Scottish Premiership state of play: With Rangers out of the title race, what do Hearts and Celtic need to win it?

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FT Desk

At half-time on Monday in the match between Rangers and Hearts, we were looking at the possibility of heading into the final three fixtures of the Scottish Premiership campaign with one point just separating the top three teams in the league.

Rangers went 1-0 up at Tynecastle thanks to a deflected strike from Dujon Sterling and had they held on, they would have gone on to 72 points, with Hearts' loss leaving them on 73 points and Celtic also on 73 points after their victory versus Hibs on Sunday.

However, Danny Rohl's men capitulated and are now out of the title race, with Hearts scoring two second-half goals via Stephen Kinglsey and Lawrence Shankland to win 2-1.

Nobody has lost fewer games than Rangers this season but they have drawn far too many (12) and are now seven points adrift of Hearts with three games remaining in the campaign.

This is going to be a shootout between Celtic and Hearts, the latter of whom are aiming to win their first title since 1960.

The Bhoys have won 12 out of the last 13 league titles but their dominance has been challenged this season after a disastrous campaign that has seen Martin O'Neil twice called upon to act as interim manager after Brendan Rodgers left the club and, of course, after the baffling appointment of Wilfried Nancy.

Over these two interim spells, O'Neill has won 17 out of 21 league games and, had he been in charge over Nancy's ludicrous tenure, it's safe to say Celtic may have had the title sewn up already.

Alas, they have played poorly yet continuously picked up points and are still in contention with three games to go.

Up next for them is a match against Glasgow rivals Rangers at home and the whole dynamic of that fixture changed after Rangers lost against Hearts. Rohl's side may have had their title hopes dashed, but they'll still do their utmost to stop Celtic winning yet another title.

In Rangers' last two trips to Celtic Park, they have won 3-1 and 3-2.

Should Celtic navigate that with a win, they will face Motherwell next Wednesday and then on to face Hearts on the final day.

Derek McInnes and his side take on Motherwell next week, then Falkirk midweek before the potential title showdown on Saturday, 16 May.

Hearts are three points ahead of Celtic at the moment and would need to lose at least one game in order for Celtic to have a hope of winning the Scottish Premiership.

Say Celtic beat both Rangers and Motherwell and Hearts beat both Motherwell and Falkirk, the Jambos would need a point at Celtic Park to become champions. Even if Celtic beat Hearts on the final day, this could very well come down to goal difference as Celtic sit on +27 while Hearts are on +32.

There are still twists and turns to come here and not only do Celtic probably need to win all three remaining matches, but in emphatic fashion in order to reduce that goal difference.

In the 2002/03 Scottish Premier League, the Bhoys lost the title on goal difference on the final day.

Incredibly, both Celtic and Rangers finished on 97 points and the latter won the league after a solitary goal in their favour proved the difference.

Celtic will, naturally, want to avoid a similar fate in 2025/26.