Are reigning champions Celtic out of SWPL title race?

Celtic's Maria McAneny with head coach Elena Sadiku
Celtic's SWPL title defence has faltered [SNS]

With Celtic losing to Glasgow City on Friday, the SWPL title charge is starting to look like a three-horse race - with the reigning champions falling behind.

That defeat left Elena Sadiku's side fourth, nine points off leaders Hibernian and also trailing Rangers by seven and City by six.

So, are Celtic out of the reckoning with eight rounds of fixtures still to play?

The tightness of the top three means the league leaders could change within one match day, but Celtic need at least a couple of weeks of teams dropping points to get back into the mix.

Given Hibs, Rangers and City have lost just seven times between them all season, that is a tall order.

With no fixtures this coming weekend because of the international break, it will be mid-April before reigning champions Celtic can resume the chase.

That round of games on 13 April could be pivotal but, in truth, all games in the post-split period have that potential.

Celtic travel to face Rangers, by which time Hibs will have hosted Hearts and Motherwell will have visited Glasgow City - all three live on the BBC.

'Celtic not out of it'

The SWPL is no stranger to dramatic finishes.

The title has been decided on the final day in each of the two past campaigns, with Celtic triumphing on goal difference after scoring late to beat Hibs last season and City doing likewise at Ibrox the year before.

"It's a big result," said Scotland captain Rachel Corsie of Glasgow City's Friday win over Celtic on the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast.

"Celtic are nine points adrift. I was looking at it thinking I don't know if they can claw that back but everyone plays everyone so I'm going to say they're not out of it.

"They're now under quite a bit of pressure. They're going to have to pick up a run."

Glasgow City assistant head coach Leanne Crichton agrees, commenting: "From our perspective, I don't think they're out of it. There's too many points up for grabs."

SWPL fixtures
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Celtic do have the opportunity to take points off the teams they currently need to peg back during the May run-in.

Three of their final four games are against the current top three and the current top two - Hibs and Rangers - meet in Glasgow on the final day.

The two other sides in the top six - Hearts and Motherwell - could also have a say in the destiny of the title by taking points in the final weeks of the season.

Hearts have done just that in recent weeks against Rangers and Celtic.

"There's still plenty twists of turns," added Corsie.

And Crichton added: "Every game feels like a must-win anyway, there's so much pressure, we felt that on Friday.

"Glasgow City go top on on Friday and then by Sunday you're back down to third. It's super exciting."

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