EuroFootball.com continues its reviews of European football leagues. This time, we will take a look at the Scottish Premiership, where 24 round matches have already been played. The four-year dominance of Celtic, challengers trying to overthrow them, and the resurgence of Hearts - all of this in this review.
Leaders: Celtic
The Celtic players, who have won four consecutive Scottish championships, are undisputed favorites to win their fifth trophy. However, this season they are finding it harder to collect points than in previous years. So far, they are earning an average of 2.39 points per match, compared to 2.42 in the previous seasons and 2.6 two years ago. This is not due to stronger opponents or a higher level of the league, as evidenced by Scottish clubs' performances in Europe. The three clubs that played in European tournaments only managed to get two wins collectively in the qualifying rounds and did not advance to the group stage. Celtic also struggled in Europe - they were eliminated in the Champions League qualifiers by Malmo and failed to win in the Europa League group stage. It is clear that Celtic has weakened, but it is still hard to imagine anyone taking away the Premiership winners' crown from them.
Contenders: Aberdeen
Aberdeen started the season so well that there were hopes they could seriously challenge Celtic. However, after eight consecutive wins, including a victory against Glasgow rivals, they went on a five-game winless streak, earning only one point during that period. Although they have now returned to winning ways, their current points deficit from the leading Celtic players already indicates that we may have to wait a while for new champions in Scotland.
Back in the leaders' ranks: Hearts
Formerly owned by Vladimir Romanov, the club quickly returned to the top Scottish teams. In the 2013-2014 season, due to financial problems caused by the former owner, they finished last in the Scottish league and were relegated to the second division. There, their dominance was obvious - they won the division with a 21-point lead and returned to the Premiership after just a year. Here, they are also doing well - they are in third place, trailing fourth-placed Ross County by eight points with a game in hand. How did they achieve this? The club signed many foreign players for free and added a few academy graduates to the team. This brought them victories and quick results.
Most prolific player: Leigh Griffiths
The Scot, who was not shining in the third-tier English division playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers (scoring twelve goals in a season), returned to his homeland and joined the champions' team. His 20 goals in Scotland prove once again the weakened level of the leagues. The same can be said for Adam Rooney, who is second in the list of top scorers. The Irishman also moved up from the League One and has already scored 16 goals this season.
Scottish Premiership standings:
Tautvydas Sakalauskas
