It's 12 points and counting now for Celtic as Ange Postecoglou and his team zero in on a second successive Premiership title.
They weren't at their best against Rangers on derby day but they managed to get the job done, all-but securing the ribbons on the trophy will stay green and white. They have dropped just five points all season and would need to drop an unthinkable 13 in their final seven league games to let their rivals back into it now.
A goal difference advantage of 29 is just another factor in their favour but Postecoglou won't be allowing his stars to let up now. They will be determined to make it a mathematical certainty as soon as possible and that means they need a maximum of ten more points between now and the end of the season. Assuming Rangers win their next three games - against St Mirren, Aberdeen, and their first post-split game on the weekend of May 6/7, Celtic's first opportunity to officially be crowned champions on the weekend of May 13/14.
The post split fixtures are yet to be announced though and the final league derby of the season could well fall on the weekend of May 6/7, the same weekend King Charles III is due to be crowned. If that happens, then even a draw for the Hoops in that game will be enough to see them win the title at the home of their rivals.
The SPFL typically like to have the final Old Firm of the season fall on the first weekend after the split but they are also due to meet the previous weekend in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden. With that in mind, the fixture schedulers might prefer to push it back to a later date, as they did last season, to avoid back-to-back derbies.
Should Rangers drop points between now and then, though, it's still mathematically possible for Celtic to win the title before the split. Michael Beale's team can hit a maximum of 97 points and Celtic already have 88. With every point Rangers drop, that's a point fewer that the Hoops need to clinch the title. It's possible, however unlikely given Rangers' strong league form since Beale took over, that 92 could be enough to seal it. Celtic can surpass that against Motherwell on April 22.
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