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What now for 'epic' Scottish title race after Old Firm draw?

Story by[BBC]Nick McPheat - BBC Sport ScotlandSun, March 1, 2026 at 5:51 PM UTC·6 min read"This title run-in is going to be epic."That was the view of former Celtic striker Chris Sutton after he had just watched his former side stage a two-goal comeback in a seismic Old Firm derby. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, even after that second-half fightback at the home of their city rivals, Hearts still ended the day as the big winners, watching the carnage unfold after grinding out another win 24 hours prior. Following an enthralling 2-2 draw at Ibrox, Derek McInnes' Scottish Premiership leaders are six points clear of Rangers and eight ahead of Celtic, who have a game in hand. Motherwell also have a match to spare and sit fourth, 10 points adrift of the summit but within touching distance of the Glasgow pair. So, amid one of the most captivating title fights in the history of Scotland's top flight, what is the state of play for each of the four clubs involved?AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement'Hearts & Motherwell the winners after damaging Old Firm stalemate'Sir Alex, 'unbelievable' Braga & Tynecastle keep Hearts on courseHow one of Europe's best defences has Motherwell in title mixHearts - 63 pointsClaudio Braga was the match-winner for Hearts against Aberdeen [SNS]When people expect Hearts to stall, they motor. A 4-2 defeat to Rangers a fortnight ago seemed damaging at the time, but two weeks and two 1-0 wins later, it feels they are now in a stronger position than ever before with the finish line drawing closer. Celtic face Aberdeen in their game in hand on Wednesday. If Martin O'Neill's men win that, Hearts will still be five clear with nine to play. Two of the Jambos' next three fixtures are against the bottom two, with a visit from Dundee sandwiched in between. Football is not played on paper, but McInnes' side will be strong favourites to win each of their next three before Motherwell come to Tynecastle in their final pre-split encounter. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the aftermath of Hearts' narrow victory over Aberdeen on Saturday, former Hearts forward Ryan Stevenson said: "I think Hearts will win the league. I genuinely do."I cannot see them buckling.

What now for 'epic' Scottish title race after Old Firm draw?

Credit: Yahoo

Key Highlights

  • I cannot see them losing three or four games.
  • I just can't see Hearts losing the title now."Remaining opponents before split: Kilmarnock (A); Dundee (H); Livingston (A); Motherwell (H). Potential maximum points haul: 90Rangers - 57 pointsYoussef Chermiti's clinical double was not enough to earn Rangers a derby win [SNS]Some statement January business from Rangers was expected to propel them into being title favourites.
  • Last month's win over Hearts only added to that. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, they are proving to become unpredictable under Danny Rohl and worries about the Ibrox side's mentality are resurfacing. Rangers have only lost once in the league under the German, who has done an impressive job to drag the team back into contention after Russell Martin's dismal reign, but four draws in their past six league outings have prompted questions. They lacked creativity in a goalless draw at Hibernian last month, surrendered leads to Motherwell and Celtic, and had to come from two down to rescue a point at bottom side Livingston. Following Sunday's 2-2 draw with Celtic, former Rangers and Hearts midfielder Andy Halliday suggested Rohl might have regretted his second-half approach. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Rangers completely dominated the first 45 minutes, played forward, played with loads of energy," the Motherwell man said.
  • "It was completely roles reversed in the second half."Is there an element of frustration from Rohl and his staff that it almost felt like Rangers tried to hold on to what they had instead of trying to continue what was working ever so successfully for them in the first half?". Remaining opponents before split: St Mirren (A); Aberdeen (H); Dundee Utd (H); Falkirk (A). Potential maximum points haul: 84Celt.
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  1. What now for 'epic' Scottish title race after Old Firm draw?

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

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