Celtic’s title party delayed by Glasgow Derby defeat, here’s when it can be won

The Celtic Star

·18. März 2025

Celtic’s title party delayed by Glasgow Derby defeat, here’s when it can be won

Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title party, originally pencilled in for McDiarmid Park in Perth on 6 April, has been put on ice after the surprising 3-2 home defeat to theRangers at Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon…

Hamza Igamane of theRangers scores his team’s third goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It was a terrible performance from Brendan Rodgers side with so many of his top performers having nightmares, clearly their worst showing in a Celtic jersey, and interim manager of theRangers Barry Ferguson was only too delighted to take full advantage.

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Kasper Schmeichel picks the ball out of the net during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Celtic v theRangers 16 March 2025. Photo O Rourke, Shutterstock

Celtic’s main sinners on the day included many of the top performers this season including Alistair Johnston and Nicolas Kuhn, both serious contenders for the various Player of the Year awards that will be handed out in May. Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has enjoyed a magnificent first season at Celtic but alongside Canadian international right back Alistair Johnston, he put in what can only be described as one of his worst showings in his entire career at the weekend.

Maik Nawrocki moves in as Cyriel Dessers battles for the ball with Cameron Carter-Vickers during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Celtic v theRangers, 16 March 2025. Photo O Rourke/Shutterstock

Cameron Carter-Vickers, usually Celtic’s rock at the heart of the defence was erratic all day and posted missing as a punt up the park by theRangers goalkeeper Jack Butland turned into an assist thanks to terrible defending from both CCV and Alistair Johnston.

Following on from Celtic’s 3-0 humbling at Ibrox at the start of the year, Celtic appears to have ceded their Glasgow Derby dominance as Brendan Rodgers lost at Celtic Park to theRangers for the first time ever on Sunday afternoon.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, looks on prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

So what does this all mean for the title this season and the longer term implications for Brendan Rodgers and his side and for today’s football betting tips? Let’s have a closer look.

It is clear that theRangers have discovered a tactical plan that disrupts Celtic normal flow in the game and by feeding on scraps from Celtic mistakes they can create more chances from themselves than at any stage since they made their way through the lower leagues of Scottish football to earn a place in the Scottish Premiership for the first time in season 2016/17.

In the past three matches against Celtic – Sunday’s game, the match at Ibrox in early January and the Premier Sports League Cup Final at Hampden in December 2024, Celtic have conceded three goals in each match. A tactical change will be required for the final Glasgow Derby of the season which will happen post-split and will be at Ibrox.

There are three matches before the split and Celtic take on Hearts and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park with that trip to Perth to face St Johnstone in the middle. Nine points from those games will set up a title party for the first post-split match.

Celtic currently have 75 points after 30 games played while theRangers, have played the same number of matches and have just 62 points. Celtic lead at the weekend was cut from 16 to 13 points but it is still commanding and essentially uncatchable, especially at theRangers would also have to overturn Celtic’s massive goal difference advantage – Celtic’s +69 to theRangers +34 as things currently stand. Essentially that is as good as another point.

If Celtic win the three pre-split matches their points total will go to 84 with five post split matches remaining, on of which is at Ibrox. theRangers would have to win all eight of their remaining matches to their highest possible total of 86 points.

So the post split fixture-list will be eager awaited by supporters of both clubs. Celtic, to see what the title can be won and theRangers to discover when they get another chance to beat Celtic at their own stadium.

Of the 30 games Celtic have so far played this season, 15 have been at home and 15 away with two home and one away fixtures to come before the league breaks in two. That means Celtic will have two home games post split and three away trips including a game at Ibrox. One of these home games will on the last day of the season as Celtic are the likely Champions.

So before that it will be one home match and three away to theRangers (probably held back to the penultimate match to try to avoid Celtic winning the league there) and probably the Hibs, Aberdeen, Dundee United and either Hearts or maybe Motherwell.

It’s likely that Celtic will have an away-day to start the split so outside of theRangers, there’s likely to be a title chance on the weekend of 26/27 April – so winning the league at Pittodrie, Tannadice, Easter Road or maybe Tynecastle/Fir Park is the earliest Celtic can do it on their own steam.

Don’t discount theRangers dropping points in their three remaining fixtures before the split which are tough – away to Dundee, at home to Hibs and away to Aberdeen. So the league could still be won at Celtic Park, perhaps on Saturday 12 April when Celtic play Kilmarnock and theRangers are at Pittodrie.