Scottish Premiership title race: Hearts, Rangers, Celtic, Motherwell battle for top spot | Vote for your champions | Football News

Four clubs. One unmissable title race.

The battle for Scottish Premiership glory has served up more twists and turns than even the most imaginative Hollywood scriptwriters would have delivered.

The good news is that the final chapter of this season’s story has yet to be written…

Tale of the tape: A fairy tale, villain, hero & newcomer

For Hearts, a magical start has turned into the stuff of dreams. Derek McInnes’ side are six points clear at the summit – and with nine games to go, their fairy-tale ending is in sight.

Rangers‘ campaign had a nightmare beginning under Russell Martin, with the club second-bottom at one stage. However, since Danny Rohl took over in October, the Ibrox side have picked up the most points of any club and sit second from top.

Every good story also needs a villain and a returning hero. Across the city, Celtic fans will feel they can deliver both.

To get to the villain, you need to go back to December. Wilfried Nancy was named the club’s permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers, who had quit over a month prior, but his 33-day spell brought pain to supporters and chaos to the club’s title bid. However, he also leads us to the returning hero, Martin O’Neill. The 74-year-old had been in interim charge until Nancy was appointed, and when the Frenchman was sacked, O’Neill was given the job until the summer. The Hoops are back in the mix, sitting third, eight points off Hearts with a game in hand.

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Kick off 8:00pm

We’ve already had one surprise package with Hearts, but this special story is doubling down on its efforts to be memorable. Enter the second twist in the tale, the latest newcomer to the battle for glory – Motherwell.

Jens Berthel Askou’s side have arguably been the best to watch this season and are now two points off Celtic, plus 10 adrift of Hearts with a game in hand on the leaders.

There are 11 weeks to go in this unforgettable tale – you won’t want to miss a kick.

Hearts favourites for historic title?

Sky Sports‘ Kris Boyd reckons so, as do the bookmakers, and no wonder.

Hearts have led the way at the top of the Scottish Premiership for five months now.

It has been labelled a fairy-tale season so far. A David vs Goliath story of the underdogs taking it to the Old Firm.

Hearts are not in the same universe as Rangers and Celtic when it comes to resources. Instead, McInnes’ side are top of the league because they have been the best team on the pitch.

Hearts are the team for me. Rangers’ form, three wins in eight in all competitions, is not championship-winning form. Celtic have been inconsistent. Motherwell have been outstanding, but might have given themselves too much to get back at Hearts.

Most points, most goals, and just one defeat in six against the Glasgow clubs. They lead by six points and arguably have the kindest run of pre-split fixtures.

Three home games and two away matches against the league’s bottom two sides. Maximum points is not just achievable, but should be expected before they face potential title rivals Motherwell on matchday 33.

Draws damaging Danny’s bid for Gers glory

When Rohl took charge at Ibrox, Rangers trailed Hearts by 13 points. The very fact that they’re even in a title race should be commended.

But as is the nature of football in Glasgow, if they don’t win the league, this season will still be considered a failure.

When Rangers look back on the past month, the word ‘frustrating’ will come to mind.

February started with a draw at Hibernian, while March kicked off with a draw at Ibrox against Celtic, despite leading 2-0 at half-time. Yes, sandwiched in-between were wins over Kilmarnock and Hearts – but there were also draws against Motherwell and bottom side Livingston.

Rangers have the fewest defeats in the league (two) but also have the joint-most number of draws of any club – having drawn in 12 of their 29 league games.

While form at home has been relatively positive under Rohl, on the road, Rangers have won five of 14 matches on the road across all competitions.

With the Ibrox side set to face a further three away trips post-split, they must improve their form away from home – plus turn those draws into wins, if they want to claim a historic 56th top-flight title.

Celtic remain in hunt amid season-defining run

It was the 18-day spell that would make or break Celtic’s season. Six matches, three competitions and some must-win fixtures.

Well, as we enter the final stretch of that run, the required victories have not arrived – yet.

Celtic lost 4-1 at home to Stuttgart, which ended their Europa League hopes, despite a 1-0 win in Germany in the return fixture. In the league, Martin O’Neill’s side lost at home to Hibs, before a dramatic comeback saw them draw at Ibrox.

Next up is Aberdeen at Pittodrie, live on Sky Sports on Wednesday, followed by another trip to face Rangers on Sunday in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals. Two huge games, where a win in each could keep their hopes of a domestic double alive. Should Celtic lose, they could be facing a first trophyless season since 2021. It is season-defining.

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Oh, and did we forget to mention that, after all of that, high-flying Motherwell come to Celtic Park in the league the following weekend?

It’s all about results, but performances and consistency must improve, too. Late winners have often got Celtic over the line, but their first-half display at Ibrox was cause for concern. However, as all worthy champions do, they responded after the restart and dominated to earn a draw.

You could make a case to say that Celtic have only had one convincing league victory since O’Neill replaced Wilfried Nancy at the turn of the year – a 4-0 home win over Dundee United in his first game back.

However, across O’Neill’s two interim spells, no other club has picked up more points. Victory over Aberdeen on Wednesday will take Celtic up to second.

They are still in this race, they know how to get the job done. Will the champions have the final say?

Magical Motherwell in the mix

It is a title race that also features Motherwell, despite many still disregarding them as a genuine threat.

Why? Probably for the same reason it took people so long to recognise Hearts as genuine title contenders – these things just aren’t meant to happen.

Hearts haven’t won the league for 66 years. Motherwell’s sole top-flight title was in 1932. Nobody outside Glasgow has won it for 41 years.

But if you choose to ignore history and live in the present, the numbers will tell you that Motherwell are right in this fight.

They have conceded the fewest goals in the league, in fact, when compared to Europe’s top five leagues – they still have the best defensive record.

Askou’s side boast an impressive clean sheet tally of 16, better than any side in Scotland or Europe’s top five leagues.

They’re not bad going forward either. After dismantling League Cup winners St Mirren 5-0 towards the end of last month and a 2-0 victory over Dundee United last weekend, Motherwell have the best goal difference in the division, on +28.

They sit fourth, 10 points off the top with a game in hand, and have the chance to strike direct blows on Hearts and Celtic before the split.

It’s arguably the most difficult run of pre-split fixtures with two away ties against sides above them in the league, but Askou’s side fear no one. Their domination of both Old Firm clubs at Fir Park in recent months is evidence of that.

Home form could be crucial too. Motherwell haven’t lost in Lanarkshire since October – their only home defeat of the season.