Dare to Dream: Celtic FC Women v Hibs – Team News, Manager’s View and Where to Watch

And a win for Celtic FC Women this afternoon will mean that Celtic Football Club will be the first to win both the men’s and women’s league titles in the same season.

A large crowd is expected as supporters make their way to Parkhead to back our Ghirls in green, although there’s still no word from North Curve Celtic about their own plans for today.

After a good 3-1 win against Hearts in the capital in midweek, Celtic put themselves in the driver’s seat for the final game of the season. theRangers and Celtic FC Women are still tied on points at the top of the SWPL table, with +16 goal difference in our separating the two sides.

In the first month of the season, back in August the team, then managed by Fran Alonso scored 30 goals in the first four games of the season, conceding only one. That goalscoring spree so early in the season is a big reason we’re where we are this afternoon.

Our rivals take on Partick Thistle whilst we play Hibs, so let’s hope Brian Graham’s side can confirm our title early! However that’s very unlikely and it doesn’t matter a jot if Celtic FC Women win – it would then take an incredible scoreline in their favour to give theRangers any chance of collecting the trophy today. Their hopes are on Hibs doing them a massive favour at Celtic Park.

Celtic Team News

After scoring two goals on her return to the starting XI, we will see Tash Flint get the nod up front, alongside Murphy Agnew and hopefully Amy Gallacher. Gallacher was taken off early against Hearts though so she could be a doubt. Kit Loferski returned when we visited the capital so she’ll probably be in the bench, although if Elena deems her fit enough, she could maybe start at Celtic Park this afternoon. Natalie Ross was also forced off early in our last outing so she could be a major doubt and possibly a huge loss.

Manager’s View 

Elena Sadiku spoke to the media, including The Celtic Star ahead of the game. She said: “This game will be treated exactly the same as all the other games we’ve had. It’s going to be the same focus. I don’t need to say more than that because I think everyone knows what the game means for us.

“We’ve put ourselves into this position and that’s something we should be proud of. We all know what’s on the line, so we just need to enjoy it.

“We had a good performance against Hearts in the last game and that’s something we want to do against Hibs on Sunday. It’s going to be a tough test, a tough opponent to play against. If we do what we’re good at, we should be confident that we can get a result. But we’re respectful and humble about the test on Sunday and our job is to focus on what we can do and what we need to do.

“It’s so important that the girls get what they deserve, and that’s the best possible support from the fans. I really hope the maximum support will be there because as a club, we can write history. It’s been an intense week, with three games, so the extra push from the fans can give the players a lot. I hope that the fans feel like it’s a special thing that we can do together.”

Celtic Player’s View

Long-serving Celt Chloe Craig spoke to the media, including The Celtic Star, to preview the game. She said: “I wouldn’t say there are any nerves. Around camp, it’s quite cool, we know what we have to do. We just focus on us and we’re looking forward to it.

“We’ve worked all season for this. Elena’s come in and done a good job with us and it’s all credit to her and her tactics, her technique and her style of play. So yeah, we’re looking forward to it. We know how it’s like to be at the end of the season and be with it in our hands but hopefully, we grab it this time. Three points is the main thing first and then hopefully the trophy after.

“I think it comes from your mentality from the start of the season with the group that you have. We were close to it last season, so we know what it was like, and we hurt, and we still carry that pain and we want to rectify that this season. That’s what we’ve taken into every game and every training session.

“ So the mentality, the passion, the hunger and the want to play for the club. Easy as that, to be honest. You could fling money at so many players, but it all comes down to the fire in your belly at the end of the day. Especially from being here right from the start when we didn’t really have much, to see it grow and see something getting built for us [Barrowfield] is incredible. And it’s something that is going to be in the history books, so we just want to continue on that path.

“I think so [Sunday will top all other trophies]. It’s the one that you want to win, isn’t it? And then secure that Champions League spot again. To do that with this group of girls, it would be amazing. And to make memories with this group, this squad and the staff around us would be the icing on the cake.”

Match Officials

The referee for this Day of Days SWPL1 fixture will be Ross Birrell, he will be assisted by Alastair Taylor and Will Pare while Gary Hanvidge is the fourth official. There is no VAR in operation in the SWPL.

Kick-off Time

Celtic FC Women vs Hibs Women takes place at Celtic Park this afternoon with a kick off time of 2.10pm. There’s still time to order your tickets from the official Celtic website. Get down and cheer on the Ghirls as they look to make history!

Where to Watch

You can watch this game live on BBC Alba! Broadcast starts at 2pm.

Score Prediction

We’ll put on a show for the supporters at Celtic Park but I think they’ll get one, as they have the striking power of Jorian Baucom supporting them. It won’t matter in the end though as we’ll be ending the day with another trophy to our name!  I’m going for Celtic FC Women 5 – 1 Hibs Women. Jorian Baucom incidentally is a player who could well be of interest to Celtic this summer, or maybe even theRangers.

COYGIG! Let’s do this one last time…Worthy Champions today!!!

Jessica Elliott