Going into the Scottish Cup semi-final, there were many reasons for Celtic fans to be confident. They had won the previous two Glasgow derbies and were coming off of a 7-0 win over St Johnstone last weekend. On the other hand, the Rangers had had to play 120 minutes in midweek against SC Braga while Ange Postecoglou’s side had gotten some much needed time off.

Unfortunately, things did not go as Celtic would have hoped for. Somehow they looked the more tired of the two sides and put in an uninspiring display. It was arguably their worst performance since the defeat at the hands of Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

As a result, the Hoops lost 1-2 against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, meaning their chances of winning a treble are now over.

Of course, they still have a lot to play for, with Celtic enjoying a 6-point lead over the Rangers in the Premiership with just 5 games to go. But in the aftermath of the Scottish Cup exit, Chris Sutton has warned them that the title race is not over. He wrote in his column in the Daily Record:

Celtic need to make sure that Hampden performance against Rangers doesn’t happen again. Because there’s a bigger fight still to be won – the Premiership title.

That’s the big picture. The league is absolutely not done and dusted despite what everybody is saying.

And while this might feel like the end of the world after losing a Scottish Cup semi final against Rangers then Celtic can’t waste time picking the bones out of it.

What awaits Celtic in the Premiership after their Scottish Cup exit?

It is absolutely correct that Celtic cannot waste time brooding over this defeat against the Rangers. There is the league title still up for grabs.

While the Hoops might have a 6-point lead and are in the driver’s seat, there is still a lot of work to be done. We have already seen the Rangers’ 6-point lead being overturned in a short span of time.

Celtic do have a superior goal difference to their crosstown rivals as well and as a result, three wins out of the last five might potentially be enough for them to clinch the title. The Hoops cannot afford to rest on their laurels though, especially with a Glasgow Derby still to be played, at Parkhead.

This article was originally posted here