European football has ended for the week, and Celtic’s focus now shifts to what promises to be a thrilling Sunday in the Scottish Premiership.
The Bhoys face Ross County in a live Sky Sports lunchtime kick-off, while Aberdeen play Hearts at Pittodrie and Rangers visit St Johnstone on Premier Sports at night.
There are intriguing storylines everywhere as we approach the weekend.
Celtic will strive to overcome their 7-1 loss against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. A answer is required.
Aberdeen are soaring high under summer signing Jimmy Thelin, with 18 points from 18 games, and can’t help but dream of a historic season.
Rangers, meanwhile, suffered their own crushing European setback in the Europa League, falling 4-1 at home to Lyon. They now face the terrible prospect of combining Thursday night football with a quick turnaround to Sunday, knowing they can’t afford to slip farther behind the top two teams even this early in the season.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
| 1 |  Celtic |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 18 |
| 2 |  Aberdeen |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 18 |
| 3 |  Rangers |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 13 |
| 4 |  Motherwell |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 10 |
Aberdeen confidence hard to ignore as they keep pace with Celtic
Without their own European campaign, the Dons see today as an opportunity to capitalise on the efforts of others.
Their visitors, Hearts, had a tiring voyage away to Dinamo Minsk on Thursday, despite winning 2-1.
Aberdeen see it as a potentially important day for them in every way, especially given Celtic and Rangers’ difficult challenges.
According to Leighton Clarkson [Aberdeen Live], teams in the Scottish league may struggle to meet the demands of European competition. When you arrive in Europe, you may not deal with the league’s main source of revenue.
“We play Hearts, and they’re in Azerbaijan, which is a lengthy travel. We are not in Europe, so we have a slight edge heading into the game by not having to fly eight hours there and back. Yes, Europe is challenging, but that is what we aim for.”
Three Celtic points and pressure required
First, with a 12pm kickoff, Celtic must confidently conquer the County test and put pressure on the clubs in second and third place.
It’s even more crucial now, following Tuesday’s big drop. Any negative feelings cannot be allowed to fester. Over the last two months, we’ve seen how confidence and buzz around the club have affected performance and outcomes.
Brendan Rodgers’ side will look to spark that in the Highlands, allowing the Dons and Rangers to work later to catch up.
It’s one of those days that feels like a thriller. Hopefully, Celtic fans are smiling broadly as they prepare for the international break.
Read more at: https://sportupdates.co.uk
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