Scottish Premiership: Hearts and Celtic set for winner-takes-all finale after dramatic title twist

The Scottish Premiership title race will go down to the final day, with Celtic set to host Heart of Midlothian in a winner-takes-all showdown in Glasgow.

However, the reigning champions’ dramatic 3-2 comeback victory against Motherwell to keep their hopes alive was a major talking point.

The dramatic penultimate matchday twist

For much of Wednesday evening, Hearts were on their way to one of the greatest achievements in Scottish football following a nail-biting Scottish Premiership title race.

The Jambos did their part by comfortably thrashing Falkirk 3-0 at Tynecastle Park to move onto 80 points.

Celtic looked set to drop points at Fir Park after Liam Gordon’s late equaliser for Motherwell.

That combination of results would have left Hearts needing only to avoid a heavy defeat on the final day to secure their first Scottish league title since 1960. 

It would have also been enough for them to make history as the first club outside the Glasgow duo to win the Premiership in over four decades.

However, a controversial last-minute penalty at Fir Park changed everything.

Celtic were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time after a VAR review judged Motherwell midfielder Sam Nicholson to have handled the ball inside the box. 

Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho stepped up and calmly converted from the spot in the 100th minute, reigniting Celtic’s hopes of retaining the crown.

Iheanacho’s penalty kept the Hoops within one point of Hearts heading into Saturday’s blockbuster title showdown at Parkhead.

Dream or dynasty? Hearts and Celtic set for winner-takes-all finale

Hearts are still chasing immortality. Fortunately for them, their fate is still in their hands.

The stakes could not be higher heading into the season finale, but Hearts are in a position where they still have a slim margin for error.

The Jambos need either a win or a draw away to Celtic to make history by becoming Scottish champions for the first time in over six decades.

Unfortunately for Celtic, it’s win or bust. They must come away with all three points to retain the crown for the sixth consecutive season.

Hearts fans would have preferred not to wait until the last fixture to be confirmed champions after the heartbreak of the 1985/86 season, when the Jambos lost the title on the final day.

Wednesday night was supposed to erase those painful memories, but the title race now comes down to a winner-takes-all showdown.

The last team not named Celtic or Rangers to win the Premiership was Aberdeen in 1985, led by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.

If Hearts pull it off, they’ll end more than four decades of Glasgow dominance and become one of the defining stories in Scottish football history.