Kris Boyd believes Celtic will win the Scottish Premiership title if they get past Motherwell on Wednesday night, saying a result at Fir Park would leave them poised to finish the job on Saturday. The former striker said Celtic do not need anything extravagant now, only to avoid defeat in North Lanarkshire and keep the pressure on Hearts.
Celtic's Old Firm win over Rangers and Hearts' draw at Fir Park earlier in the week cut the gap at the top to one point, tightening a race that had looked far more open. Boyd said if Celtic do not lose on Wednesday, he expects them to win on Saturday, adding that the title picture changes sharply if they can take care of Motherwell first.
That leaves Hearts with a narrow and difficult path of their own. A Celtic loss in North Lanarkshire would open the door for Hearts to win the league if they beat Falkirk at Tynecastle, but Boyd pointed to injuries in the Hearts squad and said key players have already been missed. He singled out Craig Halkett, describing him as outstanding all season, and Marc Leonard, who has been really good since coming in, as two players who have been central to Hearts reaching this stage.
Boyd also said Benjamin Nygren is the only player in Celtic's current group who has not yet won a league title, a detail he believes matters as the run-in tightens. In his view, Martin O'Neill has made a deliberate choice to strip away any distraction and lean on players who know how to close out a title race, with Boyd saying the manager has focused on a team that knows how to win and get the job done.
The next step belongs to Celtic at Fir Park, and the margin for error is now gone. If they come through Wednesday night without losing, Boyd's view is that the title will be theirs by Saturday, while Hearts must win at Tynecastle and hope the leaders slip in North Lanarkshire.
