Mouth-watering and nerve-shredding, it promises to be a blockbuster start to the Premiership campaign.
For just the fourth time ever, Dundee United and Dundee will begin the league season by crossing swords in the City of Discovery.
Predictably, those previous three encounters contained penalties, drama and last-minute winners; even a pitch invasion.
Never a dull moment in this fixture, as Courier Sport finds.
August 11, 1979: Dundee United 3-0 Dundee
Jim McLean’s Tangerines swept aside their city rivals in front of 18,000 fans to kick off a campaign that would see them lift the League Cup in December.
Paul Sturrock – as became commonplace for the all-time top scorer in Dundee derbies – found the net to break the deadlock. “Luggy” prodded home from close-range following a sharp near post save by Dee goalie Ally Donaldson.
United passed up the chance to double their advantage when Donaldson denied Ray Stewart from the penalty spot.
However, that would not prove to be a costly failure. Aside from Jim Murphy striking the bar for the Dark Blues, debutant United stopper Peter Bonetti was scarcely tested.
Billy Kirkwood extended the Tangerines’ lead after the break, with his low shot trickling into the bottom corner, and Derek Stark completed the scoring by lashing a low volley into the net.
July 31, 1999: Dundee United 2-1 Dundee
The prior campaign had provided derby delirium at Tannadice for Dundee.
In 1998/99, the Dee claimed 1-0 and 2-0 victories at the home of their neighbours – a fact all Arabs were acutely aware of ahead of this curtain-raiser.
Making his league debut for the Tangerines, Portuguese striker Joaquim Ferraz made himself an immediate hit with United fans by earning his new club a 2-1 victory as the clock ticked towards full-time.
It sparked a run of three goals in his fist four appearances.
Ferraz, sporting a bandaged head and having seen an earlier effort strike the post, nodded past Rab Douglas despite the big stopper getting a hand to the effort.
Magnus Skoldmark had given United an early lead, slamming into the net via the underside of the bar after a Hugh Davidson delivery had been poorly dealt with by the visitors.
But Willie Falconer levelled following a wonderful turn and finish in the Terrors’ box, before Ferraz’ late heroics.
July 28, 2001: Dundee United 2-2 Dundee
There was last-gasp drama at Tannadice as the 2001/02 Scottish Premier League campaign began with a derby day thriller.
Ivano Bonetti brought a strong Dee side across the road, including Zurab Khizanishvili, Georgi Nemsadze and Juan Sara.
But United exploded out of the blocks in front of a 13,000+ sell-out.
Charlie Miller passed up a wonderful chance to give the hosts the lead when Jim McIntyre was felled in the box, however the mercurial midfielder crashed the subsequent penalty against the crossbar.
But Miller made amends on the stroke of half-time by converting a David Partridge delivery.
The United fans had barely ceased their celebration by the time Dundee levelled. Sara collected an arrowed punt forward by Dee keeper Jamie Langfield and slammed a clinical low finish beyond Paul Gallagher.
Gavin Rae completed the comeback after the break with Sara turning provider for the future Scotland international to fire home.
That appeared destined to settle matters until deep into stoppage time when Jim Hamilton bulleted home a Jim Paterson corner, sparking a mini-pitch invasion. That proved to be the last action of a breathless clash.
