Stakes could not be higher in SPFL decider
The Scottish Premiership title race is set for a thrilling conclusion this weekend, with Celtic taking on Hearts in a winner-takes-all clash.
Following results during a much-talked-about midweek matchday, only one will prevail at Parkhead, as both teams eye a piece of history in the process.
If Hearts avoid defeat against Celtic, they will be champions. It would be their fifth top-flight title, the most outside of Celtic and Rangers (both 55), and their first since 1959-60.
They would also be the first non-Old Firm side to be crowned champion of Scotland since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1984-1985, which would end a run of 40 successive titles won by either Glasgow heavyweight.
Hearts have been the story of the season, with Derek McInnes's men leading the way for most of the campaign. Now, with one game to go, only Celtic can stop them.
The possible permutations are simple. Celtic win, and they secure another title, while a draw or a Hearts victory will see the trophy head to Edinburgh.
It could have been so different, though. Hearts eased to a 3-0 home win against Falkirk on Wednesday, meaning if Celtic had lost at Motherwell, the title race would have been over, while a draw would have required Martin O'Neill's men to win by at least three goals on Saturday to overturn goal difference.
At 2-2 deep in stoppage time at Fir Park, a much-debated penalty was awarded to Celtic for a handball after a VAR review. Kelechi Iheanacho remained calm to score and send the away end into jubilation, a decision McInnes described as a "disgrace".
Should Celtic pip Hearts to the title, it would feel incredibly harsh given how good the latter have been for so much of the campaign. By Saturday, Hearts will have been top for 250 days this season. Celtic have only been top for 33 days, and not since 26 September.
Celtic out to go clear of Old Firm rival
Should Celtic finish top of the pile, it would be their 56th top-flight title, putting them one ahead of rivals Rangers (55).
It would also make it 14 of the last 15 titles to have gone to the Hoops, with Rangers in 2020-21 the only other team to win the league in that time.
It would also be a pretty incredible achievement for Celtic to win the title considering where they were just a few weeks ago.
It was five points off top spot and in third place after 31 games, but have won ita last six league matches – its longest run of the season. No side has yet won seven in a row in the competition in 2025-2026.
In fact, should Celtic win, seven wins would be its longest streak to finish a league season since 2009-2010, when they won its final eight games in a row.
Ominously for Hearts, the last of those wins that year came against them.
"The players have shown enormous character here to keep fighting right to the very, very end, and they've done that again," O'Neill said after Celtic's win at Motherwell.
"It could go either way, could go any way, but at least we've taken it to the final game.
"But listen, we're there, Hearts are a very, very good side, and we have a fight on our hands, but we're going to try our utmost on Saturday."
Hearts on the brink of history
Winning the title would surely be enough of an achievement for Hearts, but there is more history they could make at Celtic Park.
Should they win the game, they will become the first side ever to win as many as six games against Celtic and Rangers in a single league season, having already beaten the former twice and the latter three times in 2025-26.
They should arrive in Glasgow with confidence, given Celtic is winless in its three league meetings with Hearts this season.
The last sides other than Rangers that the Hoops failed to beat in a league campaign were both Hearts and Motherwell, and that was way back in 1994-1995.
They drew their last meeting 2-2 at Tynecastle, but Hearts won their only previous encounter at Celtic Park this season.
The visitor earned a 2-1 victory in December thanks to goals from Claudio Braga and Oisin McEntee. Kieran Tierney pulled a consolation back for Celtic in stoppage time.
Including the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, Celtic has only lost their final league game in one of the last 18 seasons, a 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen in 2017-2018. It has played Hearts five times on Matchday 38 since then, winning the last four.
But Saturday will be a day for heroes, and both teams have pretty obvious candidates. The top four players in the Scottish Premiership this season for points won via their goals are Celtic's Daizen Maeda and Benjamin Nygren, and Hearts' Lawrence Shankland and Braga.
But which team will be crowned champion of Scotland? If Wednesday was anything to go by, we may have to wait until the final kick of the season to find out.
