All over bar the shouting
Celtic poised for the title after killing off 10-man Rangers’ challenge in a dramatic Old Firm derby
AT the point when the senses were no longer being subjected to the sustained assault that comes with being exposed to this unique sporting battle, the final picture in this compelling Premiership season was just about complete.
After a campaign of no little tumult and turmoil, Celtic can now reach out and touch the league trophy.
Barring the biggest collapse in the history of the Scottish game, Brendan Rodgers’ side will claim the club’s 54th championship — their 12th in 13 years — in the coming days.
A point at Rugby Park on Wednesday will remove any lingering trace of doubt, with a home game against St Mirren next Saturday the insurance policy.
Rangers must beat Dundee on Tuesday just to keep the issue alive, with a trip to Tynecastle yet to come. Stranger things have happened. But not too many.
While neither Rodgers nor his players will consider the job done just yet, the fans who proclaimed them to be champions at time-up after opening up a six-point lead could scarcely be accused of jumping the gun.
Beset by poor form and personnel issues for so much of the season, Celtic were always going to be a different beast once they got their star names back. They won’t let this slip from their grasp now.
They were markedly the better team here, richly deserving of a triumph that left Philippe Clement still without a win in three derbies. Rodgers’ players and supporters had all the fun their manager said they would.
Having sprung from the traps, Celtic surged ahead with two goals in the space of four minutes through Matt O’Riley and John Lundstram’s own goal.
Rangers would rebound quickly with Cyriel Dessers’ header but the man disadvantage that came when Lundstram walked before the interval was a barrier they could not overcome.
Seemingly out of the race in October, Clement’s players have done well to make a fight of this.
How they will rue the five points they spilled against Ross County and Dundee to hand Celtic a way back. The fact is that, when it came to the crunch, they were again found wanting.
Past masters at closing out titles, Rodgers’ side held their nerve down the home straight when it mattered.
The Northern Irishman’s third title won’t be his most spectacular, but it might well be his sweetest.
Rodgers’ pre-match optimism stemmed from having his big hitters available to him again.
A lack of game time in recent weeks did not prevent James Forrest and Daizen Maeda being tasked with providing the attacking impetus down the flanks.
Now over the worst of an Achilles injury, skipper Callum McGregor was asked to dictate the play behind Reo Hatate and O’Riley.
Clement did not have his troubles to seek. A central defensive partnership of John Souttar and Ben Davies was borne from necessity. Tom Lawrence was deployed as the most attacking player in a midfield three.
Rodgers had predicted that the stadium would feel as if it was on fire come kick-off time and he was not wrong.
Parkhead was packed to the gunwales exclusively by home supporters — the last time this will happen — and at times the noise spewing out of this cavernous arena felt like the eruption of a volcano.
Often over-hyped, for once the importance of this clash could not be overstated. Amid the sprinklings of celebrities, the presence of Henrik Larsson was another reminder of the high-stakes game that was about to unfold.
The quality was not always from the top drawer, but you simply could not take your eyes off it.
Within seconds, Souttar almost turned Forrest’s cross into his own net. Kyogo Furuhashi could not turn home the scraps. It was all the encouragement Celtic needed. When Maeda ran back to dispossess James Tavernier, his tackle was celebrated like a goal.
Forrest turned back the clock here. Having lashed one chance narrowly over, he forced Jack Butland to tip another strike over the crossbar.
O’Riley worried Butland with a sweetly-hit free-kick that flew just past the upright and was inches away with another effort.
McGregor then advanced to shoot narrowly wide before catching Davies’ back with a meaty strike. There was no great secret to the visitors’ game-plan.
The ball was shelled long and early in the direction of Dessers in the hope the striker could bring a runner into play.
Although Fabio Silva did fire narrowly beyond the far post with the score still level, Rangers were struggling to get up for air. The Portuguese striker will feel he ought to have done better when he failed to connect with Dujon Sterling’s deep cross.
Furuhashi became the latest man in green to come close when his snap-shot was repelled by the legs of Butland, but you sensed the opener was only a matter of time.
Hugging the touchline, Forrest spotted McGregor advancing and played a dead-weight pass.
Identifying O’Riley as his best option, McGregor released the ball. With an almighty swipe of his left boot, O’Riley beat Butland at his near post and nearly took the roof off.
Within three minutes, matters went from bad to worse for the visitors. Not always known for his technical ability, Maeda produced a velvet touch to take the ball from the sky. He made for the byline and delivered a percentage low cross.
Facing his own goal, Lundstram
kicked it the way he was facing. Butland could only watch in horror as the ball flew past him.
Before Celtic’s celebrations had died down, Rangers halved their advantage.
Silva found the overlapping Borna Barisic. The Croatian’s cross was claimed by Sterling. Dessers momentarily silenced the crowd with a close range-header.
Clement would have fancied his side’s chances of pulling something out of the fire in that moment. But not so much after a moment of madness by Lundstram in first-half stoppage time.
The Englishman’s challenge on Alistair Johnston wasn’t high but it was fast and wild. The initial booking administered by referee Willie Collum was always going to be upgraded to a red after he trotted to his pitch-side monitor.
The chance to settle the game — and the destination of the title — was handed to Celtic just five minutes into the second half.
Mohamed Diomande’s trip on O’Riley looked clear cut, yet there were four minutes between Collum pointing to the spot and the midfielder spotting the ball due to a lengthy VAR check.
You can’t help but think that it worked to Butland’s advantage. The Englishman guessed correctly in diving to his left and saved.
It kept Rangers breathing but, in truth, they rarely looked like fashioning the most unlikely comeback. With their man advantage in the blistering heat, Celtic kept the ball. For leadenfooted Rangers, it became an implement of torture.
Nicolas Kuhn, a late introduction by Rodgers, went on a quicksilver run but was thwarted when his shot was deflected over.
Celtic could have scored a third but placed a higher value on the importance of not conceding.
The closing stages were chaotic. As Rangers threw Butland up top for a corner, McGregor waved his arms at the home supporters looking for the noise to drive them over the line.
Despite Adam Idah missing a chance to settle the issue with a third goal on the break, Celtic remained resolute defensively. They’re almost there.