Key Takeaways
- Celtic supporters need Rangers to defeat Heart of Midlothian to keep their title dreams alive
- Heart of Midlothian fans hope their city neighbours Hibernian can stop Celtic at Easter Road
- Only four matches remain in the closest Scottish Premiership title race in recent seasons
Scottish football supporters face an uncomfortable position this weekend. Fans of Celtic and Heart of Midlothian must hope their biggest enemies win crucial matches. This unusual situation comes from the tight battle for the Scottish Premiership trophy.
Celtic travel to Easter Road to face Hibernian on Sunday. The match kicks off at 12:00 BST. Twenty-nine hours later, Heart of Midlothian host Rangers at Tynecastle Stadium. That clash starts at 17:30 on Monday evening.
The current league table creates this strange dilemma. Heart of Midlothian sit at the summit with a three-point advantage over Celtic. Rangers occupy third place, one point behind Celtic and four points off the top.
If Celtic defeat Hibernian, they will draw level with Heart of Midlothian on points. However, the defending champions would remain second due to an inferior goal difference. This result would force Celtic fans to cheer for Rangers against Heart of Midlothian the following day.
A victory for Rangers would create a three-way tie at the top between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian, with Rangers one point behind. Celtic would then control their own destiny. They could win the league by taking maximum points from their remaining fixtures, which include a home Old Firm derby and a final-day meeting with Heart of Midlothian.
Heart of Midlothian supporters face the opposite problem. They need their Edinburgh rivals Hibernian to stop Celtic on Sunday. Hibernian still harbour hopes of European qualification next season through a fifth-place finish.
One Heart of Midlothian supporter, Liam Corbett, spoke to the BBC Scottish Football Podcast. He believes Hibernian players will remain professional against Celtic. However, he suggests they might lack their usual intensity knowing that a Celtic win damages their city rivals’ title chances.
Celtic fan Paul John Dykes also spoke to the same podcast. He admitted that a Rangers victory on Monday would serve Celtic best. He stopped short of saying he would support Rangers officially, but acknowledged the mathematics of the title race demand it.
Dykes explained that Celtic require help to catch Heart of Midlothian. He noted that the goal difference situation makes the task even more difficult for his team. Rangers remain dangerous opponents despite recent struggles, including a 3-2 home defeat to Motherwell that damaged their title hopes.
Four matches remain for each club. The championship could still go to any of the top three teams. This weekend’s fixtures will prove decisive in determining who lifts the trophy next month.