Celtic are well in the title race after securing a draw at Ibrox last weekend in a pulsating Scottish Premiership affair.
The Bhoys will take encouragement from their performance and the way they managed to navigate a clash in difficult circumstances, with Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley and Adam Idah hitting the target.
Nevertheless, there is bound to be a tinge of disappointment in the ranks as we couldn’t hold on despite leading on two occasions.
On a positive note, Celtic kept their destiny intact and know that six victories from their final Scottish Premiership fixtures will be enough to guarantee Brendan Rodgers another league title north of the border.
Of course, that won’t be an easy feat. Former Hoops manager Neil Lennon pointed out that Celtic could face difficult tests against Kilmarnock and St Mirren away from home post-split.
Rugby Park has been a frustrating arena for the Bhoys this term, and they have yet to topple the Ayrshire outfit in two attempts on their artificial surface.
In the cold light of day, these are the fixtures you need to find a way to negotiate on the road to becoming champions, which is still a realistic prospect for Celtic as the run-in continues.
Davie Hay believes title race may now be in Celtic’s ‘favour’
Hoops icon Davie Hay has taken a lot of encouragement from Celtic’s exploits at Ibrox last weekend and believes our stalemate at Ibrox may have slightly shifted the league-winning odds in our favour.
Despite this, the 76-year-old has also thrown caution to the wind, warning that an unexpected slip-up could be in store for either side before all is said and done.
He stated [The Daily Record]: “While Sunday’s game could have been defining – the one at Celtic Park will be. Although Celtic might feel they were 2-0 up and should have gone on to win it and Rangers maybe feel they fought back to get a merited draw – I do think it’s actually swung in Celtic’s favour.
“Had they lost at the weekend they could have been left five points behind going into the post split fixtures. But that’s not the case. It’s now a matter of winning six games to win the league.
“Yes, Rangers will think a draw at Celtic Park might be enough. But, given the recent history of these games, I think it’s slightly in Celtic’s favour going into the final stretch. Then again, who knows? There could still be a slip-up to come elsewhere that none of us see coming!
“That’s the beauty of having a real title challenge because there’s not been one in a while and both teams will feel they can do it.”
Celtic just need to focus on the job at hand
It would be easy to become distracted at this moment in the season; however, Celtic can only focus on themselves at this moment in time, knowing they have the power to win the league without relying on favours from elsewhere.
The upcoming Glasgow Derby at Parkhead will be a very important encounter in the context of the campaign; however, there are five other fixtures with the same significance still to come.
Taking care of St Mirren on Saturday is the only thing Rodgers should be concerned with for now, ahead of an exciting run of fixtures in the split.