When it comes to Edinburgh derby rivalries, few tensions run deeper than the Hibs-Hearts divide. And with the Scottish Premiership title race heating up, all eyes are on Easter Road this Sunday as Hibs host Celtic—a match that could have massive implications for both ends of the table.

Former Hibs and Celtic midfielder Scott Allan knows exactly what's at stake. For Hibs fans, the thought of Hearts lifting the league trophy is nothing short of a "worst nightmare." But Allan is quick to dismiss any notion that David Gray's squad will take their foot off the gas.

"I know a lot of Hibs fans from Edinburgh who would be quite happy if their team maybe don't win on Sunday, which is incredible," Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "For a Hibs fan, their worst nightmare is Hearts winning the league. There's no getting away from that."

Here's the scenario: A Celtic win at Easter Road would pull them level on points with Hearts at the top of the table. That's a bitter pill for any Hibs supporter to swallow—but the players have their own mission.

Hibs are still chasing a guaranteed European spot, currently sitting six points behind Motherwell in fourth place. With only a few games left, every point matters. And as Allan points out, this Hibs side has already proven they can beat the best.

"When you're a player of a club, you just don't have that mindset. So they'll be going out feeling they can get a win and they've shown they can beat Celtic," Allan said. "They obviously won at Parkhead, they made it hard at Easter Road. Historically, over the last few years, it has been a difficult place for Celtic to go."

Allan also highlighted the squad's depth, noting that while Felix Passlack—who has been "excellent" since his January arrival—will be a big miss, there's still plenty of firepower. "It's a game David Gray and his players will think, 'If we can get three points and if something could happen in our favour when Falkirk face Motherwell, then we will edge closer [to fourth spot] again.'"

And here's the kicker: Hibs and Motherwell face each other on the final day of the season. If Hibs can close the gap, that showdown could be an absolute thriller. So while the fans may be torn, make no mistake—the players are fully locked in on getting the win.