Although there are a dozen games left and there have been signs of improvement recently, the writing looks on the wall for Hearts as they remain cast adrift at the foot of the Scottish Premiership. With such a young and threadbare squad, it was always going to be a huge ask for Hearts to remain in the top flight after a 15 points deduction for going into administration during the summer. They have managed to get into positive points but they remain 16 points behind second bottom Partick Thistle. They do come into this weekend’s match on their best run of the season as they are unbeaten in their last four league games, taking eight points from them. That form will be put to the test as their next three games are all against sides in the top six, starting with the visit of runaway league leaders and current champions.
After defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup a fortnight ago, Celtic only have the league to concentrate on and it’s simply a matter of securing their third title in a row. They sit 21 points ahead of second placed (ironically the side who put them out the cup) and remain unbeaten in the league this season with 22 wins from their 25 games. They’re also defending an incredible clean sheet record which extends all the way back to the end of November when, the same Aberdeen side were the last to breach the Celtic defence and Fraser Forster. That’s a total of 12 games without letting a goal in and it means Forster holds the record in Scotland. A trip to Tynecastle is typically one of the hardest fixtures in the calendar for Celtic but they’ve had the upper hand in recent times – winning on their last four visits.
Despite their league troubles, Hearts came within a minute of reaching the League Cup final last month only to eventually lose out on penalties. That would have been some achievement for a club who have been in turmoil for the past year. They boast a lot of unwanted records this season including the lowest goal tally of all the sides in Premiership and with the limited resources available to them upfront, it’s difficult to see how they will be able to trouble what has been a watertight Celtic defence when on league duty.
As well as Celtic have defended in the league this season, there’s been growing concern about the form of their strikers. Anthony Stokes went some way to answering those questions last week in the 3-0 win over St Johnstone, netting all three goals. He looks certain to continue leading the line, possibly alongside recent recruit Leigh Griffiths. If so, both will get a lively reception from the home fans due to their links with Hearts’ arch rivals, Hibernian.
It’s normally a feisty affair when these two sides meet, especially at Tynecastle, but the aggregate score in two meetings played there this season is 10-1 to Celtic. Hearts will be looking to avenge the 7-0 thumping defeat in the Scottish Cup but I doubt they’ll have what it takes to secure a result on Saturday, and Celtic can gain another comfortable success at the Edinburgh venue.
Celtic -2 6/4 @ Paddypower
