Sick of watching Celtic players go through the motions? Fed up tuning into awful dead rubbers? Well, if you still haven’t done so – and if not why not? – then tune into the BBC Sport website at 1pm today and watch a team wearing those famous Hoops who give every ounce off effort and skill they have for the Celtic cause, and one very much still involved at the business end of the season.
The SWPL1 heads into the final six fixtures this afternoon as Celtic head to Edinburgh to face Hearts five points behind Glasgow City and a point behind theRangers in the hunt for the second Champions League spot and the new riches on offer in Europe’s biggest club tournament next season.
Celtic have already defeated this afternoon’s opponents to the tune of thirteen goals without reply in their previous two meetings this season, including taking ten goals off the Jambos on their last visit to the Orian Centre and are on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run. Indeed, Celtic may well be hoping to reach a similar score this afternoon as they chase not only points but also a goal deficit that could well be important when they head into the final furlong.
At present the Celts are a point behind theRangers but fourteen goals behind in goal difference so a healthy return today would go some way to bridging the gap. But in truth it is all about the points this afternoon as a Celtic win transfers the pressure onto their Champions league qualification rivals who kick off later today -4.10 pm live on BBC Alba – against a Spartans side who can be a stuffy old side to break down. Meanwhile Glasgow City have little chance of veering of course as they are at home to Forfar Farmington, a team that has returned only eleven points in the entirety of this campaign.
Celtic go into this one on the back of a goalless draw with City on Wednesday night in a game where any lack of quality was more than made up with by drive determination and a team spirit that levelled an encounter against a 13-in-a-row champion far more established and expensively assembled.
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If Celtic took anything from that game other than bruised limbs and tired bodies it was that they have nothing to fear from any team in this league, they are a match and more for both sides above them in the table and shouldn’t be settling for simply battling for second place and that Champions league spot, the title is still up for grabs.
Celtic’s own version of Claudio Ranieri, Tinkerman Fran Alonso, is a tough coach to second guess. Formations vary week to week and spell to spell during the match, and Celtic’s head coach is likely to be rotating his young and talented squad again this afternoon given the physically draining encounter his team fought out in midweek. That said warning has been served from this Hearts side who held Celtic for long periods and threatened on the counter attack last time out.
Against Glasgow City Alonso made three changes to his back four and in the early exchanges City looked capable of fashioning chances as the Celts took time to settle into the game, whilst in attack a more direct approach saw Sarah Ewens encouraged to hold the ball as Mariah Lee was tasked with testing the pace of City’s defensive backline by getting in behind. It’s hard to say it didn’t work given Celtic managed a draw against a tough opponent and could well have won, however it wasn’t the usual short passing midfield and attacking play we are used to seeing from this Celtic side and it was a little disappointing we didn’t try more to get the ball down and pass through the City midfield. That said it was hopefully a horses for courses decision to veer off the usual game plan and you’d fully expect a more expansive approach to be adopted today as Celtic seek goals as well as the points.
You can watch today’s game with a 1pm Kick-Off at Oriam, on the BBC Sport website and app from 12:55pm and if you can’t make it the highlights of the SWPL1 card will be shown on Sportscene on BBC Scotland at 8.30pm.
Good luck to the Celts this afternoon – and of course to Spartans too!
Niall J
🗣️The ambition will be to try to get all three points though for sure – we’ve got 19 out of the last 21 possible points which is a fantastic run for us.
2⃣ hours until kick-off! #HEACEL 🍀https://t.co/0YlMSzS5zq
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) May 16, 2021
