Taking a fairly educated guess, Saturday May 6 at home to St Mirren looks the most likely chance Celtic have of clinching the SPFL title.
After the weekend results Ange Postecoglou’s side require 10 points from seven matches to win the title but with a massive goal difference advantage of 29 three wins will be enough to release the CHAMPIONS t-shirts, mugs and the rest.
The SPFL split makes forecasting difficult with only Celtic’s next two matches- away at Kilmarnock and home to Motherwell know- with the remaining five matches something of a mystery other than two being at home and three away, one at Ibrox.
While Celtic prepare to face bottom six opponents Micky Beale’s side host St Mirren and travel to Aberdeen where points are more likely to be dropped.
St Mirren look 90% certain of a top six place to provide Celtic with one home match, Hibs and Livingston are battling it out for the final place in the top half of the table.
Should Celtic win their two remaining matches and Beale’s side drop points the title can be won in the first post-match fixture which suggests a home fixture at lunchtime on May 6 for Sky Sports to broadcast. Even if the Ibrox men win their next two matches three wins for Celtic would mean that their points total can’t be overtaken.
If Beale’s side go into meltdown the title race could be declared over at Aberdeen on April 23, Barry Robson’s side are the form team in the best of the rest.
Celtic’s win on Saturday greatly reduces the prospect of a title clincher at Ibrox- to the relief of the authorities. That match can probably safely be put back to Fixture 37.
The variables have been reduced by Saturday’s 3-2 win but all that will bother Postecoglou is winning the next two matches to go into the April 30 Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden.
The SPFL website reports:
What are the dates for the post-split cinch Premiership games?
Fixture rounds 34-38 will be played on the weekends of May 6/7, May 13/14, May 20/21, the midweek of May 23/24 and the weekend of May 27/28.
