St Johnstone must defeat League 1 side East Fife to keep their knockout hopes alive.
A midweek loss to Inverness Caledonian Thistle dropped the Saints to third in the group, one point behind East Fife and two behind the Highlanders.
An East Fife victory would guarantee their qualification, as would an Inverness win over bottom-placed Greenock Morton.
Manager Simo Valakari says the must-win scenario could sharpen his team’s focus. He noted there’s little margin for error in this competition and admitted the defeat has left progress almost out of their hands. Valakari stressed that all they can do now is win and take responsibility for their situation.
Reflecting on Tuesday’s performance, he said there were no excuses: the team fell well short and didn’t merit anything from the game. But he added that the upside of football is the quick turnaround—there’s another match tomorrow and a chance to put things right.