Sunday of crucial city derbies beckons in SWPL

Rangers and Celtic drew 2-2 last month

Sunday's SWPL fixture card features three city derbies, all of which could have a significant bearing on how the table looks come Monday - and indeed the end of the season.

First up, Celtic and Rangers meet for the second time this season with both sides eager not to drop any points before leaders Glasgow City visit near neighbours Queen's Park.

And, by half-time in that latter fixture, Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Hibernian will be getting ready to kick off in the live BBC Alba match - both hoping to boost their title credentials.

Rangers and Hearts are a point off City, a point above Celtic and three points above Hibs.

"These games are the exciting ones," said Rangers head coach Jo Potter.

Also on Sunday, Partick Thistle host Motherwell, Montrose visit Spartans and Dundee United welcome Aberdeen.

Defending champions Celtic are juggling European and domestic games and lost narrowly to Chelsea in midweek.

City warmed up for their derby with a 3-0 win over another Glasgow side in Partick Thistle last Sunday, while both Edinburgh sides enjoyed big wins, with Hearts 9-0 winners at home to Dundee United and Hibs triumphing 7-1 at Aberdeen. Queen's Park's last game was a 5-0 defeat by Celtic.

Rangers are the only unbeaten side left in the SWPL and defeated Montrose 10-2 in their last fixture.

Potter's side are also the league's top scorers with 67, giving them the best goal difference of 60. These statistics could prove crucial in a league that has been settled on the final day for two years running.

"You look at Hearts and you look at Hibs and the improvements that they've made," said Potter.

"We always knew it was going to be a little bit tighter and it's what the league needed in all honesty. We needed more teams pushing and having a say on what this league looks like and the title.

"It's all for the greater good for the league. We still want to make sure that we're doing what we can do and get our noses ahead.

"So, tougher this year but I never for one minute didn't think that it was going to be always. I always thought that each team was going to improve."

In the home dugout against Rangers on Sunday will be Elena Sadiku, who took over at Celtic in January and opened this season overseeing a 1-0 win against City.

"They want more and they should want more because we have great quality in the team," said Sadiku, referencing that win and the performance against Chelsea.

"There's no reason why we shouldn't be excited for Sunday. We're playing against a good opponent. We know what kind of a team Rangers are, what their threats are, how we can exploit them."

And, on the tightness of the league, Sadiku added: "The most important is how it looks at the end of the season."