The defending champions are gearing up for an epic end-of-season run-in as they look to mount a fightback in the title race
Celtic are targeting five-in-a-row(Image: SNS Group)
The SPFL post-split fixtures are out – and Martin O’Neill might be quietly satisfied with how things have fallen.
Hampden chiefs confirmed the final five matchdays on Tuesday after the top and bottom six were locked in over the weekend. With so much riding on every game, there was never any chance of keeping everyone happy.
But for a number of reasons, Celtic may just have been handed the edge in a title race that’s going right to the wire.
Here, Record Sport picks out three key advantages that could swing the run-in in the champions’ favour.
1) Piling on the pressure
Celts have the chance to land the first blow in each of the opening two rounds of the split – and that could prove massive.
The Hoops get things underway against Falkirk on Saturday April 25 with a 5.30pm kick-off, giving them the platform to crank up the heat. Rangers could be left chasing when they host Motherwell the following day, while leaders Hearts face a mouthwatering Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road.
SPFL chief operating officer Calum Beatie explained why Rangers were forced to play later than Celtic in a wide-ranging Q&A, saying: “Celtic v Falkirk was selected for live broadcast on Saturday April 25, so the Rangers v Motherwell match was switched to the Sunday to avoid both clubs being at home on the same day.”
The following weekend follows a similar pattern. The Parkhead giants are up first again as they travel to Hibs for a 12noon kick-off on Sunday May 3 – live on Sky Sports.
Hearts and Rangers, meanwhile, collide in a powderkeg showdown at Tynecastle on the Bank Holiday Monday. By that point, Celtic could already have laid down another marker. And with Gers then facing a trip to Parkhead on Sunday May 10, it leaves them staring down the barrel of a daunting away double-header.
2) Home advantage
Even before the fixtures dropped, Celts knew they would have three home matches and two away after the split to ensure balance at the top, with all sides finishing on 19 home games. But with both Hearts and Rangers facing three away fixtures, Celtic could be primed to make Parkhead count.
The Hoops had already travelled twice to both Ibrox and Tynecastle pre-split, meaning they were due to host their title rivals. Meanwhile Motherwell, Hibs and Falkirk had all already visited Parkhead twice – with Falkirk scheduled for a third trip.
As fixtures chief Beattie explains: “Clubs are scheduled to play 16 or 17 home games in the 33 fixture rounds before the split. We then try to ensure all clubs finish up having played 19 games at home and 19 away. However, this is not always possible to achieve – in fact, since the split was introduced in 2000/01, we have had a 20/18 scenario around 50% of the time. This season, Falkirk will play 20 home games in the top-six and Livingston will play 18 home games in the bottom-six.
“There are four reversals in the top-six – Falkirk will host Rangers and Hibernian for a third time and Falkirk will travel to Celtic Park and Tynecastle for a third time. In general, we aim to minimise the number of switches and do our best to avoid reversing fixtures that have a key impact on the league title, the race for Europe, and the battle to avoid relegation, but that is not always possible, particularly when clubs might be separated by only a few points. We try to avoid reversing the big city derbies and may also take into account how clubs have been impacted by the post-split fixtures in previous years. All this season’s reversals in the top-six involve Falkirk, who were in sixth place at the time of publication and who are also receiving an extra home game.”
3) Winner-takes-all
It could all come down to a final-day blockbuster. And Celtic will have the backing of a full house if it does. The five-in-a-row chasers host Hearts on matchday 38 at Celtic Park while Rangers travel to Falkirk, setting up the prospect of a title decider in front of 60,000 fans in Glasgow.
Jambos supporters, meanwhile, are bracing for a ticket scramble. Fewer than 1,000 away seats are likely to be made available based on recent allocations.
The Jam Tarts – who slashed away allocations at Tynecastle to around 650 tickets – were handed just 800 briefs on their last visit to Parkhead in December. All indications are that a similar number will be issued for the May 16 showdown, with Celtic certain to sell out.
Derek McInnes might feel hard done by that his pacesetters won’t end the campaign in Gorgie but Beattie added: “Celtic have been given a home match on the final day of the season, partly because they have three home matches post-split and Hearts and Rangers only have two.
“In recent seasons we have been able to have the club at the top of the table entering into the split at home on the final day. However, that has not been possible on this occasion due to the number of competing constraints and the most exciting title race in years making each fixture round very unpredictable.”
