First win at Celtic Park since 2010 has Rangers looking real deal
Last December’s derby was false dawn but first win at Parkhead since 2010 has Rangers looking real deal
WHEN Rangers stunned Celtic this time last year, it proved a false dawn in the end. Yet, for Steven Gerrard and his side, a first Parkhead win since October 2010 felt like something significant. A huge statement of intent, even.
Earlier this month, the Betfred Cup final ended in an undeserved defeat for the Ibrox side. Here, Allan McGregor’s first-half penalty stop laid the foundations for a victory with the potential to become season-defining.
For the second Old Firm game in a row, Gerrard got his team and his tactics right. The reward was the biggest win of his managerial career so far.
Asked if this victory felt more significant than the 1-0 win at Ibrox last December, Gerrard admitted: ‘I suppose so. It’s a different environment, we know the challenge is tougher here because of Celtic’s home record.
‘There’s 97 per cent of the crowd against you, it’s a very hostile environment. But I’m trying to create a big team that can cope in all environments.
‘This team has now gone to Legia Warsaw, to Feyenoord, to Porto, to Celtic, and proved it can cope. I’m trying to create big players who can handle any occasion and any challenge. We are moving in that direction but there’s still work to do.’
Playing at home, and five points clear before a ball was kicked, nobody expected Celtic to play as poorly as they did at Hampden. In truth, nobody expected Rangers to play as well. Both assumptions were wrong in the end.
Tempers flared at full-time, Alfredo Morelos earning the seventh red card of his Rangers career for simulation after a second yellow card in stoppage time. Ibrox coach Michael Beale was also shown red after exchanging verbals with Neil Lennon in the technical area.
In the bigger picture, none of that mattered much. Rangers now fly to Dubai for a winter break likely to be a good deal chirpier than Celtic’s.
Just two points adrift with a game in hand, they have emerged from a tough run of away fixtures in a good place. Without a league title since 2011, it’s now in their own hands, with questions about their mental strength falling silent.
Gerrard’s team won their individual battles, mentally and physically. McGregor made it possible with a stunning first-half penalty save from Ryan Christie, while Steven Davis dominated the midfield and cleared two Christopher Jullien headers off the line.
Borna Barisic was excellent and Ryan Kent and Nikola Katic scored superb goals, the central defender claiming the biggest moment of his career with a soaring header after 56 minutes.
Celtic were a beaten, leggy and ragged team by the end. Entering the match on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run, complacency has become a problem for the champions in this fixture — and that has to change now.
At times, they could barely string three passes together. Leaving millions to nestle in the bank in January is no longer an option.
A big window beckons for Lennon after his key attacking players failed to turn up. Even a first-half penalty couldn’t lift the malaise, with McGregor denying Christie his 18th Celtic goal of the season.
Within four minutes of that save, Rangers were ahead. Kent, the scorer in a 2-1 defeat at the same venue last season, silenced Celtic Park when he swept the visitors into a deserved lead from 12 yards.
It didn’t last long. In the build-up to this game, Gerrard called on referee Kevin Clancy to get the big calls right. Rangers were furious with the Celtic equaliser, pointing out that Callum McGregor’s long-range shot sclaffed off the arm of Odsonne Edouard en route to wrong-footing McGregor.
James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and the keeper surrounded Clancy claiming handball. At half-time, Gerrard was the last man down the tunnel, waiting patiently to remonstrate with the official.
Celtic had already been presented with an unexpected gift after 33 minutes. Winning a penalty when Katic pulled Jullien’s jersey at a corner kick, Christie’s effort was delayed by the protests of the visitors.
In truth, the midfielder lacked conviction from the start, a strike to McGregor’s left the ideal height for a fine diving save.
In a stunning transformation of fortunes, Rangers took the lead.
Davis had just cleared a netbound Jullien header from a corner off the line when the visitors broke with purpose, Ryan Jack working the ball to Barisic in space on the left side. The Croatian had too much time and space to pick out Kent, the £7million man repaying a large chunk of his transfer fee by thumping a superb left-foot effort first time into the net via the inside of the upright.
Wasteful and off colour, Celtic could have no complaints. Yet,
despite being second best once more, the champions went in at half-time level.
Bursting forward, McGregor’s 25-yard strike spun wickedly off Edouard and into the net. The timing could hardly have been worse for the visitors. After a passive and unconvincing first half when the missed penalty summed up their general performance, the opposite was true for Celtic. Once again against Rangers, they got away with one.
At half-time Gerrard set about calming his players down. Resetting the game plan and starting again.
Morelos should have had his first Old Firm goal four minutes into the second half. Goldson took out the Celtic defence with a raking pass, Kent’s first-time cross falling nicely for the Colombian. His torture continued as he slid the ball high over the crossbar.
Rangers had no need to rush it. The goal was coming. A villain in the course of giving away the penalty, Katic made swift amends.
Celtic argued the ball had skimmed off Goldson last when Rangers won a corner. Barisic didn’t hang around to argue, an outswinging corner picking him out as he soared above Kristoffer Ajer to bullet an unstoppable header past Fraser Forster.
The defending of both teams at set-pieces was nothing to write home about. For the second time in the match, Jullien climbed above the defence to head a Christie corner towards goal. For the second time in the game, Davis was at the post to deny the Frenchman.
James Forrest and Mikey Johnston were withdrawn for Nir Bitton and Olivier Ntcham but, in their efforts to equalise, the Parkhead side were ragged and shapeless. Boli Bolingoli had a poor game but he wasn’t alone.
There was no goal for Morelos in the end. Almost inevitably, there was a red card in stoppage time — a second booking coming after he dived to try to win a penalty in the area.
Despite the dismissal of coach Beale as well, Rangers’ celebrations were unrestrained at time up.
A Kenny Miller double secured their last win at Parkhead nine years ago and that season ended with a league title. If that’s not an omen, it’s hard to know what is.