Crucial Weekend in Scottish Premiership
The Full Scottish
Multiple clubs in the Scottish Premiership face make or break matches this weekend, with results likely playing a big role in determining where they end up placing in the league table at the end of the season.
Served by Brian P. Dunleavy
On Saturday, Aberdeen and Dundee United host Dundee and Kilmarnock, respectively, as they both hold on to faint hopes of finishing in the top six. At present, they sit 11 points behind Falkirk, the top flight’s surprise team of the season, given that they are newly promoted.
Speaking of Falkirk, John McGlynn’s upstarts visit Tynecastle for a clash against top-of-the-table Hearts, also on Saturday. The home side in this fixture have led the Premiership most of the way this season, but enter Saturday’s action just two points ahead of Rangers and three points ahead of Celtic (the Hoops have a match in hand).
Derek McInnes’ Hearts deservedly enter Saturday’s match as the favorites. However, Falkirk will likely not go down lightly—they defeated the Tynecastle club, at said hallowed Edinburgh ground, in the Scottish Cup just last month.
Finally, on Saturday, Motherwell, perhaps the Premiership’s most in-form side, head to Paisley to take on arguably its most disappointing, St. Mirren. Jens Berthel Askou, the Steelmen’s rising star manager, knows a slip-up against Stephen Robinson’s side will render last weekend’s draw at Ibrox moot.
Hibs look to catch Motherwell
The results on Saturday will likely determine the mood around the two fixtures on Sunday, as Celtic host Hibs and Rangers visit Livingston and the plastic pitch at Almondvale.
Hibs are comfortably in the top six but ideally want to catch Motherwell for fourth and ensure European qualification. David Gray’s squad have long been a thorn in Celtic’s side, and they visit Parkhead at a time when the hosts need wins and are coming off what was a brutal night all around against Stuttgart in Europa League play.
’Gers taking on Livi, at least on paper, seems fairly straightforward. Manager Danny Röhl has changed the mojo around the Ibrox side, but the aforementioned plastic pitch in West Lothian has proved a challenge for many visitors, even with the home team firmly rooted at the bottom of the Premiership table.
Röhl will also have to ensure his team don’t look ahead to next weekend’s derby match against Celtic.
Indeed, for now, it’s all about this weekend in Scotland.