Hearts and Celtic given potential final-day title decider

The Scottish Professional Football League has revealed the Premiership’s post-split fixtures, setting up a crucial title showdown between Heart of Midlothian and Celtic in Glasgow on Saturday, 16 May. Three prominent players—Lawrence Shankland, James Tavernier, and Callum McGregor—are poised to steer their respective teams toward the final match of the campaign. This season’s structure sees the 12-team league split into two halves of six clubs, with Rangers competing in a three-way race for the championship.

Old Firm derby shift

Typically, the SPFL avoids scheduling Old Firm title clashes due to logistical challenges. However, this season’s final Glasgow derby, featuring reigning champions Celtic against Rangers, is placed on Sunday, 10 May—the third-to-last fixture. This change creates an unusual dynamic, as Hearts have emerged as the surprise leaders in the top half, breaking the expected order.

Key fixtures and implications

Hearts’ post-split campaign kicks off with a derby clash against Hibernian on Sunday, 26 April. Meanwhile, Rangers’ final league game of the season will take place on Monday, 4 May, as they face Motherwell. Falkirk’s unexpected success has added complexity to the schedule, requiring them to host an extra home game due to the fixture imbalance caused by their anticipated relegation battle.

The bottom six teams will conclude their matches on Sunday, 17 May, with key games like Dundee v Aberdeen, Kilmarnock v Livingston, and St Mirren v Dundee United. Following this weekend, the league will take a two-week break for international breaks and Scottish Cup semi-finals, resuming on 25 April with Celtic v Falkirk, Aberdeen v Kilmarnock, and Livingston v St Mirren.

Final matchday

The top half’s final fixtures are spread across multiple dates, culminating on 16 May with the top six clubs playing their last games. The bottom half’s matches follow the next day, including Celtic v Heart of Midlothian, Falkirk v Rangers, and Hibernian v Motherwell. This setup ensures a dramatic conclusion to the season, with several clubs vying for survival or promotion.

Sat, 25 April Celtic v Falkirk (17:30) Sun, 26 April Rangers v Motherwell (15:00) | Hibernian v Heart of Midlothian (16:30) Sat, 2 May Falkirk v Motherwell (15:00) | Hibernian v Celtic (12:00) Mon, 4 May Heart of Midlothian v Rangers (17:30) Sat, 9 May Falkirk v Hibernian (15:00) | Motherwell v Celtic (20:00) Sun, 10 May Celtic v Rangers (12:00) Wed, 13 May (all 20:00) Heart of Midlothian v Falkirk | Motherwell v Celtic | Rangers v Hibernian Sat, 16 May (all 12:30) Celtic v Heart of Midlothian | Falkirk v Rangers | Hibernian v Motherwell