Celtic 2 Rangers 1: Instant reaction to the burning issues

It is, though, inconceivable that Celtic, who are six points clear with just two matches remaining and who have a vastly superior goal difference to boot, will fail to pip Rangers to the cinch Premiership trophy now.

Brendan Rodgers’ team ran out worthy 2-1 winners over Philippe Clement’s side at Parkhead this afternoon to effectively sew up a third consecutive top flight triumph thanks to a Matt O’Riley strike and a John Lundstram own goal in the first-half.

The Ibrox club competed well with their hosts for long spells when they had 11 men on the park and pulled one back after they had fallen two behind when Cyriel Dessers nodded beyond Joe Hart from close range.

However, when Lundstram was ordered off for a rash and needless foul on Alistair Johnston in the second minute of added on time before the half-time their hopes of victory evaporated.

Celtic could wrap it all up on Tuesday evening without kicking a ball if Rangers are unable to defeat Dundee in Govan. Failing that, they will get over the line the following night at Rugby Park if they draw or defeat Kilmarnock.

Here are five talking points from another incident packed Old Firm game in the East End of Glasgow.

Championees!

It is fair to say that Celtic very much dominated the middle of the park in their first three meetings with Rangers this season. The away side needed to give a far better account of themselves in the crucial area to halt their winless run.

But Rodgers’ men, who effectively played a 4-1-2-3 formation when they had possession with captain Callum McGregor stationed just in front of the defence and O’Riley and Reo Hatate forming a three quarter line behind Daizen Maeda, James Forrest and Kyogo Furuhashi, once again dictated play.

They created numerous opportunities – John Souttar almost put the ball into his own net after a minute and Forrest, O’Riley, McGregor and Furuhashi all went close to scoring - before they finally broke the deadlock.

Their opener came from a well-worked move that came right off the training ground. McGregor made a lung-bursting run down the right from nowhere and Forrest supplied him. The skipper doubled back on himself and picked out O’Riley who lashed into the bottom right corner.

The second might have been an own goal, but it also came after a fine passage of play. Cameron Carter-Vickers picked out Maeda with a long diagonal ball and the winger, who covered every blade of grass during his time on the field, burrowed into the penalty box and forced Lundstram to turn beyond Jack Butland.   

Celtic could and really should have scored even more. O’Riley had a weak penalty saved by Butland after referee Willie Collum ruled, after checking his pitchside monitor, that Mohamed Diomande had tripped the playmaker. But the final outcome never really looked in doubt.

This has not, by their own high standards at least, been a vintage season for the defending champions. They have struggled with injuries and endured spells of poor form. But nobody can begrudge them their latest piece of silverware. Their superior quality shone through today.  

Davies’ defence

With Leon Balogun failing to recover from the injury which forced him off at half-time against Kilmarnock at Ibrox last Sunday, Ben Davies started at centre half for the visitors.

It was far from ideal for Clement. The English defender had last kicked off a game back in December. He was, too, in direct opposition to a striker who has become something of an Old Firm specialist. Furuhashi had netted seven times in his previous 12 appearances in the fixture.

But Davies, a £3m signing from Liverpool back in 2022, had helped Rangers to beat Real Betis in Spain and secure a place in the last 16 of the Europa League at the end of last year. Could he produce another gutsy display?

He did well to slide in and intercept a Forrest pass to Furuhashi in his area early on and performed with composure and maturity thereafter. Rangers would have been on the receiving end of a humiliating hiding without him. He helped to keep them in the game to the end.  

Lundstram shocker

This was a day to forget for the Englishman. He will not enjoy watching back the own goal which he scored. He will, too, ask himself what he was thinking about when he fouled Johnston and got ordered off. A senior player should have known far, far better.

The former Sheffield United man has, no doubt about, been an excellent signing for Rangers. But more often than not he has disappointed in the derbies. This was very much one of those occasions.  

It looks as if he will depart next month after his contract expires. He will be desperate to put this nightmare showing behind him and bow out on a high with a Scottish Cup final victory at Hampden a fortnight today.

Rangers heart

Clement could have no complaints about the final scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes. His men had their chances, failed to take them and paid the price. But he will by no means be despondent about the future, or the cup final, either.  

The way they battled back after Celtic had scored their second and the manner in which they competed when their rivals had a numerical advantage will have pleased him greatly.

He clearly needs, though, to strengthen his squad during the close season.

The Belgian threw on Ross McCausland, Nicolas Raskin, Ridvan Yilmaz, Kemar Roofe and Scott Wright in the second-half in a bid to grab an equaliser. But the substitutes were unable to give them the edge they needed in the final third or restore parity.  

Derby atmosphere

The sense of anticipation around the ground was palpable long before kick-off. Fans hoping and expecting to see their heroes record a momentous victory were in their seats some time before hostilities commenced.

Banners which read “We Will Be Your Strength Fear Nothing” were unfurled around the safe standing section as the teams took to the field along with a gigantic grim reaper with a shamrock on his chest.  

It was unfortunate that strobes were lit underneath it all and that flares and smoke bombs – one of which was thrown onto the turf - were ignited during the match. As we have seen in recent weeks pyrotechnics are highly dangerous and can cause serious injuries.

But this was an afternoon which nobody of a Celtic persuasion, not those inside the 60,000-strong crowd or those watching on television at home or in the pub, will ever forget. There was an electric atmosphere from start to finish. It was a spectacle which reflected well on the Scottish game.