Celtic 0-2 Rangers: Visitors make title statement with dominant win

The Rangers inflicted the Old Firm’s first derby blow in a historic Scottish Premiership campaign, and trailed four points on top, with a dominant 2-0 win at Celtic Park.

And the Rangers center-back stepped in after the break to finish off a lackluster and unfamiliar Celtic, devoid of four players due to Covid-19 protocols.

The victory marked a milestone in a significant season as the Ibrox team tries to prevent their city rivals from winning an unprecedented 10th consecutive title.

Neil Lennon’s team still has a game in hand and did not feature star forward Odsonne Edouard and midfielder Ryan Christie, but was nevertheless outmatched again in a derby.

Despite losing two of the three Old Firm meetings last season, Gerrard’s team could rightly claim to have looked like the most accomplished team in those games.

They won the midfield battle in two of those three games, and started on exactly the same lines with crisp passing and movement. Celtic, with five derby debutants in their ranks, including academy player Stephen Welsh as a central defender, seemed unsure of possession.

The cauldron atmosphere can be stifling at these meetings, but the lack of fans resulted in a more compelling tactical battle, in which the Rangers had better luck. Tavernier and Borna Barisic raced down the flanks and into the empty spaces on the Celtic wings, combining with Ryan Kent and Brandon Barker at will.

And what Gerrard’s team can always rely on is the quality of Captain Tavernier’s delivery, and his perfect one-inch free throw allowed Goldson to bring the Rangers to the front after just eight minutes. Celtic only managed the helpless lob of Mohamed Elyounoussi at the top in response before the break after he had done well to steal Goldson.

The champions’ display in the first half fitted recent games, if not results, as they lacked pace and urgency. Lennon made no changes at halftime, and his team continued to struggle with movement in the forward areas. Patryk Klimala was anonymous up front, and Albian Ajeti had little impact as he entered midway through the second period.

Meanwhile, the Rangers showed their sharpness by stretching their lead as Arfield, Kamara and Morelos combined on the edge of the area before the delivery of the first fell into the hands of Goldson to tie home on the second try.

Kent was rejected twice by Kristoffer Ajer when the Rangers threatened to embarrass their rivals on their own ground, while Celtic’s only flirtation with the goal came when substitute Leigh Griffiths managed to surround Allan McGregor but couldn’t find the target. .

The fact that Celtic, who have secured 53 points out of 57 possible since the last meeting between the sides, failed a shot on goal illustrates the scale of the Rangers’ comfort.

Man of the Match – Glen Kamara

What did we learn?

Without a doubt, the Rangers have figured out how to beat their rivals. Once again they closed them in midfield and exercised control through their passing and composure. It was a complete performance.

What remains to be seen is whether this is a significant advance. We’ve seen some excellent performances from the Old Firm before from Gerrard’s side, with no trophies to show for it. We will only know if they are the real deal this time if they are in the fight in April, but again the signs are good.

As for Celtic, it appears that Lennon’s favorite 3-5-2 formation is not working, which is alarming given that the recruiting was focused on filling those specific positions. Together with the Rangers, they seemed like a team without a clear identity, but rather a group of individuals performing below their capacity.

The positive for them is that nothing is gained in October, and they are the experts in recovering from rare losses. However, there is undoubted concern about his current level of performance.

Whats Next?

Both teams are in action in the Europa League on Thursday. The Rangers travel to Belgium to face Standard Liege (17:55 BST), while for Celtic who host AC Milan (20:00 BST) it is no easier.