ABERDEEN 2 HIBERNIAN 0 Saturday 11 April 2026 SPFL Premiership Pittodrie Attendance: 18,323 Referee: David Dickinson

Aberdeen secured a hugely important win over Hibs with an utterly dominant display from first whistle to last, perhaps the best performance of 2026 to date. Following defeat at St. Mirren last week, there were five changes to the Aberdeen side. Dimitar Mitov, Stuart Armstrong, Lyall Cameron, Toyosi Olusanya and Kevin Nisbet returned with Per Kristian Bratveit, Graeme Shinnie, Topi Keskinen and Marko Lazetic on the bench, with Kenan Bilalovic out of the matchday squad. Nicolas Milanovic returned to the bench. After beating Kilmarnock 3-0 at Easter Road last Saturday, Hibs named an unchanged team. The sun came out for Joe Harper, honoured on Aberdeen’s first Legends Day, the great man taking the applause from all around Pittodrie before the game kicked off. Some lovely neat passing play around the Hibs box from Aberdeen almost saw Armstrong get a shot away in the fourth minute, Hanley just able to get a block on it. Olusanya got in behind in the ninth minute, but Hanley did well again to get a block on his attempted pull back into the box from the by-line. Hanley was in a tangle in the 14th minute though. Olusanya was tussling with the Hibs defender as they chased a long ball into the area and both went to ground, the Dons calling for a penalty as Hanley had his arms on the striker, then grabbed Olusnaya’s ankle as he fell. The referee gave nothing, but was sent to the monitor and, after viewing the evidence, he gave a penalty. The inevitable upshot of that was a red card for Hanley for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Up stepped Kevin Nisbet to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot, the skipper having no qualms in celebrating against his old club, rightly so. 1-0 to Aberdeen. In the aftermath, Bushiri replaced Iredale. Aberdeen were hunting now and good pressure gave Armstrong an opportunity on 21, the midfield man bending a shot across the face of goal and just wide of the target from 20 yards out. The Dons had enjoyed total control of the game across its first quarter. Afeez Aremu almost created an opening for Aberdeen in the 28th minute, pouncing on a loose ball 30 yards out, but he put too much on his pass to Cameron and the chance was gone. Aremu again won the ball high up in the 34th minute and that began another spell of possession that had the visitors unable to get out. It culminated in Cameron driving the ball into Olusanysa on the edge of the six yard box. He tucked the ball into the net but was caught out by the offside flag. An Armstrong corner in the 39th minute reached Cameron coming in on the edge of the box, but he got underneath his shot and the ball was skied into the Red Shed. The Dons kept probing, Alexander Jensen producing a good cross that picked out Nisbet a dozen yards out. He got a good glancing header on it, but it was a straightforward take for Sallinger in the 43rd minute. Jensen might have scored himself in the first minute of added time. Emmanuel Gyamfi whipped in a dangerous cross to the edge of the six yard box. Jensen got in front of his defender, but hitting it first time on the half-volley, he scooped the ball over the bar. A minute later, Gyamfi was being investigated for a foul on Elding. In trying to push him away as they challenged for the ball, Gyamfi caught him on the back of the head. After the referee was sent to the monitor, he produced a yellow card. It might well have been worse. HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 HIBERNIAN 0 Hibs brought on Suto for Scarlett at the break. The Dons made a quick start to the second half, Cameron threading Olusanya through, but from a tight angle, he shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post in the 47thminute. Armstrong was wide with another shot from distance three minutes later. Barlaser was booked for dissent after 52 minutes. Hibs had their first sustained possession of the game coming towards the hour mark. It ended in Erling getting away from the defence, but Mitov was quickly out to meet him and make a fine save at the near post. The offside flag went up, but VAR would have overruled that, so it was a crucial intervention from the goalkeeper. Gyamfi went on a marauding run after 62 minutes, drifting past two tackles as he cut inside. He checked back onto his left foot and a curling chip went just wide of the far post with Sallinger beaten. Elding was booked in the 65th minute for pulling back Gavin Molloy as he tried to drive forward down the left. It could have been 2-0 in the 67th minute. Armstrong and Cameron combined well to give Gyamfi the chance to cross. Nisbet looked set to score but Bushiri managed to get a faint touch to take the ball away from him. The Dons recycled it to Aremu at the edge of the box, but his shot flashed just over. Aberdeen made their first changes in the 70th minute, Keskinen and Shinnie replacing Olusanya and Cameron. On 75, a cross came in from Aremu on the right, Nisbet taking one touch and then smashed the ball at goal. It thumped the bar, bounced down over the line and back out. The game carried on before VAR ruled that the ball was over the line. 2-0 to Aberdeen. Aremu was booked in the 78th minute for a late challenge on Chaiwa. Hibs made three more changes on 80, McGrath, Barlaser and Chaiwa making way for Newell, Boyle and Andrews, while the Dons brought on Ante Palaversa for Armstrong. Kjartan Kjartansson and Elvis Bwomono then replaced Aremu and Gyamfi in the 85th minute. Keskinen almost created a third in the 87th minute, driving a cross through the six yard box, but there was no red shirt to take advantage. A moment later, Keskinen went himself, a low shot well saved by Sallinger’s outstretched boot.

STATS Aberdeen: Mitov, Jensen, Milne, Morrison, Molloy, Gyamfi (Bwomono 85), Armstrong (Palaversa 80), Aremu (Kjartansson 85), Cameron (Shinnie 71), Olusanya (Keskinen 70), Nisbet. Subs not used: Bratveit, Lazetic, Milanovic, Lobban. Goal: Nisbet (18 (pen), 75) Booked: Gyamfi, Aremu Hibernian: Sallinger, O’Hora, Hanley, Iredale (Bushiri 18), Passlack, Chaiwa (Andrews 80), Barlaser (Newell 80), Obita, McGrath (Boyle 80), Elding, Scarlett (Suto 46).

Subs not used: Smith, C. Cadden, N. Cadden, Campbell. Sent off: Hanley