Celtic FC Women return to action this Wednesday night (April 16) when they play host to Hibernian in a vital SWPL game at New Douglas Park (KO: 8pm) With seven games remaining, the Hoops know that a victory is vital as they look to close the gap at the top of the table and try to hold on to the league trophy they won last season. And on the back of a 1-1 draw at the weekend against Rangers, a match that Celtic could and perhaps should have won, Head Coach, Elena Sadiku, is looking for the team to translate the chances they are creating into goals and take all three points. Speaking ahead of the clash with Hibernian, the Celtic boss said: “We know that these games are the most important games of the season and we know that if we win the games that are in front of us, it’s going to be the difference for us. ‘Everybody knows it – the players know it, and hopefully now we can turn things around and that’s what I’m looking for against Hibs.’ “It’s going to be a tough game. Both teams want to win and both teams want to make sure that they’re going to be competing for the title. “For us, it needs to be a big motivation in terms of the fact we haven’t won against them yet this season and I want to make sure the players fight really hard tomorrow.“I’ve said it to the players before and I think they also know that when we’re at it and we play at our best, Hibs are going to struggle but we need to make sure that we’re clinical in our chances. “We need to score with the chances we have, and we need to make sure we defend our box very well and keep a clean sheet. “I think we were unlucky not to win against Rangers because we created enough chances, especially in the second half, to try to win the game. “But I’m very happy with how the players responded after half-time, and they came out and showed that we are a great team.” One player who impressed in the weekend Glasgow derby was Momo Nakao, with the Japanese midfielder having her first experience of the fixture, and her manager is looking for more of the same in the remaining seven games of the SWPL season. “I’ve been very impressed with all of the new players who have come in this season,” Elena Sadiku said. “I think they’ve taken on so much responsibility and they’ve been growing a lot. “Momo wants to be the best, she wants to play for Japan’s national team, she wants to contribute to Celtic and make sure we win trophies, and you can see that in her performances. ‘It was nice to see that good a performance in a derby against Rangers because it’s very important that players show up.’ “I said it before the game that I wanted it to be like a war and, especially, in the second-half, we were more aggressive, we won second balls and Momo was a big part of that. “I thought she was amazing and she showed me and the rest of the team that she’s somebody who wants that starting position. “I really want to make sure we show tomorrow evening at New Douglas Park, put in a good performance, obviously, but we need to win and give back to the fans who always support us.”Upcoming FixturesCeltic Women Vs. Hibernian Women – Sun, Apr 4th 2025, 15:00
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