Linda Motlhalo’s Glasgow City has one hand on the Scottish Women’s Premier League title – and it’s all in their hands as they go into the final day of the season in pole position with a two-point advantage.
But Super Sunday for Women’s Football in Scotland is a three-way tie.
Glasgow City travels to Ibrox to face second-placed Rangers who are just two points behind, level with the third-placed Celtic that will tackle Hearts who are in fourth place, but the latter is out of contention.
Motlhalo’s side are on 80 points, while Rangers and Celtic are on 78 each, with Rangers enjoying a slender lead of one-goal difference.
Hearts are on 49.
Permutations:
- Glasgow City have their destiny in their hands – win the match, the title is theirs regardless of what happens elsewhere
- A draw for Glasgow City and Rangers will bring Celtic into the mix, and the latter will have to win by a big margin to secure the trophy
- A Rangers win and Celtic draw or loss – Rangers will be crowned champions
- Should both Rangers and Celtic win, then goal difference will come into play to determine the champions
- As matters stand, Glasgow are on a +93 goal difference, while Rangers are on a +103 goal difference, with Celtic on +102
Last month Glasgow City lost 2-1 at home to Rangers, but earlier this year in January they managed a goalless draw.
“We know exactly what’s at stake on Sunday. There’s a huge excitement within the dressing room, within the club. We’ve got a full week of training, which is nice, because it’s not happened recently in terms of the busy fixtures that we’ve had. We’ll be fully prepared. It’s huge. There’s obviously three teams that can still win the title. Probably in terms of excitement, probably the SWPL couldn’t have written it any better for themselves,” Glasgow City coach Leanne Ross told BBC Sport.
FORM GUIDE OF THE THREE TEAMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE LAST FIVE MATCHES:
Overall:
- Glasgow City: WLWWW
- Rangers: WWWWD
- Celtic: WWWLW
Home:
- Glasgow City: WWWLL
- Rangers: WDWDW
- Celtic: WLWWL
Away:
- Glasgow City: LWWWW
- Rangers: WWWWW
- Celtic: WWWWD
A Glasgow City win will mean their dominance continues as they will be lifting their 15th trophy in 16 seasons, while a Rangers victory will hand the defending champions back to back titles.
For Celtic, this will be history in the making as they will win the league for the first time.
With three teams in line for lifting the title, the league organisers will tread carefully on Super Sunday regarding the trophy, but definitely won’t use a helicopter to hover over the two venues.
“Not quite a helicopter, more of an SUV Sunday than a Helicopter Sunday. We’ll be based here [at Hampden] but we’ll have a team at Ibrox, a team at Celtic Park, ready for any presentation we need to do. I’ll be with the trophy all day, based here at Hampden and I’m under no illusions. It’s unlikely that we’ll get certainty anytime soon, but we’ll start heading to the venue that’s the likely recipient as soon as we can. I can imagine a three-point turn on the motorway at some point may be needed,” Fiona McIntyre, Managing Director of SWPL, told Sky Sports.
Should they clinch victory, this will be Motlhalo’s first league title abroad.
In South Africa she won the Gauteng Sasol League in 2016, but finished second in the national tournament.
In 2018 she moved to Houston Dash (USA), and the SAFA Women’s League started a year later (2019).
The gifted midfielder has also played in China for Beijing BG Phoenix, and spent three seasons in Sweden with Djurgardens before being signed by Glasgow City in January this year.
It will also be her second major trophy after helping the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana to their maiden continental title in Morocco in July last year.
By Matlhomola Morake
