Scottish Premiership: Can Rangers end barren run against Celtic in final Old Firm of season? | Football News
[ad_1]
There are only four games for the Scottish Premiership clubs as the relegation battle heats up while Rangers look for their first win of the season against Celtic, live on Sky Sports.
There is only pride at stake for Michael Beale’s side when they host their Old Firm rivals in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.
Aberdeen face Hibernian as they look to take another step towards securing third while Hearts have to beat St Mirren to keep the pressure on the Dons.
With just five points separating St Johnstone in ninth from bottom side Ross County, plenty could change as the relegation battle looks set to go to the wire.
We take a look at what is at stake this weekend…
What is live on Sky?
The Sky Sports cameras will be at Ibrox on Saturday for the final Old Firm clash of the season with only pride at stake after Celtic wrapped up the Premiership title.
Ange Postecoglou’s side won the first league meeting between the clubs – 4-0 at Celtic Park – before a 2-2 draw at Ibrox followed in January in Michael Beale’s first Old Firm as Rangers boss.
The following month, Celtic reclaimed the bragging rights as Kyogo Furuhashi’s double saw them retain the Scottish League Cup with a 2-1 victory over their rivals at Hampden Park before a 3-2 win at Parkhead in the league.
The champions then ended Rangers’ Scottish Cup title defence when they beat them 1-0 in the semi-final at Hampden Park on April 30.
While Celtic remain on course for a domestic treble, Beale’s side have no hope of silverware with only the target ending the season with one victory over their fiercest rivals.
Will Aberdeen take another step towards securing third?
The race for the European places is hotting up with plenty to play for at Pittodrie when Aberdeen host Hibs.
Barry Robson’s side are currently five points clear in third and have won their last five games at home without conceding a goal.
The Easter Road side are in fifth, just one point behind Edinburgh rivals Hearts as they chase a return to the European stage next season.
Lee Johnson’s Hibs won the last meeting between the sides 6-0, a result which saw the end of Jim Goodwin’s time in charge of the Dons.
Can St Mirren keep their European hopes alive?
St Mirren still have an outside chance of a European place but they will be hoping for an upturn in form as they have lost their last three league games, conceding nine goals in the process.
Hearts have also been struggling for form of late and have lost their last five away league games.
Steven Naismith knows they will need a win in Paisley to remain with a chance of catching Aberdeen and reclaiming third in the league.
Will Ross County send Dundee United back to the bottom?
There is a huge game at Tannadice Park on Saturday as Dundee United host Ross County.
County are bottom of the Premiership, just one point behind United, and a win for the Staggies could see them climb to 10th.
United’s fans, though, know a victory for them could move them four points clear of the relegation place and the match is a near sell-out.
Jim Goodwin’s side have won their last three home games in the Premiership against Malky Mackay’s men.
Can Kilmarnock move out of the relegation zone?
Kilmarnock are another side desperate for points to try and extend their return to the top flight to beyond one season.
Victory against Livingston would lift Killie four points from the foot of the table and out of the relegation play-off place.
David Martindale’s Livi narrowly missed out on the top six and are on a run of six defeats away from home, without scoring.
The stats do not make good reading for either team when it comes to goals – they have conceded the joint-most in the Scottish Premiership in 2023.
Will St Johnstone move towards safety?
After having to rely on a play-off win last season, St Johnstone could all but guarantee their safety this weekend if they beat Motherwell.
The Perth side, who are without a manager, have only lost one of their last eight games against the Steelmen and will be looking to build on their 1-0 victory over Dundee United last weekend.
To secure a vital win they will need to keep Player of the Year nominee Kevin van Veen quiet – the Motherwell striker has scored in each of their last seven games.
Scottish Premiership & SWPL on Sky Sports
Sky Sports – This season up to 48 cinch Premiership games will be available across Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, plus at least five SWPL matches. From 2024/25, up to 60 cinch Premiership will be live on Sky Sports, in addition to the SWPL.
Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Scottish football fans can enjoy Sky Sports News‘ (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the cinch Premiership and SWPL throughout the season.
Sky Sports Digital – Follow all the latest from Scottish football across skysports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage, in-game clips from matches live on Sky Sports and free highlights.
Sky Sports Social – Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports’ main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @ScotlandSky will continue to be the home of all Scottish football content on Sky Sports.
Highlights show – Tune in for a dedicated round-up from the cinch Premiership every week on Sky Sports Football.
To download the Sky Sports app click here, to visit Sky Sports website click here.
Sky Sports is the home of domestic football in the UK and Ireland, with more than 400 games per season across the SPFL, SWPL, Premier League, WSL, and EFL.
[ad_2]
Source link