Maybe for the first time ever, the real beneficiaries of the weekend’s Glasgow derby between Rangers and Celtic were Heart of Midlothian.
The Premiership pacesetters secured victory on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen, courtesy of a Claudio Braga strike, which meant Hearts could then sit back and observe their closest challengers battle it out 24 hours later.
Braga acknowledged that, above all else, the clash between Celtic and Rangers is simply ‘a good game to watch’, though he admitted he felt ‘tense’ as events unfolded at Ibrox.
“It’s a good game to watch, first,” stated Braga. “But at the same time, it’s a direct opponent. So you watch it a little bit more tense.”
Celtic’s draw at Rangers ensures the championship remains within Hearts’ control because, even if Martin O’Neill’s men claim victory in their game in hand against Aberdeen on Wednesday evening, they would still trail the Jambos by five points.
Claudio Braga’s candid verdict on Hearts’ Premiership title challengers Celtic and Rangers:
One thing is undeniable — Hearts are handling the pressure superbly by continuing to grind out wins week after week.
Naturally, there is still plenty of football to be played, and everyone recognises the strength the reigning Scottish champions possess; after all, Celtic’s dominance in recent seasons has not happened by chance.
The post-split schedule promises plenty of drama, and Braga spoke to Premier Sports about nervously tuning in to Celtic’s stalemate with Rangers.
Darrell Currie: “You got your job done, then you could just watch Rangers v Celtic. What are you like watching the opponents if you like? The teams trying to chase you down, are you calm? Are you one of these crazy football fans when you are watching?”
Braga: “It’s a good game to watch, first. But at the same time, it’s a direct opponent. So you watch it a little bit more tense.
“But if we always get our result, then we don’t need to worry about the other results. I am not going to lie. This result is maybe good for us, but if we do our game, then that’s the only thing that matters.”
Braga highlighting what Celtic have been missing:
Celtic have grappled with issues up front for more than a year, searching for a consistent finisher since Kyogo Furuhashi exited last January.
There was even the scenario where January recruit Junior Adamu was substituted at half-time once again by O’Neill, while Tomas Cvancara remained an unused substitute at Ibrox.
It perhaps illustrates how much Celtic have faltered in the attacking department, particularly with Daizen Maeda’s form dipping dramatically this term.
Meanwhile, Hearts snapped up Braga from Norwegian second-division outfit Aalesunds FK for roughly £400k — and on current form, he would slot straight into Celtic’s starting XI.
Premiership appearances for Hearts: 29
Goals: 12
Assists: 5
Goal contributions against Celtic, Rangers and Motherwell: 10