Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic could be facing an awkward post-split scenario should the Premiership shape up the way it’s currently heading.
The Hoops are currently top of the table, with Rangers, Hearts, Motherwell, Hibernian and Dundee United making up the rest of the top six.
Aberdeen, St. Mirren and Livingston are also in with an outside chance of making the top six after matchday 33.
At that stage the league splits into two, with each side playing five more matches against the other sides in their half.
It’s a complex system that often leads to some unfair scenarios.
And Celtic could be on the end of that this time round.
SPFL nightmare could force Celtic into unfair post split scenario
By the split, Celtic will have played 16 matches at home and 17 away.
To ensure we end up with 19 home and 19 away, 3 of our post-split fixtures will be at Celtic Park.
The derby against Rangers will be one of them – but that’s when the uncertainty comes in.
Only Dundee United, of the rest of the league’s current top six, would be due a home match against us.
Hearts, Motherwell and Hibernian would all be due to come to Celtic Park, as would 7th placed Aberdeen and 8th placed Livingston, should they squeeze into the top six.
This, coupled with the need for 19 home and away matches, means that Celtic will almost certainly be asked to visit one or two grounds for a third time this season.
The SPFL aim to avoid this scenario at the start of every season, but they seem to have had a bit of a nightmare with their early season schedule this time around.
In the first round of fixtures we visited Rangers, Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Motherwell.
Given that those sides are traditionally some of the best performing in Scotland, it surely can come as no surprise that they’re occupying the higher places in the league.
It all seems a bit avoidable on the SPFL’s part – and they’ll be hoping the likes of Dundee United and St. Mirren can finish in the top half.
But in the mean time, if Celtic keep winning then these late fixtures may not even matter.
In other news, there’s more PPV pain on the horizon for Celtic fans tonight, but good news is on the horizon
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