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Celtic v Rangers, Friday Night Under the Lights, kick-off 7pm

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The first big Glasgow Derby of the weekend gets under way at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie tonight at 7pm, and Celtic FC Women could be SWPL1 league leaders by the time it is all over.

Fran Alonso’s side are currently in the best form they at any time under the Spaniard, and after last season where the domestic cup double was secured in dramatic fashion at Tynecastle in May, a first ever league title is where the sights are set this time around.

Celtic currently lie in second spot, three points behind leaders Glasgow City but with a far greater goal difference, and separated by a single point ahead of theRangers who sit in third spot – with both teams quite remarkably level on goal difference.

So, the scene is set for Friday Night Glasgow Derby Football with a big crowd under the lights in Airdrie.

Fran Alonso spoke to The Celtic Star at this week’s press conference and the big question everyone wanted answering was whether Australian international and last season’s player of the year Jacynta would be fit to play after being pictured in a protective moon-boot last weekend, here’s what the Celtic head coach had to say.

“She’s been training. Obviously, she is not 100% but at this stage of the season it’s very difficult for a player to be at 100%. It’s a lot of cumulative games, a lot of minutes and a lot of intensity in training as well so while she’s not 100% she’s fine to start if needed.”

If Jacynta is only fit enough to start the game on the bench then Celtic have players they can call on from Alonso’s January transfer market dealings, with Natasha Flint and Hana Kerner seemingly ready to start the game, however Molli Plasmann is more in next season’s thoughts than this one .

“In the case of two of them, Tash (Natasha) Flint and Hana Kerner, it’s going fantastically well, both are fully fit, so if we decide to start them both will be ready to start. Both of them have been training very well. In the case of Molli (Plasmann), she’s a player coming back from an ACL injury and she’s a long-term signing. We are not really putting pressure on her to play this season. We want her to come here, learn our tactics, get used to the environment, the country, her teammates and to hopefully start afresh next season. She might take part at the end of this season but we don’t want to put her under any pressure. The other two are ready to go.”

And you can expect a far more attacking approach from Celtic in this Glasgow Derby than the backs to the wall performance of the goalless draw played out between the sides in November at Broadwood, when Celtic changed their tactics only late in the game as they looked to grab a winner. This time out Alonso knows an expectant home crowd will expect attacking football – and that’s what Fran intends to deliver tonight.

“Yes. We know that we are very good defensively. We know our roles very well, even in year one we played them three times in the league pretty much all the time we go into a medium block, or sometimes a low block and they only scored one goal in three games and they still lost that game.

“Last time they couldn’t score but we’re at home in front of our fans and we are going to go for it, we have to go for it. We wouldn’t like to sit deep and tell them to break us down. We should be brave, especially in front of our fans. I think we are now in better form than we were last time and I think we have a little more quality in the squad so we are going to go for it and let’s see what happens.

.“We are confident that if we stick to the game-plan and execute as lose to perfection as we can then we can impose our game and if we manage to do that, we will be able to get the three points. They haven’t lost (in the league) in a year and a half so it’s a huge challenge.”

Of course, a win puts Celtic top of the SWPL1 table, but for Alonso the focus is purely on winning the game and ensuring a healthy four-point advantage opens up on theRangers, with the teams due to meet twice more after the SWPL1 split -introduced to the women’s game for the first time this season – and where the top six teams will face each other home and away to close out the season.

“Yeah, for me that’s irrelevant at this moment. What matters more is that if we win, we are four points clear from (the)Rangers and we only have to play them twice after that They have more pressure than we do. If we don’t win, even if we lose there will only be two points difference between the teams but four points is more than open game so that would be an advantage that we want to have. We will try our best to get the three points.

And to achieve those aims Alonso is acutely aware of just how important the backing of the Celtic support will be at the Excelsior this evening, with Celtic always rising to the occasion when backed by a passionate Celtic crowd –

“I’ve been saying it for the whole season. It’s happened every single time with big crowds. We play for the fans, it’s what matters to us. Our community, our fanbase, that’s why we play. The little girls who come along to watch. The players are obsessed about them. They spent so much time with them after games and that’s what really matters to us.

“So, every time there’s more people, more fans the better we perform. It has been like this in every single game including the huge crowd at the Scottish Cup Final. Even with one less player (honest mistake), our fans were our eleventh player at the time. It’s fantastic how the players react to big crowds so hopefully we are going to have a big crowd (on Friday night). I don’t mind which colour of scarf they wear but hopefully we’ll have more green ones and we can put on a performance that they are proud of.”

Celtic FC Women take on theRangers TONIGHT – Friday 24 February ,with a 7pm kick-off at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie. Gates open at 6.30pm.

The match is open to both Celtic and theRangers supporters with a large travelling support expected. Celtic supporters looking to purchase tickets can do so HERE . Tickets are just £8 for adults, £4 for concessions and there’s an adult and child combination available for just £10.

Why not use this as a great chance to get the whole family along to a Glasgow Derby this evening for an under the lights experience at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie, and a chance to see Celtic go top of the league with a win against their city rivals.

For those unable to attend the game, the match will be shown on BBC Alba with the coverage starting at 6.50pm as well as on I-Player and the BBC Website. And for Celtic TV subscribers the game is live on Celtic TV this evening for supporters based outside Britain and Ireland.

Best of luck to Fran and the Ghirls tonight – We know you’ll do us proud! And if you can, get along and give the Celtic team your support! The Celtic Star will be at the game, we’ll have a photographer there too and we’ll try to catch a few words with a hopefully very happy Fran Alonso after the final whistle.

COYGIG!

Niall J

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About Author

As a Bellshill Bhoy I was taken to my first Celtic game in the summer of 1987. It was Billy McNeill’s return to Celtic Park as manager and Celtic lost 5-1 to Arsenal . I thought I was a jinx, I think my Grandfather might have thought the same. It was the finest gift anyone ever gave me when he walked me through Parkhead's gates.

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