
Celtic & Hearts set for titanic title duel
A remarkable Scottish Premiership campaign concludes with Hearts and Celtic going head-to-head for the title on Saturday.
Hearts and Celtic go head-to-head for the Scottish Premiership title
"It will be bedlam," said Derek McInnes as he prepares to take Hearts to Celtic Park for the final-day decider in the Scottish Premiership.
The Edinburgh side have been out in front since September and have a one-point lead after 37 games.
Avoid defeat and Hearts will be champions of Scotland for the first time since 1960.
No team outside the Old Firm duo of Celtic and Rangers has finished top of the pile since Aberdeen in 1985 and this is Scotland's first final-day title shootout between the top two since Rangers edged out the Dons in 1991.
Celtic must win to defend their crown and make it five-in-a-row.
As if emotions weren't heightened enough, it could be a final home game for stand-in boss Martin O'Neill, the veteran saying there was a "reasonable chance" of that being the case. He expects an "electric" atmosphere.
"Pure box office," is how McInnes described the Saturday lunchtime game.
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The 12:30 BST kick-off at Celtic Park will have the eyes of the world on it.
BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound will be on air from 11:30 and will provide commentary, with text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
Match highlights will be shown on Sportscene, BBC Scotland and iPlayer from 19:15.
Celtic have momentum as they aim for a seventh successive league victory.
Performances have not always been convincing but they have been getting over the line.
Hearts had a wobble before the league split, picking up just one point from four away games, but they have responded well with three wins and a draw since the division broke in two for the run-in.
The league leaders are unbeaten against Celtic in three meetings this term.
In October, they enjoyed a 3-1 win at Tynecastle, which brought Brendan Rodgers' second spell at Celtic to an end.
Two months later, they ruined Wilfried Nancy's debut as Celtic boss, leaving Glasgow with a 2-1 success.
In January, Hearts twice came from behind in a 2-2 draw in Gorgie.
While they are unbeaten at home in the league, Hearts have been less sure on their travels, losing five and drawing four.
Celtic have suffered eight Premiership losses this season, which is more than the past two campaigns combined, with half of those coming during the short-lived Nancy tenure.
Celtic are going for a 14th title in 15 years and have been champions of Scotland on 55 occasions.
Hearts have been waiting 66 years since their fourth triumph.
There were agonising near things in 1965 and 1986 for the Tynecastle side, losing out on the old goal average system after a final-day decider at home to Kilmarnock in the former.
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Source: BBC Sport Football



