PREVIEW: Celtic travel to Easter Road aiming to keep title hopes alive

PREVIEW: Celtic travel to Easter Road aiming to keep title hopes alive

Celtic travel to European-chasing Hibernian on Sunday lunchtime knowing that anything but a win could see the title slip further from their grasp.

The Hoops find themselves third and three points adrift of leaders Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and with only four games remaining, will know that there is no room for error if they want to retain their title.

It certainly will not be plain sailing however, as opponents Hibs are still in the race for European football, but like Celtic, will know that any more dropped points between now and the end of the season may see them have to settle for a fifth place finish. The Hibees currently sit six points behind Motherwell in fourth, and five clear of Falkirk in sixth.

With Hibs still to play both before the end of the season, David Gray will be desperate for his side to build momentum and mount a late push for fourth place and European football.

The holders come into this one in better form than their opponents having won four on the bounce since their disappointing defeat against Dundee United at the end of March. Having clawed their way back into the title race and reached a fourth consecutive Scottish Cup final, Martin O’Neill is desperate for his side to continue their recent form.

Speaking to the media in the build up to the game, he said: “There’s still a distance to go, but we’ve fought back.

“We’re winning some matches, we’ve got a lot of work to do but we’re still there fighting, with a chance.”

The sides last met in February, when Hibs ran out 2-1 winners at Parkhead, courtesy of a late goal from Coventry loanee Kai Andrews. Martin O’Neill mentioned how tough a game he was expecting, especially after that previous result: “It’s a really difficult task for us. They beat us at Celtic Park so I’m sure they’ll want to complete the double over us in that sense, so it’s a really big game for us.”

David Gray is hoping to use his side’s first victory at Celtic Park in 16 years as a source of confidence, but has insisted it wouldn’t make Sunday’s game any different: “It hadn’t been done for a long time. Thankfully, we managed to overturn that history this year, which was great, so you take the confidence from that.