Pressure on champions Glasgow City as Rangers visit

Published on: 18 November 2023

Eight points separate Glasgow City and Rangers in the SWPLSWPL: Glasgow City v RangersVenue: Petershill Park, Springburn Date: Sunday, 19 November Kick-off: 14:10 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC Alba, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app and follow text updates

When Glasgow City turned up at Ibrox to face Rangers in last season's final day SWPL decider, the stakes could hardly have been higher.

With both teams and Celtic all bidding for the title, it was winner takes all and it was City who triumphed, with Celtic runners-up.

But with their latest meeting, the importance of the fixture is again difficult to overstate - especially for City. Eight points separate leaders Rangers from the defending champions, who have a game in hand.

Sandwiched between the two is, Celtic, who are a point off Rangers and visit Hamilton Academical later on Sunday.

"We've spoken about bring that clinical edge back in and just really being focused on the task of going and winning this game," Glasgow City head coach Leanne Ross, whose side lost 3-0 to Celtic in last weekend's SWPL Cup quarter-final.

"The games against the teams that you're competing at the top of the league with are the biggest ones. It's the ones that all the attention is on as well.

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"We do feel that it's an opportunity to go and show that we didn't play as well as we could've [against Celtic] but we must do better on Sunday.

"I'm not worried in terms of the talent that we've got within the dressing room or the characters that we've got in there because I know that they will bounce back.

"I don't think it's getting into the must-win category just yet. There's still a long way to go."

For Rangers, the risk of dropped points will weigh heavily, with Celtic so close behind.

"The mood's strong, the mood's looking forward and we're confident going into the weekend," said Rangers head coach Jo Potter, who oversaw a 1-1 draw with City earlier this season.

"Any advantage we can take, we'll take it. We want to win the game anyway.

"They've had a tough time of it lately. They're probably going to come out fighting. They've got a point to prove. I'm not expecting an easy game at all.

"We're still in a very strong position in the league. We're still front runners and we're still playing really good football.

"We've got a way of playing and a style of play and know that what we have been doing has been working."

Source: bbc.com

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