Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou believes Wednesday night’s meeting with Celtic is one of the biggest occasions possible for his side.
While attention across Scotland remains firmly fixed on the title race between Celtic and Hearts, Motherwell still have plenty at stake in the race for European qualification.
The Steelmen currently sit four points ahead of fifth-placed Hibernian and know a positive result at Fir Park would secure fourth place ahead of their final day showdown against David Gray’s men on Saturday.
Motherwell going for fourth, Celtic chasing the title
Meanwhile, Celtic arrive in North Lanarkshire trailing league leaders Hearts by a single point with only two fixtures remaining, including a potentially title-defining clash at Celtic Park this weekend.
Motherwell are aiming to secure a place in the Europa Conference League second qualifying round, and Askou admitted the scale of the occasion is exactly what his players have been working towards.
“It’s a big as it can get, which is what we want, and we want to finish off the season here at Fir Park with a bang,” he told Daily Record. “If we end up winning tomorrow then we can really make it a big night for everyone, and that’s everything that we’re trying to do.”
The Danish coach also stressed how significant European football would be for the club but insisted his squad are concentrating solely on the challenge posed by Celtic.
‘They know the importance of the game’
“It would be huge to get fourth place and Europe. We’ve talked a lot about that, and now we’re just actually trying to focus on what it takes to get three points against Celtic.”
Askou added that there has been no need for extra motivation inside the dressing room given the importance of the fixture.
“I don’t really think I need to make it a big deal, they know the importance of the game, they’ve known it since day one.”
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