worse form may be a battle neither side wants to win. Both, though, are desperate to win the meeting of the teams propping up the form table this weekend.
If you are scrambling desperately for a foothold then you want to face a team struggling just as badly.
This is the opportunity these two have been looking for – but who will end their early-season misery this weekend?
Recent record
Dundee do not have a good record against Aberdeen. In fact, it’s absolutely terrible.
The Dons have won the last 13 meetings of the sides, all under previous boss Derek McInnes.
In fact, the Dark Blues haven’t tasted victory in their last 22 league clashes – the last being a 1-0 win in 2004 thanks to a Neil Barrett winner.
The history books certainly point in favour of an away win but why might the Dark Blues fancy their chances of ending that dismal run?
New dawn for the Dons
The McInnes era is over at Pittodrie but things under new manager Stephen Glass are not going as well as hoped.
A positive start to the season under the Dundonian saw the Dons doing well in Europe and at home.
Lately, though, the wheels have come off and pressure is rising.
Aberdeen haven’t won a game in two months, not since beating Icelandic side Breidablik on August 12.
Since then they have scored seven goals but conceded 16 – across their 21 matches this term, they have only managed one clean sheet.
Just like the Dark Blues, conceded goals and scoring them have been issues.
What the stats say
Neither side are shy in getting shots away – the Dons have had the fourth most efforts on goal in the league this term.
Dundee, meanwhile, remain fourth themselves in the shots on target list in the Premiership behind only Celtic, Rangers and Hibs. The Dons are just one behind.
Those shots aren’t going in, though. And that means if things aren’t right at the other end, defeat is inevitable.
The pattern for the Dons is more concerning – in their latest four defeats their goalkeeper, whether Joe Lewis or Gary Woods, has only made one save.
Celtic scored both their shots on target in the last outing, St Mirren scored three of their four the week before while St Johnstone netted their single shot on target in a 1-0 win and Motherwell managed two on target, two goals at Fir Park.
So how will it go?
Dundee love to shoot, Aberdeen hate to face shots. Having sharpshooters like Leigh Griffiths and Charlie Adam potentially making returns from injury could make the difference for the home team.
But the weight of history is on the side of the visitors – of their 214 league meetings, Dundee have won just 42. That’s just shy of 20%.
After a two-week break, both sides will see Saturday’s clash as an opportunity to get things back on track.
It may well come down to who blinks first – the opening goal will be key.