It’s been somewhat overlooked but a win on Sunday will guarantee Celtic a shot at Champions League football next season. It looks like Hearts are going to take one of the places so the other one is Celtic’s to lose given we have a four points lead over the Rangers…
Plenty riding on the Glasgow Derby this weekend
With it being a Glasgow Derby weekend, much of the focus is naturally on Celtic’s clash with the Rangers at Celtic Park. It’s a game that has plenty riding on it in regard to the destination of the title, but one other important factor has been slightly overlooked amidst all the title talk.
A Celtic win will not only keep alive our hopes of a fifth consecutive league title, it will also guarantee us a shot at competing in the financially lucrative Champions League group stages.
With two places on offer for the Scottish top flight, three points would guarantee Celtic finishing no lower than second place, and an opportunity to rub shoulders with Europe’s elite once again.
Danny Rohl’s side passed up £40m chance for group stage Champions League qualification
That’s quite a turnaround in the space of a fortnight, as the SMSM and the Rangers supporters had Danny Rohl’s all-stars a shoe in to automatically qualify for the money laden competition due to a much publicised loophole.
After suffering two defeats on the spin, the latest Ibrox club have seen not only their title chances all but evaporate, but their chance of qualification to the financially rewarding Champions League have also taken a massive hit.
The Rangers spend £40m assembling that squad
Indeed, a Hearts win at Motherwell on Saturday night will automatically determine their fate, which will not only confine them to yet another trophy-less campaign, but also kiss goodnight to a guaranteed multi-million pound pay day. They spend £40m assembling that squad this season and could have made the same amount from gaining automatic Champions League entry.
That’s quite a hard knock for a club who are running on a much publicised annual loss, and one that could have serious repercussions on their ability to invest more money on their playing squad going forward.
A Celtic victory over the Rangers in the Scottish Premiership is long overdue
So a first Glasgow Derby win in nineteen months would not only keep alive our hopes of winning the league, it would confine the Ibrox club to a third place finish, and kibosh any remaining hopes that they still harbour of reaching the Champions League group stages.
It’s been billed as monumental day in the destination of the title, but there’s a lot more at stake, a lot more and for both clubs.
Incidentally while Celtic failed against Kairat Almaty rather disgracefully last summer, that was via the Champions Route play-offs where the task is usually considerably easier that the second spot finishers can expect. Look what happened to the Rangers against Club Brugge earlier this season.
Winning the league is the best way for Celtic to get into the Champions League group stages via the qualifiers. That means beating the Rangers on Sunday, nothing else will do.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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1 Comment
Very true of course, hence why a draw last weekend would have been the best outcome for ourselves in the title race.
But the 2nd best outcome, was a mini win, due to the outcome you pointed out.
Either way, it still means that nothing more than a victory will do on Sunday, if we want to win this title?
However, a draw might be OK, depending upon the mini result on Saturday, but more importantly it would mean that’s it’s a longshot for the scum to even finish 2nd, so very little chance of any CL money on offer for them whatsoever.
Course that all changes if we don’t show up and suffer a defeat?
Personally don’t believe that there is a worthy CL team in operation within the SPFL at present imo?
So it’s only a potential money making experience on offer, when I would prefer ourselves to be very competitive within it,and not just cannon fodder?
We are still some distance away from having a manager, and forming a squad in time for even any European qualification matches next season, as things stand for ourselves imo?
So winning this title race, has to be celebrated as gaining a proper 56 titles won, with a chance of extending our trophy count in Scottish football for now.
Thinking about potential CL and European football, is to far away just yet. Especially when we are potentially looking at been in 3rd place for a settled squad at present, for any European campaign next season as things currently stand imo?