Can Celtic finally beat Rangers in the Scottish Premiership this season? That question may end up defining not only their campaign, but potentially the destination of the title itself.
The Premiership title race has taken another dramatic turn over the past week, with pressure now mounting heavily on Martin O’Neill’s side heading into Sunday’s huge Old Firm showdown at Parkhead.
Celtic managed to keep themselves firmly in contention last weekend, but only just. Despite Hibernian being reduced to ten men early on after Jamie McGrath’s red card, the Hoops struggled to break them down at Easter Road and required a late winner from Kelechi Ịheanachọ to secure a tense 2-1 victory.
That dramatic result briefly eased nerves among the Celtic support. However, less than 24 hours later, the landscape of the title race shifted once again.
Rangers travelled to Tynecastle knowing defeat would all but end their own hopes of lifting the title. Barry Ferguson’s side initially took the lead, but Hearts fought back brilliantly, with Lawrence Shankland scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory for the Jambos.
That result effectively reduced the title race to a straight battle between Hearts and Celtic, while Rangers now appear destined to play the role of spoilers rather than genuine contenders.
With only three matches remaining, Hearts lead the table on 76 points, Celtic sit second on 73, and Rangers trail behind on 69. While the Gers are almost certainly out of the race themselves, they still have the opportunity to destroy Celtic’s hopes completely.
Every Game Is Now A Must-Win For Celtic
The pressure could become even more intense before a ball is kicked on Sunday afternoon.
Hearts travel to Fir Park to face Motherwell on Saturday night, and if Derek McInnes’ side secure another victory, Celtic will begin the Old Firm derby knowing they can no longer afford even the slightest mistake.
At this stage of the season, every match feels like a cup final for Celtic. But Sunday’s clash carries an added layer of significance because of one remarkable statistic.
Despite knocking Rangers out of both domestic cup competitions this season, Celtic are still without a Premiership victory over their Glasgow rivals.
That fact has perhaps been overshadowed by their successes in the League Cup and Scottish Cup, but league form against Rangers has been a glaring weakness throughout the campaign.
Old Firm Results This Season
- 31 August: Rangers 0-0 Celtic – Premiership, Ibrox
- 2 November: Celtic 3-1 Rangers – League Cup Semi-Final, Hampden
Kenny 25’, McGregor 93’, Osmand 109’ - 3 January: Celtic 1-3 Rangers – Premiership, Parkhead
Yang Hyun-jun 20’ - 1 March: Rangers 2-2 Celtic – Premiership, Ibrox
Kieran Tierney 56’, Reo Hatate 90+1’ - 8 March: Rangers 0-0 Celtic – Scottish Cup, Ibrox
Celtic won 4-2 on penalties
Across all five Glasgow derbies this season, Celtic have managed just six goals in total. Three of those came during the dramatic League Cup semi-final victory at Hampden that required extra time to settle.
Their most recent Premiership encounter perhaps summed up the rivalry perfectly this season. Rangers raced into a 2-0 lead at Ibrox and looked set for another league victory before Celtic staged a dramatic late comeback.
Kieran Tierney gave the visitors hope before Reo Hatate struck deep into stoppage time to rescue a draw that felt almost like a win for the Hoops.
Emotionally, it may have been a huge result. Statistically, though, it still extended Celtic’s wait for a first league victory over Rangers this season.
History Is Firmly Against Celtic
Sunday’s Old Firm clash is not just massive because of the current table situation. History suggests Celtic’s title hopes may already be hanging by a thread unless they finally beat Rangers in the league.
Throughout Scottish football history, whenever Celtic have failed to win a single league Old Firm derby during a season, they have never gone on to lift the title.
Seasons Celtic Failed To Win A League Old Firm Match
| Season | Points From League Derbies | Title Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 1 | Rangers |
| 1999/00 | 1 | Rangers |
| 1996/97 | 0 | Rangers |
| 1995/96 | 3 | Rangers |
| 1989/90 | 1 | Rangers |
| 1962/63 | 0 | Rangers |
| 1948/49 | 0 | Rangers |
| 1947/48 | 0 | Hibernian |
| 1946/47 | 1 | Rangers |
| 1945/46 | 0 | Rangers |
| 1898/99 | 0 | Rangers |
Since the four-derby format was introduced in 1975, Celtic have failed to beat Rangers in league competition on just five occasions. Every single one of those seasons ended without Celtic winning the title.
In most cases, Rangers went on to become champions. The only exception came in the 1947/48 campaign, when Hibernian broke the Glasgow duopoly to claim the championship.
Now, remarkably, Hearts have the chance to do something very similar nearly eight decades later.
The Remaining Fixtures Set Up A Dramatic Finish
| Date | Celtic Fixtures | Hearts Fixtures |
|---|---|---|
| 9/10 May | Rangers (H) | Motherwell (A) |
| 13 May | Motherwell (A) | Falkirk (H) |
| 16 May | Hearts (H) | Celtic (A) |
Everything is perfectly set up for a potentially extraordinary final day showdown between Celtic and Hearts.
If both sides continue winning, the title race would effectively come down to their meeting on 16 May in what could become one of the biggest league deciders in recent Scottish football history.
However, Celtic first need to survive Sunday.
Were Martin O’Neill’s side to slip up against Rangers, Hearts could place one hand firmly on the trophy by beating Motherwell and Falkirk before the final-day encounter even arrives.
In that scenario, Celtic would likely need favours elsewhere while also having to win at Tynecastle under enormous pressure.
The psychological blow of failing to beat Rangers in four Premiership meetings would also be impossible to ignore.
Celtic Face A Defining Afternoon At Parkhead
For all the tactical discussions, form guides and title permutations, the equation for Celtic is now very simple.
They must beat Rangers.
Failure to do so would not only hand Hearts a potentially decisive advantage in the title race, but it would also continue a historic trend that has never once ended with Celtic being crowned champions.
Current form, league mathematics and decades of history are all pointing in the same direction.
If Celtic cannot finally overcome Rangers in the Premiership on Sunday afternoon, their hopes of securing a fifth consecutive title may disappear for more reasons than fans realise.
