The Scottish Premiership post-split fixtures have been revealed, with key games to be shown live on Sky Sports during a thrilling run-in…
Key fixtures in the title race
Hearts are bidding to become the first non-Old Firm side to win the title in 41 years
League-leaders Hearts are one point clear of Rangers and three ahead of Celtic, with respective games against Motherwell, Falkirk and St Mirren to come before the split takes effect.
Hearts – who are bidding to win their first top-flight title since 1960 – face two games at home and three away during the run-in, starting with the final Edinburgh derby of the season away to Hibernian on April 26, live on Sky Sports.
They will then host Rangers on May 4 before travelling to Motherwell on May 9, with both games also live on Sky, before facing Falkirk at Tynecastle Park on May 13. Their final match of the season will be against current champions Celtic at Parkhead on May 16.
Danny Röhl’s Rangers will also be away from home in three of their final five matches. They host Motherwell in their first post-split match on April 26.
They are then away to Hearts on May 4 before the final Old Firm showdown of the season at Celtic Park on May 10, with both games live on Sky Sports.
Their final home game of the season will be against Hibernian on May 13 before ending the season at Falkirk on May 16.
The final Old Firm meeting this season will take place at Celtic Park on May 10
Meanwhile, champions Celtic will be at home three times in their final five games, starting with Falkirk on April 25 with the match live on Sky Sports.
Martin O’Neill’s side are then away to Hibernian on May 3 before hosting Rangers on May 10, both in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
They then take on Motherwell at Fir Park on May 13 before that season-ending clash with Hearts in the east end of Glasgow on May 16.
What about the race for Europe?
Motherwell are ahead of Hibernian in the race for securing European football
Whoever finishes fourth will be guaranteed a spot in the Conference League qualifiers, and it is Motherwell who lead that race as things stand.
Despite three defeats in four games, Jens Berthel Askou’s side are three points above Hibernian, and the two clubs will meet on May 16 at Easter Road.
Motherwell also face Rangers on April 26, Falkirk on May 2, Hearts on May 9 – live on Sky Sports – and Celtic on May 13.
Meanwhile, David Gray’s Hibs will take on Edinburgh rivals Hearts on April 26 and Celtic on May 3, both on Sky Sports. They then face Rangers at Ibrox on May 13.
Both clubs could yet land a European place, if Celtic win the league and the Scottish Cup.
While Falkirk would need to make up eight points on Motherwell to land an automatic European spot, they are in the Scottish Cup semi-finals. Winning that competition is another route available to John McGlynn’s side, as they bid to make an impressive season even more memorable.
Falkirk secured a top-six spot for the first time in 31 years
The relegation battle
Despite recent draws against Hearts and Rangers, Livingston have just one league win all season and are 11 points adrift of safety.
Once they have faced Dundee United in their final pre-split game, matches against St Mirren on April 25, Aberdeen on May 1, Dundee on May 9, Dundee United on May 12 and Kilmarnock on May 17 await in their battle to avoid an instant return to the Championship.
Livingston are trying to catch Kilmarnock in the battle to stay up
Kilmarnock – who face Dundee next – are three points adrift of those above them as they bid to move out of the relegation play-off spot.
Their season run-in starts away to Aberdeen on April 25, before facing Dundee United on May 2, St Mirren on May 9, Dundee on May 12 and Livingston on May 17.
St Mirren and Aberdeen are the two clubs directly above Killie, tied on 30 points, and Dons boss Stephen Robinson will once again pit his new club against his former club on May 12 at Pittodrie.
The Dons will also take on Kilmarnock on April 25, Livingston on May 1, Dundee United on May 9 and Dundee on May 17 as they battle to avoid relegation.
Stephen Robinson’s Aberdeen lost at former club St Mirren on his return to Paisley
As for League Cup winners and Scottish Cup semi-finalists St Mirren, their run-in shapes up with games against Livingston on April 25, Dundee on May 2, Kilmarnock on May 9, Aberdeen on May 12 and Dundee United on May 17.
Dundee are two points clear of those two, on 32 points in eighth place, while Dundee United are five points further ahead, having missed out on a top-six spot. The city rivals meet on April 26 at Tannadice Park as they both look to have positive ends to the campaign.
Initial games to be shown live on Sky Sports
- April 25: Celtic vs Falkirk, 5.30pm
- April 26: Hibernian vs Hearts, 4.30pm
- May 3: Hibernian vs Celtic, 12pm
- May 4: Hearts vs Rangers, 5.30pm
- May 9: Motherwell vs Hearts, 8pm
- May 10: Celtic vs Rangers, 12pm
Scottish Premiership post-split fixtures in full:
April 25
- Celtic vs Falkirk, kick-off 5.30pm – live on Sky Sports
- Aberdeen vs Kilmarnock, kick-off 3pm
- St Mirren vs Livingston, kick-off 3pm
April 26
- Rangers vs Motherwell, kick-off 3pm
- Hibernian vs Hearts, kick-off 4.30pm – live on Sky Sports
- Dundee United vs Dundee, kick-off 2pm
May 1
- Livingston vs Aberdeen, kick-off 7.45pm
May 2
- Falkirk vs Motherwell, kick-off 3pm
- Dundee vs St Mirren, kick-off 3pm
- Kilmarnock vs Dundee United, kick-off 3pm
May 3
- Hibernian vs Celtic, kick-off 12pm – live on Sky Sports
May 4
- Hearts vs Rangers, kick-off 5.30pm – live on Sky Sports
May 9
- Falkirk vs Hibernian, kick-off 3pm
- Motherwell vs Hearts, kick-off 8pm – live on Sky Sports
- Aberdeen vs Dundee United, kick-off 3pm
- Dundee vs Livingston, kick-off 3pm
- St Mirren vs Kilmarnock, kick-off 3pm
May 10
- Celtic vs Rangers, kick-off 12pm – live on Sky Sports
May 12
- Aberdeen vs St Mirren, kick-off 7.45pm
- Dundee United vs Livingston, kick-off 7.45pm
- Kilmarnock vs Dundee, kick-off 7.45pm
May 13
- Hearts vs Falkirk, kick-off 8pm
- Motherwell vs Celtic, kick-off 8pm
- Rangers vs Hibernian, kick-off 8pm
May 16
- Celtic vs Hearts, kick-off 12.30pm
- Falkirk vs Rangers, kick-off 12.30pm
- Hibernian vs Motherwell, kick-off 12.30pm
May 17
- Dundee vs Aberdeen, kick-off 2pm
- Livingston vs Kilmarnock, kick-off 2pm
- St Mirren vs Dundee United, kick-off 2pm
*fixtures subject to change
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