Hearts v Celtic, Gogic and Aaskou in focus – Scottish Premiership picks

It is back to the three-way race for the Scottish title for Celtic and Rangers after heartening results in the Europa League on Thursday.

Leaders Heart of Midlothian hosting the reigning champions on Sunday is the obvious big one while Rangers entertain Dundee at the same time (15:00), but there are plenty of other talking points in the four Saturday games too.

Here are the key things to look out for this weekend.

It is an indication of the importance of Sunday’s game that Hearts and Celtic have both been scrambling to acquire new signings to bolster their starting line-ups at Tynecastle.

Not surprising considering the consensus is that January recruitment could be the telling factor in what is now a three-horse race for the title.

Doubly so for Hearts considering they have lost possibly their two most key players in captain Lawrence Shankland and midfield dynamo Cammy Devlin to lengthy spells on the sidelines.

Hearts paid a fee to hasten the arrival of Rogers Mato, who was due to arrive in the summer, from North Macedonian leaders Vardar, but it is touch and go whether the paperwork will be complete in time for the Uganda forward to face Celtic.

They might have better luck with a midfielder, as former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Marc Leonard is reportedly due to arrive on loan from Birmingham City after Forest Green Rovers rejected an approach for their captain, Laurent Mendy.

Celtic, meanwhile, have plugged their striker gap by Thursday’s arrival of Czech Republic international Tomas Cvancara on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach, a move made more timely by Johnny Kenny picking up an injury in their 2-2 draw in Bologna.

Having to play almost an hour with 10 men in Bologna on Thursday after the dismissal of Reo Hatate will test Celtic’s power of recovery, as will the concession of a 2-0 half-time lead.

Hearts, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise penalty shoot-out exit in the Scottish Cup at home to Falkirk.

That ended a run of 12 home games without defeat this season, but Derek McInnes’ side remain in pole position in the league, six points ahead of both Celtic and Rangers.

Win on Sunday and they will become the first Hearts side to have beaten Celtic three times in a single league campaign – a statement feat that will answer critics who doubt their sustainability given their injury problems.

They would also become the first side other than Rangers to beat Celtic in three successive league meetings since Aberdeen in 1990.

However, Celtic arrive revived, having won all seven of their league games during Martin O’Neill’s two spells as interim manager following the exits of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy.

Amazingly, though, Celtic have lost each of their last five away league games against opponents starting the day top of the table – and two of those were against Hearts, in August 2018 and last October.

Meanwhile, an equally revived Rangers under Danny Rohl are waiting in the wings and the side sitting third behind Celtic on goal difference will be favourites to make it eight wins in a row and avoid a repeat of the 1-1 draw against Dundee at Ibrox under previous head coach Russell Martin.

Alex Gogic was at the centre of David Martindale’s wrath on Tuesday, with the Livingston manager angry that VAR did not pick up what he thought was a blatant foul on Joshua Brenet as the St Mirren utility man headed the visitors’ late equaliser.

Whether or not it was a foul is debatable considering what pushing, shoving and blocking is allowed in just about every match these days, but there is no question that the goal emphasised again the Cypriot’s value to manager Stephen Robinson.

The 31-year-old has been utilised in central defence and a midfield holding role at times, but wherever he is asked to play, you can guarantee a shift – and he so often is their key performer.

So much so that, on Saturday at Tannadice, he will be making his 250th Premiership appearance across spells with Hamilton Academical, Hibernian and now St Mirren.

Gogic will become only the second non-British or Irish player to reach that figure since the Premiership began in 2013-14.

Considering former Hibs, St Johnstone and Dundee United midfielder David Wotherspoon, who notched 295, was born in Perth despite representing Canada, you could argue that that the Cypriot is only denied being the first thanks to a technicality.

Tuesday’s goal could prove to be the most valuable of the 12 Gogic has scored since joining the Buddies from Hibs four years ago.

Had Livingston held on for what would have been a deserved win, Martindale’s bottom-placed side would have moved to within five points of third-bottom St Mirren and dragged them into a three-way race to avoid automatic relegation.

Just as significantly, the point moved the Paisley side five clear of Kilmarnock, who currently occupy the play-off spot.

St Mirren still have not won in six league games, but it will have felt as much of a victory as Saturday’s penalty shoot-out Scottish Cup success over the same hosts.

Next, they visit a seventh-placed Dundee United side who got back to winning ways with a 2-0 home cup defeat of second-tier Ayr United, but if St Mirren are to end a run of eight away league games without a victory, you can be sure Gogic will have played a big part.

Jens Berthel Askou has quickly gone from unknown quantity to being labelled Scottish football’s tactical genius in the seven months since he was appointed Motherwell manager.

So much so that the 43-year-old Dane has been linked with the vacancy at Premiership rivals Aberdeen and even with the Celtic hotseat once Martin O’Neill’s latest interim spell in charge ends this summer.

The Scottish champions’ fans might demand a more high-profile name, while Askou himself might not consider a move to the Dons a step up given his side are currently fourth in table and have left their richer rivals four places and 12 points in their wake.

While his spells in charge of Vendsyssel, Torshavn, Horsens and IFK Gothenburg were fairly short-lived, he also appears to be the kind of character who will view Motherwell as a project that has only just begun – and one he wishes to see bear even greater fruits.

However, you can be sure his progress since leaving his post as Copenhagen assistant after only six months is making other clubs take notice.

It was the exciting, free-flowing, possession-based football that initially caught the eye, but the results have also started to follow and a highest league finish since now St Mirren boss Robinson led them to third in 2019-20 looks within their capabilities.

Considering Askou’s side have suffered only one defeat in 13 outings, have won five in a row at home and are unbeaten in seven there without conceding a goal, he will be confident of consolidating their position after Kilmarnock’s visit on Saturday.

Especially so given the visitors have not won at Fir Park in nine visits and, having shown no signs of a new manager bounce since Neil McCann took over from Stuart Kettlewell, arrive without a victory in 16 games overall after last weekend’s cup exit at home to Dundee.