Hearts v Motherwell – Match Preview
A massive match for both teams, as Hearts look to extend their lead at the top of the table against Motherwell, who haven’t won in four. It was a thriller the last time these two sides met at Tynecastle, the result ending 3-3. And that was just the start of what was going to be a fantastic season for both. Hearts have remained on top of the table for much of the season. However, their colossal lead at the top has been cut down to just one point with six games remaining. But Hearts have shown over the course of the league campaign that any setbacks will not phase them. And after last weekends draw with bottom of the table Livingston, which will feel like a defeat to the Hearts squad and support, it’s so important that three points are collected in the final fixture before the split. On a positive note for Hearts, they remain undefeated in the league at Tynecastle this season, which shows how much of an important factor the Hearts fans are in the race for their first league title in 66 years. Hearts player to watch: Lawrence Shankland For Motherwell, they have also had a remarkable season. Jens Berthel Askou has certainly changed Motherwell’s technical brand, as they have been playing some of the best football the country has seen in a long time. The Steelmen currently sit in fourth place, three points ahead of Hibs. And they have the chance to cause damage in Hearts’ title challenge on Saturday afternoon. Although Motherwell have only picked up one point in four matches, the quality on show throughout the season from Askou’s side expresses that they will be coming to Edinburgh in hope to get back to winning ways. Motherwell player to watch: Elijah Just
“I thought he was terrific” – Derek McInnes on Lawrence Shankland’s return
Lawrence Shankland returned with 90 minutes in Hearts’ 2-2 draw with Livingston and had a major part to play in both goals. Shankland equalised for Hearts midway through the first half, as well as assisting striker partner Claudio Braga to give Hearts their second goal in West Lothian. The striker was missing for eight matches with a hamstring injury and was given a cameo introduction during Hearts’ victory over Dundee before the international break. And the Hearts talisman delivered on his first full 90 minutes back from injury, showing his quality to keep Hearts at the top of the table. After the match, McInnes said: “I thought he [Shankland] was terrific throughout, I thought he linked the play brilliantly, but he looked a threat, his headers top class, and he was in the middle of the goal so often. I think you see exactly what he is today.” McInnes also talked about how big a miss Shankland and others have been in recent fixtures, especially away from home. He said: “I think we’ve missed certain players within it, to be honest. I don’t think we’ve had the same attacking threat of late without Shankland and others.” With six matches remaining, the Hearts support will be looking for their captain and other key players to show their fine form that has been produced throughout the season. In hope to take the Scottish Premiership title away from Glasgow for the first time since 1985.
“I was proud of them” – Marvin Bartley
Marvin Bartley’s Livingston side held Hearts to an enthralling 2-2 draw in Livingston, despite going behind in the second half. Derek McInnes and 7,000 Hearts fans travelled to Livingston in hope to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership. However, bottom of the table Livingston held the table toppers to a draw, in what was a massive blow for Hearts in their chase for the Scottish Premiership. Hearts took the lead early in the second half, courtesy of Claudio Braga. After himself and Lawrence Shankland combined to put Hearts ahead. And it looked like Hearts would then find comfort and potentially extend their lead. But Lewis Smith had other ideas, as he found an equaliser for the hosts in the 58th minute. Livingston showed fantastic belief and character throughout the match and were rewarded with a well-deserved point. They could have even won all three points in the closing stages. When Robbie Muirhead was found through on goal, before being cynically fouled by Marc Leonard, resulting in a red card after a VAR check. After the strong performance, Marvin Bartley said: “I was proud of them, because it’s very easy when you’ve got 7,000 Hearts supporters, you’re 2-1 down and bottom of the league to feel sorry for yourself. But they went the other way. “I was really pleased with the way that they did play today. I thought Rangers here as well, we did extremely well. And in parts again, away to Celtic. “This team will keep on fighting. We take every game in isolation, because if you start looking at the league table at 2-1 down, you probably don’t get the reaction that they did give you. “Hearts fans probably came here today and thought it was going to be an easy game. But we came back into the game, and we were pushing for a winner at the end.” An unfortunate season for Livingston. However, since the introduction of Bartley, there has been strong performances in recent times against the top three. It demonstrates that Bartley and his side will not stop pushing until its mathematically over.
Italy fail to qualify for the World Cup yet again
The Azzurri national team were defeated by Bosnia in a penalty shootout to deny their hopes on qualifying for the World Cup. It’s for the third time in a row that Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup. Which means the four-time champions will have to settle to watch from home yet again. From the remarkable 2020 European Championship victory to heartbreak again in Bosnia on Tuesday evening, the once dominant legacy of Italian football seems to be losing its identity. Speaking after the match, Gennaro Gattuso said: “The lads didn’t deserve to take a beating like that. “We needed this [World Cup qualification]. For ourselves, for Italy, for our sport. A blow like this is hard to take. “Personally, I apologise for not making it to the World Cup.” A massive upset for the Italian nation, and one that’s becoming a familiar feeling for the Italian fans. Sweden and North Macedonia have both denied Italy spots into the World Cup in recent years, marking a minimum 16 year wait for Italy if they can progress into the 2030 World Cup tournament when it arrives.
Roberto De Zerbi in negotiations with Spurs to become next manager
A disastrous season for Spurs is in urgent need of a helping hand, and Roberto De Zerbi is in talks to become that man. Following Igor Tudor’s mutual exit yesterday, Spurs are now in desperate need of a turnaround to save themselves from potential relegation. Igor Tudor’s reign wasn’t pleasant for Spurs fans to say the least. The Croatian suffered five defeats and lasted 44 days. And after the recent defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forrest, it was the inevitable Tudor wouldn’t manage the club again. Tottenham are now just one point away from the relegation drop and only have seven wins to their name all season, with seven matches remaining. However, former Brighton and Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi, is now in talks to become the man to keep Spurs afloat in the Premier League. De Zerbi took Brighton to their highest finish ever in Premier League history, breaking records and finishing 6th, taking the club to their first European competition. Something that former Spurs interim boss Tudor has never came across. Which has now resulted in Tottenham fans crying out loud for a manager with that vital Premier League experience. If De Zerbi is appointed, will he be able to steady the ship and keep Tottenham Hotspur playing Premier League football next season?
Rabbi Matondo to depart Rangers in the coming days
The Welsh international is expected to leave Rangers and join SK Brann in the Norwegian top flight. Matondo, who only has three months left on his Rangers contract, is expected to leave the club early after a Rangers career poisoned with injuries. The 25-year-old winger was unexpectedly called up to the Welsh international side this international break. However, he wasn’t included in Wales’s disappointing defeat to Bosnia in hope to qualify for the World Cup. Matondo has played just one minute in the league and made two Scottish Cup appearances for Rangers this season. Even when Matondo is fit, he is still unable to convince manager Danny Rohl. So, a move away from the club would most likely be suited for both parties. Matondo is likely to sign a short deal with the Norwegian club, but the Welshman will surely be looking forward to getting a fresh start after what’s been a disappointing Rangers career.
Some of the world class Brazilians to play against Scotland
As we approach the World Cup, the well exhilarated fixture between Scotland and Brazil comes closer day by day. So, here are some well-known Brazilian icons that have previously played against Scotland. Pele – One of the greatest of all time Pele, featured at Hampden Park for a friendly fixture against Scotland. And there is a fantastic story behind it. Brazil used Troon Juniors ground to train for the fixture, while Pele soaked in the atmosphere with the locals at the seaside. A whopping 75,000 people were in attendance for the 1-1 draw at Hampden Park, were Celtic’s Stevie Chalmers scored for Scotland. The Brazilian icon and three-time World Cup winner scored 77 goals in 92 official international matches. As well as over 640 goals in 659 appearances for Santos. Jairzinho – Jairzinho met Scotland on four occasions, he scored in one of the fixtures. He achieved one World Cup in his career, as well as nine goals in 16 appearances in the competition. When he won the World Cup in 1970, he took the headline’s and scored in all six of Brazil’s fixtures, a record that is still unbroken to this day. A Botafogo legend, as well as a World Cup hero, Jairzinho will always go down in history for his fantastic footballing ability. Zico – Zico met Scotland twice, and damaged Scotland on both occasions, scoring two goals in two matches. Zico often gets noted as the best player to not win a World Cup, which speaks greatly about his talent. In 1982 especially, one of the greatest ever Brazil teams were knocked out by Italy, crushing all hopes in grabbing another World Cup title. However, Zico’s career was phenomenal. A great servant to Flamengo and Brazil, saw him lead his club to several titles in his time. For Brazil, Zico is in the top five for all time scorers for country, scoring 48 goals in 71 appearances. Roberto Carlos – Roberto Carlos met Scotland in the World Cup of 1998, when they defeated Craig Brown’s side 2-1. The one-time World Cup winner, two-time Copa America winner and three-time Champions League winner had an incredible career. Carlos was also a World Cup runner up in the France 98’ competition. The Brazilian is commonly believed to be one of the best left-backs of all time. With his fantastic period at Real Madrid, his cross of the ball and spectacular free-kicks were simply regarded as outstanding. Cafu – Cafu met Scotland in the 1998 World Cup in France. The two-time World Cup winner, two-time Copa America winner and Champions league winner with AC Milan is also commonly believed to be one of the best full-backs in history. Cafu captained Brazil to the 2002 World Cup in Japan. With 143 appearances for country, Cafu remains as the highest capped Brazilian in history, which emphasises the special career he had. Rivaldo – Rivaldo was also part of that squad that defeated Scotland in 98’. His incredible career was awarded with a Ballon d’Or in 1999 while playing with Barcelona, one World Cup, one Copa America, one Champions League with AC Milan and two La Liga’s with Barcelona. Also being regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders of all time, and a crucial factor of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup victory. Ronaldo – Ronaldo also featured in that Brazil squad that defeated Scotland in 98’. The Brazilian icon won two World Cups, two Copa America’s and received two Ballon d’Or’s. On top of that, he had a magnificent career at great clubs such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan. He scored over 400 goals throughout his career. The striker is also well known for his haircut during the 2002 World Cup. Neymar – Neymar met Scotland in a friendly in 2011, he scored the two goals in a 2-0 win. Neymar has won one Champions League in his career and became the highest goal scoring player ever for Brazil, as well as playing 123 times for the national team. The Brazilian also has a remarkable achievement of over 700 goal contributions throughout his career so far. Neymar also made a record-breaking transfer move in 2017, when he moved from Barcelona to PSG for €222 million.
Points shared at Firhill: A 0-0 draw keeps St Johnstone eight-points clear
Simo Valakari’s side left Firhill with one point to keep them as strong favourites to lift the Scottish Championship come the end of the season. A strong start for St Johnstone gave them the first opportunity of the match, but Jamie Gullan’s effort sailed past Josh Clarke’s goal. A careless mistake from Thistle’s Ts’ oanelo Lets’ osa, in a dangerous position, saw Ruari Paton’s strike saved unconvincingly by Clarke. However, no Saints players were in the box to punish The Jags error. Just over halfway into the first half, Thistle applied some dangerous pressure. Many continued efforts in the box saw the St Johnstone backline and goalkeeper Toby Steward scrambling to get the ball to safety. The end of the first half lacked real quality, with no team testing either goalkeeper, as well as many missed placed passes on show. In the opening five minutes of the second half, Alex Samuel had an effort on Steward’s goal. However, the Englishman in The Saints’ goal was untested. In the 61st minute, Ruari Paton’s free-kick delivery sailed past everyone in the box, a slight touch would have certainly put the visitors ahead. However, again no one was in a dangerous enough position to capitalize. Just after, Reece McAlear had an effort from long distance, but it just fell wide of Clarke’s post. However, the pressure from Simo Valakari’s side was certainly mounting. Josh McPake had a great chance to open the scoring from close range, but a lack of clinical conviction saw it go wide. Partick Thistle then found some confidence, with Ben Stanway’s half volley which just sailed wide of The Saints’ post. A heart in mouth moment in the 86th minute for Toby Steward saw him slip just outside the 18-yard box, Ricco Diak must have thought it was a tap-in to win it. However, The Saints’ stopper was lucky enough to be able to get a toe onto the ball and clear it to safety. Alex Samuel’s great work effort saw Thistle awarded a corner in the dying minutes of the match. But the corner didn’t bring any last-minute hope for The Jags. A 0-0 draw at Firhill most likely suits St Johnstone. But Thistle have to play two fixtures in short sequence before The Saints play their next match, which may add some pressure to St Johnstone if Mark Wilson’s side are able to collect six points out of six. Partick Thistle: Clarke (7), McBeth (6), Ashcroft (7), Loughrey (6), McPherson (5), Crawford (6), Lets’ Osa (5), Reading (5), Fitzpatrick (5), Stanway (5), Samuel (7) Subs: Diak (4), Turner (4), Ingram (4) St. Johnstone: Steward (7), Smith (6), Baird (6), Diabate (6), Boyes (6), McAlear (6), Holt (5), Stanton (5), Gullan (6), McPake (5), Paton (6) Subs: Fowler (4)
“I’ve seen us grow as a team” – Steven Pressley
Dundee scored two goals in the dying minutes of the match to equalize and ruin Dundee United’s bragging rights during an enthralling Dundee Derby. Pressley’s side looked finished, until the last three minutes of the match when an Ashley Hay’s striker instinct finish and Ross Graham own-goal saw United crumble at Dens Park. Dundee are now unbeaten in five, as they continue to move further away from a relegation play-off spot. Pressley accepted that his squad were poor for a good part of the match. But in these derby fixtures it’s important that you stay fully focused until the final whistle, and that’s what Jim Goodwin’s side failed to do. After the match, Pressley said: “I was thinking to myself, it could be a long week. It’s amazing how your fortunes change. “It could be a really important game for us, it also demonstrates that we have come a long way, but we’ve got a long, long way to go. “I’ve seen us grow as a team, and one of the things that we’ve grown in, is the confidence and belief in the ability to play under pressure.” A dramatic finish to what was a great final few minutes for The Dee support, just summed up the Scottish Premiership season so far. It’s a trip to Tynecastle for The Dee next week, as they look to ruin even more fun in Hearts’ chase for the title. For Dundee United, they host Celtic. And Jim Goodwin will be looking to repeat what he done at Tannadice just a matter of months ago and produce another upset in this captivating title race.
“There’s so much belief in our group” – Danny Röhl
Rangers were victorious in Paisley this afternoon as they defeated St Mirren by one goal to nil, however the performance was unconvincing. It was new January signing Tuur Rommens who separated the sides in the first half. And for the majority of the match, it was Rangers’ same old story as last weekend, lots of the ball but no real ruthlessness in front of goal. Youssef Chermiti had a great chance in the first half, which he should have scored, and ex-Rangers’ striker Kris Boyd had his say on the lack of attacking threat from The Gers. He said: “They don’t have a striker or strikers in there demanding the ball is crossed from the wide areas. “There’s no better feeling in the world than scoring goals on a regular basis and if you can do it to lead your team to a title. That is what’s at stake for Rangers right now. “I don’t see that ruthlessness from Rangers’ strikers.” However, the main task today for Rangers was to get nothing less than a win and narrow the gap at the top to just three points. And they managed to complete that task. After the match, Rohl said: “I felt this morning when we met each other, there was so much energy in the dressing room. It was fantastic. “There’s so much belief in our group, there’s no doubt that we can achieve something this season. But you have to take the results and today we did. “I think the table now looks better than before this matchday and this is great.” Wins are vital at this stage in the season, but The Gers support will be looking to see some more commanding victories in the weeks to come.
