What do Hearts need to win the league? Scottish Premiership title permutations | OneFootball

Hearts are on the brink of winning a first league title since 1960 and breaking Celtic and Rangers’ duopoly of the Scottish Premiership.

Under Derek McInnes, Hearts have led the way for most of the season and head into Scottish football’s biggest week since 1985 with the title in their hands.

Aberdeen, under Sir Alex Ferguson, were the last team outside of Glasgow’s Old Firm to win the Scottish title but Celtic could yet win a fifth in a row and they are also in control of their destiny.

Hearts go into tonight’s penultimate league fixture against Falkirk just one point ahead of Celtic, who they then visit on the final day of the season when the title could be decided at Parkhead.

1) Hearts | Played: 36, Points: 77, GD+ 32

Remaining fixtures

Hearts: Falkirk (h), Celtic (a)

Celtic: Motherwell (a), Hearts (h)

How Hearts can win the league tonight

After a thrilling title race full of twists or turns, it could all come down to tonight.

If Hearts beat Falkirk at home and Celtic lose away to Motherwell, Hearts will be champions with one game to spare.

Both games kick-off at the same time (8pm BST), so any goals at Tynecastle or Fir Park will filter through to the other team.

Celtic can guarantee the title goes down to the final day as long as they avoid defeat at Motherwell.

Although Hearts can win the title tonight, Celtic’s fate is also still in their hands.

That’s after Hearts were held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell and Celtic beat Rangers last weekend.

Therefore, as long as Celtic match Hearts’ result this evening, they can lift the title on Saturday with any type of win against Hearts at Parkhead.

If Celtic win tonight and Hearts either lose or draw, Celtic would go into Saturday knowing a draw to Hearts would be enough.

What happens if they finish level on points?

There are two ways this could happen: either Hearts lose to Falkirk and Celtic draw against Motherwell, followed by a draw on the final day, or Hearts beat Falkirk and Celtic draw against Motherwell, followed by a Celtic win on the final day.

The tiebreakers are goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head points.

Hearts currently have the better goal difference. In the first scenario, Hearts would need to lose to Falkirk by three goals in order for Celtic to go into the final day knowing a draw is enough. If Hearts win tonight and Celtic draw, Celtic would need to not only win on Saturday, but do so by a big scoreline.