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Hearts & Celtic guaranteed Champions League qualifiers
TL;DR
Hearts will compete in the Champions League qualifiers next season for the first time in 20 years, thanks to Celtic's victory over Rangers. This result guarantees a top-two finish for both Celtic and Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
Key points
- Hearts qualify for Champions League qualifiers for the first time in 20 years
- Celtic's win over Rangers secures top-two finish for both teams
- Rangers can only finish third in the Scottish Premiership
HeartsCelticRangersScottish Premiership
Hearts will play in the Champions League qualifiers next season for the first time in 20 years after Celtic's win over Rangers on Sunday guaranteed a top-two Scottish Premiership finish for both sides.
While fans of Derek McInnes' side would have been hoping for Celtic to falter in the Old Firm derby to enhance their title chances, victory for Martin O'Neill's side has ensured Rangers can now only finish third.
It means that the Glasgow clubs have been split for the first time since McInnes' Aberdeen did it in consecutive seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
The Scottish Premiership runners-up will be in the Champions League second qualifying round, with three ties to navigate before they reach the league phase.
The Premiership winners go into the play-off round - the stage in which Celtic lost to Kazakh side Kairat Almaty at the start of the season.
Hearts will hope it is them, rather than Celtic, who enter at that point of the qualifiers after winning a first title since 1960.
They can ensure that by beating Falkirk at home on Wednesday, then avoiding defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday. Should they win in Glasgow, what happens in midweek - when Celtic also visit Motherwell - is irrelevant.
Hearts were last in the Champions League qualifiers after the 2005-06 season, when they finished second to Celtic.
They beat Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia & Herzegovina in the second qualifying round, before losing to AEK Athens in the next round.
Rangers, meanwhile, will be in the Conference League qualifers unless Celtic win the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic. In that event, Danny Rohl's side would move up to the Europa League preliminary rounds.
Q&A
Why are Hearts playing in the Champions League qualifiers next season?
Hearts are playing in the Champions League qualifiers next season because Celtic's win over Rangers secured a top-two finish in the Scottish Premiership for both teams.
When was the last time Hearts qualified for the Champions League qualifiers?
Hearts last qualified for the Champions League qualifiers 20 years ago.
What does Celtic's win over Rangers mean for the Scottish Premiership standings?
Celtic's win over Rangers guarantees that both Celtic and Hearts will finish in the top two of the Scottish Premiership, while Rangers can now only finish third.
