7 months ago
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On Monday morning, Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku said the pressure was on Rangers.
By Monday afternoon, Rangers counterpart Jo Potter insisted it was the other way around.
Such is the nature of this captivating, topsy-turvy Scottish Women's Premier League title race.
The sides couldn't be separated pre-match, with only goal difference putting Celtic at the summit. Following a goalless draw at Broadwood Stadium, the status quo remains.
Or does it?
It might just be mind games, given there has been huddle-gate between the two head coaches recently, but both tried to heap the pressure on their other post-match.
Rangers missed the opportunity to leapfrog Celtic - and move into pole position for a domestic treble - and are now counting on their Glasgow rivals dropping points while winning all their own.
Who will hold their nerve best with just three league games to go?
Following Celtic's draw with Glasgow City on Wednesday, Rangers' recent triumph over their Old Firm rivals in the Scottish Cup semi-final and the knowledge that a win would take them top, it appeared the pendulum had swung back in the favour of Potter's side.
However, while they started the brighter at Broadwood, they failed to impress in front of goal, conjuring up just one effort on target despite cracking the crossbar twice.
Potter conceded post-match that they knew a win was needed, but they failed to display sufficient urgency or dominance of possession.
"We needed to win today, a draw isn’t really good enough for us, but this game probably won’t just decide the title," she insisted on BBC Scotland.
"The goal difference is essentially a point for them, which is why we knew the win was more important for us than them, so we just need to make sure we’re doing our business at our end and hope for the best at the other."
Talking to Sky Sports, she showed no signs of conceding the title. "There's still three games left, it's nowhere near done," she said. "Who knows what could happen?
"We dropped [points] to Hearts, we dropped to Partick Thistle. The pressure is on Celtic now. They have to make sure they win their games."
Seven games ago, when the SWPL split into two sections for the run-in, Rangers were four points clear. Now, as former Scotland midfielder Leanne Crichton said on Sky: "They're relying on Celtic dropping points, which is a huge ask."
Sadiku's side have done so twice in the last week, but those came against their two title rivals while they have been scoring goals galore against the rest.
Such form has led to the camp appearing "very confident", according to Crichton.
City were the undisputed rulers of the roost when Crichton was with the reigning champions, but now there may be a new emperor in town.
"For me, we looked like the best team in the league," Sadiku said.
"We are the team that has done the best during the split and I still believe we can make it work."
This is the one Celtic so badly want. Losing their two-year grip on the Scottish Cup to their rivals hurt last week. A first SWPL title would no doubt put a plaster over the pain and the Swede is sure her side can do it.
"This was the game that they could have felt the pressure," she told BBC Scotland. "But the players just need to keep going and trust themselves."
Both Celtic and Rangers missed out on the title to City in a final day of drama last season.
With the 16-time champions now six points adrift, the coast is clear for another photo finish between the Old Firm rivals after a 32-game campaign that's been a gruelling marathon, not a sprint.
