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Celtic vs Hearts, Scottish Premiership: TV channel, kick-off time, live stream, referee, injury, team news

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Nicol backs Celtic to win Scottish title over Hearts (1:18)

Steve Nicol backs Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership decider over Hearts, because their "experience is going to be too much." (1:18)

The Scottish Premiership comes down to the final day of the season, as Celtic welcome Hearts to Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon, with the two title rivals set for a major finale in Glasgow.

Hearts are hoping to end a 41 year Celtic/Rangers duopoly in the Premiership by lifting the title -- which would be their first since 1960. Defending champions Celtic are a point behind in second place in the table, and to retain their title, they need to beat Hearts at home.

That the Premiership even came down to the final day owed a lot to VAR, as a controversial penalty awarded to Celtic in injury-time on Wednesday saw Kelechi Iheanacho score to give his side a 3-2 win over Motherwell.

Hearts, meanwhile, come into this game on the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over Falkirk, and even a draw at Celtic Park would be enough for them to be crowned champions.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the title decider.


How to watch:

The match will be shown on Sky Sports in the UK, CBS in the U.S. and beIN Sports in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.


Key Details:

Kick-off time: Sunday, May 10 at 12:30 p.m. BST (7.30 a.m. ET and 9.30 p.m. AEST).
Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow
Referee: Don Robertson
VAR: Kevin Clancy


Injury and Team News:

Celtic

Colby Donovan, D: hamstring, OUT
Julián Araujo, D: thigh, OUT
Kasper Schmeichel, GK: shoulder, OUT
Callum Osmand, F: hamstring, OUT
Adam Montgomery, D: calf, OUT
Cameron Carter-Vickers, D: achilles tendon, OUT
Jota, F: ACL, OUT

Hearts

Craig Halkett, D: ACL, OUT
Oisin McEntee, D: hamstring, OUT
Tómas Magnússon, M: thigh, OUT
Craig Gordon, GK, shoulder, OUT
Ageu, M: thigh, OUT
Calem Nieuwenhof, M: hamstring, OUT
Finlay Pollock, M: hamstring, OUT


Talking Points:

Can Hearts keep their focus amidst the 60,000 fans at Celtic Park?

For a brief period on Wednesday, Hearts were champions. Motherwell were beating Celtic, and Hearts were ahead against Falkirk. For the fans, and players, to then digest the wild swings of fortune, that saw Celtic equalise, then take the lead, then concede before the denouement of the 99th-minute penalty... is a lot.

Derek McInnes' side had their hands on the trophy but they now step into the cauldron of Celtic Park, and have to earn a result to seal the title. History isn't with them -- Hearts famously have lost out on the title on the final day on two previous occasions (including against Celtic in 1986), and the last place they'd have wanted to visit was Glasgow to take on Martin O'Neill's side.

Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland was at pains to point out that his side had already beaten Celtic both home (3-1) and away (2-1) this season, although those games were overseen for Celtic by Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy. O'Neill's side earned a 2-2 draw at Tynecastle in January despite going down to ten men, and have the spirit to offer up much more opposition.

The 60,000 strong crowd in Glasgow will certainly have their say, and Hearts have to keep their heads if they are to get over the line.

Will VAR decide the destiny of the Premiership title?

Hearts boss Derek McInnes was raging at VAR and it wasn't even a decision involving his team. Gary Lineker called it the 'worst VAR decision I've seen,' former Scotland striker Don Hutchinson called it the 'worst decision of all time', and McInnes himself said it was 'disgusting.

Sam Nicholson's handball looked dubious at the best of times, and it doesn't help the Scottish FA's case that the game had poor calls before, while McInnes was only to keen to point out Hearts being denied a couple of penalties in their 1-1 draw against Motherwell last weekend. Given the standard of refereeing decisions, it's perhaps to be expected that VAR could prove pivotal in the title decider as well.

On the pitch however, Celtic still have to deal with the reality that they were out-shot and out-created by a Motherwell side 21 points behind them in the table and now face a Hearts attack that has missed 27 fewer big chances them.

VAR might have its say, but before that, the players on either side could.

What do the numbers say?

  • No team other than Celtic and Rangers have won the Scottish Premiership since 1985 -- when a certain Sir Alex Ferguson led Aberdeen to the title.

  • This is the first time two teams are going head-to-head for the title on the final day of the season since 1991, when Rangers faced Aberdeeen (and won).

  • The last two times Hearts have led the Premiership table going into the final day of the season, they have lost the title both times (1965 and 1986).

  • Celtic have not kept a clean sheet in their last five games, while Hearts have kept the most clean sheets in the competition.