Here is what to look out for on the final round of Scottish Premiership fixtures for 2025, including Celtic v Motherwell, Djeidi Gassama's form and the pressure on David Martindale.
The final Scottish Premiership card of 2025 will take place under the lights in freezing conditions on Tuesday, with this fascinating season set to throw up more twists and turns.
Celtic travel to Motherwell aiming to go level on points with leaders Hearts, who sit out this round of games, in a match which could be dubbed 'El Passico' given the two sides' love of passing football.
Meanwhile, Rangers will look to stay in touch at home to St Mirren as buoyant Hibernian host Aberdeen.
At the bottom, a critical game between strugglers Dundee and Kilmarnock takes place at Dens Park as a desperate Livingston host Dundee United.
Here is what to look out for as the Premiership waves goodbye to 2025.
Game of the night - Motherwell v Celtic (20:00 GMT)
Celtic and Motherwell occupy the top two places in a lot of passing metrics this season, and the clash of their attacking styles will be fascinating to watch in Lanarkshire.
Wilfried Nancy's side have started a revival by scoring seven goals in two games against Aberdeen and Livingston, while still leaving loads of opportunities to score unfinished.
At the other end, they appear fragile as a depleted defensive line struggles to adapt to the new manager's system.
Motherwell are certainly capable of cutting Celtic to pieces as their strong first half of the season shows, and they were unlucky to lose 3-2 late on to Brendan Rodgers' Celtic side back in September.
They may have had their 10-game unbeaten league run ended at Ibrox, but if Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland had not pulled off two excellent saves in the opening 15 minutes it could have been very different for Jens Berthel Askou's men.
The killer instinct is what Motherwell have been missing recently, not helped by top scorer Tawanda Maswanhise's departure to represent Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations.
They have failed to score in four of their past six matches but have conceded only once in seven games. Can they get the balance right against the champions?
The incentive for Celtic is clear. Win this game in hand and they will move level on points with leaders Hearts heading into 2026.
Player to watch - Djeidi Gassama (Rangers)
Rangers' 1-0 win over Motherwell was crucial because it took them above the Steelmen into third place, and Djeidi Gassama was at the heart of their considerable attacking output.
The winger started on the left-hand side and then came across to the right, looking a handful once he started taking on players.
He had a crucial role in the winner as his footwork and low shot forced goalkeeper Calum Ward into a save, with Thelo Aasgard able to tap home the rebound.
He had the most touches in the Motherwell box and was his side's chief creator in the game.
The frustrating thing for Rangers is that his form has been far too fleeting this season.
Having started with a bang in Champions League qualifying in the summer, he has scored just once in domestic football and has not been a consistent threat amid a turbulent season at Ibrox.
Vaclav Cerny, one of the men he replaced, had seven Premiership goals by this stage last term. Simply put, Rangers need more output from Gassama.
The upside is the 22-year-old played the best football of his career under Danny Rohl at Sheffield Wednesday last season and now it is up to the head coach to get him playing to his potential consistently again.
Could that start against St Mirren on Tuesday?
Manager in the spotlight - David Martindale (Livingston)
These days a side four points adrift at the foot of the table and without a win since August would have already gone through at least one manager by Christmas.
But David Martindale's relationship with Livingston has been forged over a decade and brought considerable success, which means it is not a normal case.
Nonetheless, the patience of the new owners is surely being tested by a 16-game winless league run.
They went 17 games without a win two seasons ago when they were relegated, so the omens are not good in West Lothian.
A home game against Dundee United is a big test and opportunity for Martindale.
Not only are United struggling for regular wins as they sit eighth, but with Livi's nearest rivals Kilmarnock and Dundee meeting at Dens, a win would close the gap on at least one of those sides.
Another defeat before a visit to Tynecastle to face leaders Hearts could mean a glum start to 2026 for Martindale and Livingston.
Category: General Sports
