WONDER BHOYS
Champions maul Gers at Ibrox with total display of ruthless efficiency
RANGERS 1 CELTIC 5
The truth was, the Hoops had owned every other square inch of Ibrox for the entire 90 minutes.
From the minute rookie full-back Myles Beerman conceded the sixthminute penalty that started the ball rolling, they had nothing to give.
Scott Sinclair scored from the spot, Leigh Griffiths fired home a screamer, and Callum Mcgregor, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig completed the rout.
Only Kenny Miller laid a glove on the champs to make it 4-1.
Teenager Beerman was always going to be up against it one on one with Patrick Roberts.
But his lunge on the Man City winger as he was running out of the box, away from goal, posing no threat whatsoever, is the kind of moment of madness that must a drive a manager insane.
All your plans, lying in ashes, six minutes in.
Sinclair’s stutter-step penalty sent Wes Foderingham the wrong way and the die was cast.
Undaunted by his brush with the SFA beaks, Brown risked a yellow for a wee elbow on Miller.
That was a subject for debate but there was no such questions about the quality of Celtic’s second goal – even if Rangers will look back and know it could have been avoided.
Emerson Hyndman was picked off beautifully by Stuart Armstrong as the American lingered on the ball.
From the moment he fed Griffiths, the ball’s destination felt inevitable.
Foderingham got a touch but there was no stopping his left-foot shot as it hit the corner.
And Griff could have made it 3-0 soon after, crashing a lovely effort off the bar after an attack set up by Jozo Simunovic cementing Miller at the other end with a phenomenal tackle.
Celtic’s superiority told for the rest of the half, just not on the scoreboard.
Sinclair blew a great chance at the back post, Roberts fired a 30-yarder inches wide of the top corner. Celtic were cruising.
The ease of the third goal just seven minutes after the restart was a classic example of the gulf on class.
Mcgregor had it, lost it, got it back. James Tavernier had him squared up, but one inside-out shimmy later, and Mcgregor had him nutmegged and was wheeling away with joy as the finish zipped past Foderingham.
It got even worse in 66 minutes Josh Windass’ attempt to track Boyata at Griffiths’ inswinging free-kick was embarrassing.
The Belgian blew past him and buried the finish from point-blank range to make it 4-0.
When Miller finished off a nice onetwo with Joe Garner probably only half the Rangers support were still there to see it.
The ones who left were probably too stunned to move.
Especially after the ease with which Lustig blew through them at the death to restore the Hoops’ four-goal cushion.