Wednesday 22 July 2015 16:03, UK
After the announcement of the Scottish fixture list, we pick out five of the stand-out games to watch in the remainder of 2015...
Dundee United v Dundee, August 12
It’s not a long wait for the people of Dundee as the unique rivalry between the two closest league grounds in Britain resumes in mid-August. The two teams last met on the final day of the 2014/15 season with Dundee United running out comfortable 3-0 winners. In fact it was their third win of the season over Dundee at Tannadice, with the highlight being a 6-2 victory on New Year’s Day. A repeat of that sort of entertainment would start the season with a real bang.
Rangers v Hibs, August 22
These two teams will both be disappointed to still be in the Scottish Championship after suffering play-off disappointment last season. It was Rangers that did for Hibs in a two-legged semi-final before being trounced by Motherwell and consigned to another season outside the top flight. The two clubs will be expected to contest promotion once more in 2015/16 so Rangers might need to improve on a record that saw Hibs beat them three teams in the league last season.
Aberdeen v Celtic, September 12
Aberdeen gave eventual winners Celtic a real fright in the SPL title race last season and were four points clear in January before being hauled back. Early European adventures for both clubs could have an impact on autumn form but regardless of the situation, this fixture is likely to see a great atmosphere at Pittodrie. The Dons lost all four matches with Celtic in 2015/16 and if they’d won just three of them, they’d have been crowned champions. Incentives don’t come much bigger.
Celtic v Hearts, September 26
One of Scottish football’s biggest rivalries resumes in earnest in 2015/16 following Hearts’ title-winning return to the top flight. Confidence ought to be high at Tynecastle but the trip to Celtic Park might come with a little trepidation too. Hearts were knocked out of both cups by Celtic last season by a combined aggregate of seven goals without reply. This September match-up will offer an indication of how much progress has been made.
Hearts v Celtic, December 26
The second meeting between Hearts and Celtic is a festive affair and should make for a bumper Boxing Day crowd at Tynecastle for the visit of the defending champions. Although there was a cup semi-final win over Celtic in 2012, Hearts fans haven’t witnessed a victory on home turf since October 2011 and it’s been a tale of woe since then. Incredibly, Celtic have won six in a row at Tynecastle, scoring 24 goals and conceding just once. Will Boxing Day see that run broken?
