CELTIC must win at Ibrox this afternoon if they hope to emulate the points total of Brendan Rodgers’ team that won the title in 2017/18 in the double treble season.
It has been a cataclysmic Premiership crusade with the quest for a historic tenth successive championship buried under a sequence of unacceptable results.
However, If the Hoops manage to win their remaining three league games – starting with Steven Gerrard’s team in the midday encounter – they will complete the term on 82 points.
Remarkably, that will be equal the achievement of Rodgers’ team when they celebrated their seventh successive championship in what was hoped would lead to 10 in a row.
That dream was derailed following some inexplicable displays and inexcusable defeats which led to Neil Lennon leaving the manager’s job in February two days after a 1-0 flop against Ross County in Dingwall.
DELIGHT AND DESPAIR…Mohamed Elyounoussi runs away after scoring his superb header in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead. Allan McGregor and Filip Helander are beaten.
However, the fact still remains this squad can reach the same points total as the much-vaunted team three years ago that also won the Scottish Cup and Betfred League Cup, beating Motherwell 2-0 twice in the Hampden silverware showpieces.
Rodgers saw his team win 24 games, lose four – against Hearts, Kilmarnock, Hibs and Aberdeen – while drawing 10. They scored 73 goals and conceded 25 with a goal difference of 48. They completed the league campaign with 82 points.
Lennon and interim manager John Kennedy have witnessed the side win 21 games, lose the identical amount – to Steven Gerrard’s team twice, St Mirren and Ross County – while drawing 10. They have netted 73 goals, conceded 25 with the same goal difference of 48. They sit on 73 points – 20 adrift of the Ibrox side who have won their first title in a decade.
After Ibrox, Celtic host St Johnstone on May 12 and bring down the curtain on a disappointing term against Hibs at Easter Road three days later.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Rangers v Celtic this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
