All eyes will be on Petershill Park this afternoon as Glasgow City host Celtic in the fourth round of the Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup.
For the neutrals it is the plum tie of the round but for both Elena Sadiku and Leanne Ross there may well be a feeling that a softer route to the quarter-finals may have been preferable.
They go into this afternoon’s game on the back of differing fortunes this week; Celtic have made up the ground they lost during their Champions League campaign with the six points banked from their two games in hand leaving them level on points with City at the summit of the SWPL.
City have had a week to ruminate on a sobering defeat at Meadowbank last Sunday afternoon as they succumbed to defeat against Hibs, a loss that has now seen their lead at the top of the table evaporate.
“We look at every game and that’s exactly what we have done this week,” said Ross.
Read more:
- Celtic and Rangers Women continue to explore WSL option
- Rangers’ ambitions focus on Scottish growth, not a shock WSL move
“We know what went wrong and we know what we have to correct. You can’t be losing three goals from set pieces.
“The players will learn from that and we are hungry to get back out on the pitch again. This is a huge game, it is exciting and it is one that we are looking forward to.”
And the City manager has insisted that those pulling on the distinctive orange shirt of the club need to be aware that the demands remain as exacting as ever.
“There is always pressure when you play with Glasgow City,” she said.
“There is an expectation here that you win every game and challenge for every bit of silverware that is available and that is always the demand when you pull on that shirt.
“As a club it doesn’t matter if it is a league game or a Cup game, a final or whatever – we set out to win every time we set foot on the park. That is the expectation and the demand that goes with being at this club.
“So, yeah, it is challenging facing one of the best teams in the country at this point in the competition.
“But if you have designs on going on and winning the Cup, as we do, then you have to get on with it. At some point you have to play the best teams and that’s where we are at.”
