ROBBIE NEILSON, the Hearts head coach, believes Saturday's top of the table showdown with Rangers is the biggest match in Scottish football this year.
SPFL Championship leaders Hearts lead Ally McCoist's side by six points ahead of tomorrow's eagerly awaited televised encounter.
And with Celtic expected to face little resistance in their bid to rack up a fourth straight top-flight title triumph, Neilson insists the importance of the sell-out Tynecastle match eclipses any fixture in the Premiership.
"It's a huge game in Scottish football," said Neilson. "It's probably the biggest one so far this year, even taking the Premiership into account.
"It's two teams at the top of the league fighting for the title, so it's going to be a great atmosphere in front of a full house. We want to pass the ball, do things quickly and use our pace and ability."
Hearts will move nine points clear of the Ibrox club with victory tomorrow but Neilson insists it would still be far too early in the season to get excited about their title aspirations. "No matter the outcome of Saturday's game, it's not going to have a huge bearing in the end," said Neilson. "It would be great for us if we can get the three points but if we do win, we still have a long way to go.
"It would be a great cushion for us to get three points and also a great boost for the boys' confidence.
"No matter how far we are ahead, whether it's three points or whether it's nine points, we still need to go out the next week and do it again.
"Every game is a test for us."
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