Celtic’s merit has returned in a name race that threatens to be eternal between Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement.
It was the best end to a crazy year for the Scottish Premiership, as champions Celtic edged Rangers in a thrilling festival to win 2-1 and take an eight-point lead.
Brendan Rodgers’ side outlived their perennial rivals as Paulo Bernado and Kyago’s fatal brace was enough to keep their rivals at bay despite a late response. Leon Balogun was sent off before James Tavernier took another stunning free-kick to soften this mythical match. .
Kyago’s magical arrival proved decisive, as they took a significant lead into the new year, but the Rangers had two games in hand. Celtic withstood a typhoon in the first half, but it was the hosts who had the quality for most of the clash before Tavernier’s delayed magic.
But it is the day of the champions, despite the nerves on the surface in the final exchanges, as the 10-man Rangers dedicated themselves to the final exchanges, but it was too little, too late for Philippe Clément in his first derby when his team failed.
The game was enthralling and the after match reaction will likely be similar and you can follow it LIVE with us.
Bobby Madden has explained why VAR Willie Collum believes Alistair Johnston did NOT play handball for Rangers.
The Canadian appeared to push the ball out of the area with his hand pressed by Abdallah Sima. In any case, the Senegalese was offside during the preseason, so he would not have taken any kicks.
But Madden pointed out that that would have been reviewed, and since play didn’t resume with an offside free kick, that means Collum concluded Johnston didn’t take care and would NOT have given a pen if Sima hadn’t. extinct.
In my opinion, this is a handball infringement that is obviously punishable,” Madded posted on social media. “It is not easy for the referee to stumble and the VAR, as always, will observe all decisions related to the penalty area.
If the penalty had been called on the field of play, it would have been annulled when the VAR checked the APP (Attack Possession Phase). APP and then identify the offside.
To avoid any miscommunication the referee would be called for an on field review to decide if he thought penalty. If the referee thought it was a penalty they would show the offside and that’s how play would be restarted.
“If the referee doesn’t think about the penalty, it will start like when the game was stopped. It’s a bit of a cumbersome process, but it’s designed to ensure that other people perceive the decision-making process.
Basically, VAR didn’t consider it a penalty. Posting the offside symbol a few minutes later only meant showing that a penalty would have been a bad resolution and justifying non-intervention. In the end, the right resolution was made.
PS: If there hadn’t been an offside in the APP and the penalty had been awarded, surely it wouldn’t be a handball foul for those who also say it would be a second yellow card.
Kevin Thomson admits Rangers have had their noses bloodied in the name race.
But he’s backed Philippe Clement’s side to recapture the form they showed prior to defeat against Celtic and cut the gap back down to two points.
The Belgian suffered his first defeat as coach of the Light Blues after goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo at Parkhead gave Brendan Rodgers’ side a 2-1 derby win, with James Tavernier adding a belated consolation for the Gers, who had sent off Leon Balogun.
But Thomson insists his former team can temporarily refocus and put pressure back on the Hoops chasing them again.
The Ibrox club have two games in hand on the leaders and although Saturday’s defeat means they will achieve the most sensible of the Premiership this week, the Hoops will feel the encouragement of their rivals on their necks if Govan’s side manage to win either way, starting at home rather than an in-form Kilmarnock look in midweek. LEARN MORE
Scotland, Liverpool and Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish insists Philippe Clement MUST find a way to beat Celtic with Rangers now on a run of just one win in NINE Old Firm derby games, and even that was a dead game at Ibrox last season. Dalglish, writing in his Sunday Post column, singled out Hoops captain Callum McGregor for special praise after the 2-1 win.
Philippe Clement needs to find a way to beat Celtic. It’s vital. It’s unlikely they can become champions in May if they don’t win at least one of the last two Old Firm games. Saturday was Philippe’s first defeat as Rangers manager and it will be a sore one for him. However, he can’t dwell on it. He and his players need to show the right mentality to get back to winning ways on Tuesday at home to Kilmarnock.
Even if they lose, there will be things you’ll be satisfied with. They created chances but didn’t complete smartly enough. Cyriel Dessers had a golden opportunity in the first half and squandered it for being too heavy. Brendan didn’t have such a care for his players. They hit the target when they needed to.
They are now 8 points ahead of the Rangers, but their opponents have two games in hand. Actually, it’s a game presented. However, while Saturday may not be the name, it’s three huge things for the Hoops. There’s no doubt about it.
Callum McGregor was the notable player on the field. He dictated the flow of the game and was also present for each and every opportunity to get a pass. He is a brilliant captain. He is going to be important in the next six months. All of his leadership qualities and delight will be essential for the shoot.
Scott McKenna could be in a position to make a surprise return to Scotland as Celtic are “one of many clubs” interested in the Scottish defender.
The former Aberdeen goalkeeper moved south of the border to Nottingham Forest in 2020 and helped the club succeed in the English Premier League. But McKenna has lately fallen out of favour with the City Ground with just five appearances in his squad this season, with his last league outing coming with a 1-1 draw against Burnley in September.
PLZ Soccer reports that “interim investigations” have been carried out for Brendan Rodgers to upgrade to his centre-back options. READ MORE
Celtic captain Callum McGregor mocked his Rangers rivals saying they “don’t care about intensity” and “start to get to the bottom very quickly” when pressed during a derthrough victory speech to fans in a Parkhead corporate hospitality suite.
And he put the boot in further when he said the Light Blues “hadn’t played anyone” during their 16-game unbeaten run – which included inflicting a first home defeat of the season on Real Betis to top their Europa League – under Philippe Clement.
McGregor addressed the enthusiastic and successful supporters at the club’s No. 7 restaurant as he held his bottle of man-of-the-match champagne after a remarkable performance in the 2-1 win in which the champions moved eight points clear of their rivals. LEARN MORE
Celtic are “way ahead” of Rangers when it comes to attacking and scoring goals.
That’s according to Mark Wilson, who highlighted Kyago’s impressive record against the Gers. The Japanese got their seventh against them this calendar year and that was enough to win the game and give the Hoops an eight-point lead at the top.
When you look at the technique from Bernardo and then the winner from Kyogo, there’s no doubt about it; Celtic at the top end of the pitch are still miles ahead of Rangers,” Wilson told Sky Sports.
If you look at the chances that Rangers created, that is, towards the end of the first half with Dessers, McCausland and Cantwell, they were not accurate where Celtic are.
Kyogo now has seven goals against Rangers and that’s a telling fact from yesterday’s game. In those seven goals, he scored winners and equalized at the last moment: significant goals, and that’s the difference between Celtic and Rangers in that period; They have firepower that can win them games in the most sensitive part of the field.
Celtic fans were in a state of mourning after the loss of a Portuguese hero in the summer. But at Parkhead on Saturday a new one was born.
Former Hoops star Jota produced some great moments in the Old Firm derbies against the Rangers. And youngster Paulo Bernardo invented his own cookie here to help Brendan Rodgers’ side clinch victory over their Glasgow rivals. The youngster on loan from Benfica scored a very good opening goal in the first half to give the champions the lead. And there was an even bigger blow from Kyogo Furuhashi to make it 2-0 and sealed the points well. LEARN MORE
The 438th meeting between Celtic and Rangers on Saturday had the same bloodshed and thunder we’ve come to expect from this game, but it contrasted sharply with the friendly formation that marked the first meeting between the two groups more than 135 years ago.
Harry Kewell’s departure to take charge of Yokohama F Marinos became apparent at the club this morning and the former Liverpool star has written an emotional farewell to the Celtic faithful as he embarks on his new Asian adventure.
Kewell said:
I would like to thank Celtic for giving me such a glorious opportunity to belong to one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
It has been an absolute privilege to work with Celtic with two wonderful managers: Brendan and Ange. It was an honor to be part of such an institution and it is a moment in my career and in my life that I will never forget.
I’ve worked with some wonderful managers, players and staff and in combination we’ve had some brilliant moments with Celtic fans.
I would like to thank the Club and all the enthusiasts who have given me and the team such brilliant support.
I would also like to thank Brendan for giving me this opportunity to take advantage of this new opportunity. It’s a very difficult resolution to leave Celtic, but I think the managerial opportunity I have is one that I would like to take advantage of.
I’ll be a Celtic fan and I won’t wish anything good for the club yet. I hope that the club and our fans can be more and more successful.
It looks like they’re making immediate progress in Parkhead.
It’s an in-and-out behind-the-scenes as the club announced that Adam Sadler has joined Brendan Rodgers’ coaching staff, likely as a direct replacement for Kewell.
Sadler worked under Rodgers for four years at Leicester and is buzzing to rekindle that relationship at Celtic Park.
I’m very happy to join the Celtic. Es such an iconic club with such a great history, a phenomenal fan base and a terrific track record of success.
I hope to join the control team and run with the players and play my part to bring even more good fortune to the club.
Needless to say, I’m looking forward to teaming up with Brendan again. We worked a lot together at Leicester City and had wonderful times.
I know exactly the way Brendan likes to play and what he demands from his players and staff, so I am sure once again we can work together and achieve really positive results.
Celtic manager Harry Kewell has officially left the club to join Yokohama F. Marine.
Australian Kewell was recruited by Parkhead through Ange Postecoglou 18 months ago and played a major role in the name-dropping last season.
He stayed on to work under Brendan Rodgers but the boss admitted earlier this year there was interest in the former Leeds and Liverpool star from Japan – where he emerged as a target to replace Kevin Muscat in Yokohama.
He probably got a brilliant reference from Postecoglou, who boasts mythical prestige after leading them to a prominent league name in 2019.
And Kewell now officially takes the reins, going out on his own for the first time since leaving Barnet in 2021.
Former Rangers striker Billy Dodds didn’t need much luck finding the back of the net in a prolific run in the game, earning him a move to Ibrox in the twilight of his career.
And that’s why he was incredulous that Cyriel Dessers squandered a golden opportunity after impeccably scoring on goal, only to procrastinate and let the opportunity slip away. Dodds couldn’t see when he described it on the BBC.
How long do you want, my son? In fact, it’s slowing down. He wants to show more dynamism and speed. Great relaxation for Celtic. Dessers wants to get things done much faster.
Chris Sutton has taken a cheeky dig at the “pundits in Scotland” who had written off Kyogo before his decisive derby strike just hours after mocking Kris Boyd live on Sky.
The Japanese superstar won the game at Parkhead with a stunning goal that nevertheless mended the messes and handed Philippe Clement his first defeat as Rangers boss.
And Sutton, speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, told co-presenter Robbie Savage that he’s a “great player”, while asking fan Colin what he thought of other people “pushing him aside”.
Savage then asked Sutton who he thought had “dumped him” and refrained from naming names.
Some pundits in Scotland. Come on, that’s not the game. He’s a big game player, isn’t he? He turns up when it matters.
But anyone who had watched the game before would have known that Boyd was their top target. The former Rangers striker had said last week that Lawrence Shankland was Scotland’s most productive hitman and that Kyogo might not have completed what he did for his winning goal. opposite to Hibs.
And Sutton said on Sky: “Can Kris Boyd keep ruling out Kyogo?Eilidh, can you tell him to keep pushing him aside?”
Boyd smiled: “Who wrote him off?
The Rangers are counting down the value of the defeat at Parkhead on Saturday and it’s not just the fact that they are now 8 points behind Celtic in the name race. Leon Balogun’s straight red card means he will miss Tuesday’s game against Kilmarnock and Connor Goldson has been booked with his yellow card, meaning he will not be able to travel to Easter Road at the end of January, one of two remaining games for Rangers opposed to the Hoops.
Kenny Miller believes the Rangers came close to Celtic at Parkhead yesterday.
But writing this morning in his Sunday Mail column, he believes that, in order to knock them off their post, they want a faked January window.
And those two signings can allow them to get off to the most productive start imaginable.
READ MORE HERE
Brendan Rodgers earned bragging rights on derby day, but there’s still plenty to do at Celtic Park.
That’s the view of Hugh Keevins, who kicks off his Hogmanay with gusto with his Sunday Record Sport column.
Mother Nature and Father Time were married in Celtic Park and Brendan Rodgers was the most productive man.
Sometimes it’s not about the football. It’s about the fickle finger of fate. From the moment Rangers’ game against Ross County on Wednesday night was postponed because of bad weather that was a danger to personal safety, the dynamics surrounding the Old Firm contest were altered in Celtic’s favour.
By possibility and by a conspiracy. . . .
READ MORE HERE
The derby-day clash was “too big” for Cyriel Dessers as the Rangers striker struggled to make an impact at Celtic Park.
That is the view of Gordon Dalziel who was left in disbelief at the performance of the striker when speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard:
He went into the game with a big on confidence. He has been scoring goals and getting praise from the fans, but this is the game to stand up and be counted. The game looked a big big for him, but all credit to the Celtic centre-backs for keeping with him. But even when he got in positions you were never confident he was going to score.
Luis Palma celebrated his team’s victory in Glasgow.
The Honduran foreigner started the game for Rodgers and played his part in three main points. He toasted the day with a message of praise for the Hoops on Instagram.
Only green and white. Well done guys!! Thanks for your Celts.
Rangers have had accusations of a penalty for a foul on Cyriel Dessers ignored by expert Tam McManus.
A slack pass from Alistair Johnston allowed the striker the chance to run through on goal – but as he looked set to pull the trigger Dessers was closed down by the Canadian as he tracked back.
That caused the long-suffering leaders to inflate their lines and squander a very important opportunity; however, claims circulated online that a penalty had been awarded via referee Nick Walsh or Willie Callum in the VAR room.
But former Hibs Tam McManus put an end to the claims: posting on X:
Never has a penalty caught the ball at his feet and almost landed on him. The defender does well to do enough to deter him, but if he hadn’t been slower than molasses, he would have hit his shot.
The boss is looking to the future after victory at Celtic Park.
Neil McCann asked Todd Cantwell to take notes and for Callum McGregor to report back to him.
The Hoops captain won the Man of the Match award after adopting the derby style, while Cantwell became addicted after suffering to make an impact. Ibrox hero McCann insists the playmaker can learn a lot from the Celtic mainstay.
Cantwell looks to get close to him throughout the game, but I regret that this is an absolute lesson in what it means to lead a team. He just didn’t settle for that. He is fully aware that Cantwell is there and seeks to stop him. But the one thing McGregor did today dictated the speed of the match.
He played a deeper role when he played extra under Brendan. He knew when to break this anchor paper. When to intervene in the final third and dictate the game. It was very difficult for Cantwell to get close to him.
Even though Todd Cantwell was whipped during the game, he deserves to watch this game and realize what it takes to run a game and be a leader on the park. Not even in possession, but really, what it can do to you in a game is making sure you empty out all the time.
He dominates the conversation at Celtic Park, but why didn’t Willie Collum put referee Nick Walsh on the court?
Peter Grant has been hit by VAR confusion amid the intense debate over Rangers’ sanctions.
Alistair Johnston’s hand is not in doubt according to the Hoops hero, but he insists that the secondary shot afterwards does NOT show offside. And the fact that that’s not the case leaves him perplexed, as he told Sportsound.
I’m very happy because at the time the penalty was called. The hand takes the ball out of the box and there is no doubt. We didn’t realize that at that point there was an offside resolution before.
Everybody is not aware of what is happening and it gives you a problem. Then they take a by-kick which tells me it isn’t offside. Or is that them clutching at straws? I don’t know. You are looking at it now, they have played the game on, took a by-kick and all things lead to it not being a handball, that was all they seen.
He’s long gone, but now he’s back with Celtic.
And the Israeli foreigner is very happy to face the Rangers again, posting on social media:
What a feeling to be on the field.
Kyogo Furuhashi has thanked Celtic after their exploits in the derby.
The Hoops star produced a moment of magic by firing a stunning shot beyond Jack Butland early in the second half as Brendan Rodgers’ men beat Rangers 2-1 at Parkhead to open an eight-point gap at the more sensible, after betting. two more plays.
Philippe Clement went into the showdown in Glasgow’s east end unbeaten as Ibrox gaffer but Paulo Bernardo opened the scoring before Kyogo’s piece of brilliance. The Light Blues then lost Leon Balogun to a red card before James Tavernier curled home what proved to be a consolation effort beyond Joe Hart from a free-kick.
Reacting to the online result, Kyogo posted on Instagram along with photographs of the pre-match assembly and their post-match celebrations with fans: “2023 over. Thank you for your support, as always. “
Rangers have demanded that the SFA release the VAR audio from the Celtic game after the Ibrox side were denied a penalty at Celtic Park.
Going into the half-time break, Alistair Johnston appeared to push the ball out of play with his hand when involved in a tussle inside the box with Rangers attacker Abdallah Sima. Referee Nick Walsh did not point to the spot while the VAR room by Willie Collum backed up the official – with claims of a handball initially appearing to be rejected. At the half-time break, pundits James McFadden, Neil Lennon and Kris Boyd would tell Sky that the Celtic star should have been penalised for handball.
Commentator Ian Crocker took advantage of a pause in the game to explain the scenario by saying that he had since been told that a possible offside in the build-up was the cause of the big talking point that did not penalise the home team. Now I asked for an explanation and this audio is published.
READ MORE
Liel Abada made a winning return to action as he brought 2023 to the perfect end.
The Celtic striker spent a lot of time on the bench but made his long-awaited return as Brendan Rodgers’ men beat Rangers 2-1 at Parkhead.
The Israel international expressed his delight by writing on Instagram: “What a feeling to be back on the pitch again. Thank you 2023.”
Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi scored the goals and the Hoops were the first team to defeat Philippe Clemenet since he replaced Michael Beale as Ibrox boss.
Alan Stubbs wanted to send all Celtic fans a derby-themed New Year’s message.
The former Parkhead star was left desperate after the derby result and put them in a more sensible position heading into 2023 with an eight-point lead. And joy wasn’t hard to find.
The Rangers boss didn’t hold back after defeat at Celtic Park.
It’s another day of big VAR conversation problems and referee decisions when Celtic and Rangers clashed at Parkhead.
It was the first meeting between Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement in the dugout with the Belgian boss losing out for the first time as Light Blues gaffer after watching side lose out 2-1 in front of a packed out home support. Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi grabbed the goals for the league leaders to increase the gap at the top ahead of the final round of fixtures before the winter shutdown.
James Tavernier took a free-kick after Leon Balogun’s red card to give the visiting ten a glimmer of hope, but it was not to be, as the Hoops held on to get a big win in the derby, much to the delight of Rodgers and the fans.
As always with these games, a number of key flashpoints came to light in the 90 plus minutes of action that sparked discussions and debates from the studio pundits and beyond.
LEARN MORE
Philippe Clement has commented on Rangers’ January transfer plans after suffering his first defeat as Ibrox gaffer against Celtic.
The Belgian manager already has his January buys with the addition of Wolves striker Fabio Silva on loan and is now linked with Dutch winger Million Manhoef on a £2. 5m transfer. However, speaking after the 2-1 derby defeat at Parkhead, the Light Blues manager did not directly comment on plans for the coming weeks or give figures on additional signings.
He told BBC Sportsound: “I never speak about players we are interested in or not because then I can speak every day about rumours, there are so many rumours in Glasgow that are wrong.
“We will communicate about the players who are in the construction and with Fabio it is the case and this year he will push like the others to have a season.
“How many are we looking to recruit? These are things we’ve talked about with the board, everyone agrees on that and we’re going to see what’s imaginable in January. Everyone works hard and strives to achieve the goal. “maximum of what we want.
“I also need to see the players do everything they can to stay in the team and the club. They did that today, so that’s the maximum. “
Celtic hero Chris Sutton has taken another pop at Todd Cantwell after Rangers defeat at Celtic Park.
Cantwell and the Hoops legend have been trading blows for months, and tensions arose between the two men after the Rangers star called the Celtic fan favourite an “attention seeker” and claimed Sutton was a fan of his while at Norwich City. However, the expert had none of this and criticized Cantwell for his “normal” career.
And the Parkhead hero didn’t pass up the chance to recommend Cantwell over X after the 2-1 loss:
If I were Todd Cantwell, I’d be watching Callum McGregor’s DVDs. . .
The jubilant Brendan Rodgers has taken a brazen jab as Rangers by claiming at least FIVE times that Ibrox’s side had “returned” under the data chiefs from his two spells at Celtic.
The railway cut through the chaos of the typhoon this week, but it was the Rangers-style exercise that was interrupted at Celtic Park.
Philippe Clément’s men had the crest of a wave amid an unbeaten start to their reign, but a surprising Paulo Bernardo set the wheels in motion for an early problem. Alistair Johnston was at the centre of the penalty shoot-out debate at mid-match. After an alleged handball in his own area, the fury soon ended with an offside in the build-up.
Kyogo has been quiet this season, but turned up the noise at full volume with his daze less than five minutes into the second half. Léon Balogun’s red card summed up a dull day for Clément’s men, but a bright crack in the clear blue clouds. It came from a sumptuous free-kick by James Tavernier. This scared the packed crowd and set up a thrilling finale.
In the end, the Rangers were caught off guard and paid the price for their mistakes in a 2-1 defeat in the Parkhead snow. Here’s what the pundits had to say about the action in east Glasgow that puts Celtic top of the Premiership. with 8 points, with Rangers with two games in hand.
LEARN MORE
The Rangers were caught off guard and paid the price for their mistakes in a 2-1 loss in the Parkhead snow.
Here’s what the pundits had to say about the action in eastern Glasgow that puts Celtic at the top of the Premiership with 8 points, while Rangers have two games in hand.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has branded Callum McGregor a star in the prime of his game after playing a man-of-the-match role in a win over Rangers.
The defending champions move eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership as Rodgers saw off Philippe Clement in his first showdown with the Light Blues’ boss since he stepped into the Ibrox hot seat – dealing the Belgian his first defeat since taking over at Ibrox. Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo found the net for the home side before Leon Balogun saw red for a pull on Daizen Maeda as he broke through on goal – with James Tavernier netting a late consolation goal.
LEARN MORE
Scott Brown has delivered a three-word verdict following Celtic’s win over Rangers.
The legendary Hoops captain didn’t waste a minute when he posted on his Instagram Stories the caption: “Never in doubt” along with an emoji of a four-leaf clover.
Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi scored and Brendan Rodgers made headlines in Philippe Clet’s first defeat at Ibrox.
A great result ahead of the last games before the foreign break and that visibly made the former captain very happy in his eyes.
Packie Bonner, speaking to the BBC, was inspired by the relentlessness shown by the champions.
Still [record opposite Rangers] and it’s improving. All the players were starters, even [Maik] Nawrocki, who came on the field and probably didn’t get any playing time. I don’t know if he made any rebounding plays or anything, but he did really, really well, other than giving away that loose shot that Rangers scored. That was the only stain on his notebook. Overall, I think they will be very satisfied with the performance. The objectives were magnificent. Today was a real Scottish game. It was exciting and brilliant, and what a game we had ahead of us.
The snow is gone, but the dust on the road around Glasgow is negative for Celtic enthusiasts who glide down the road for celebrations.
It’s an in and around the stadium.
JACK BUTLAND 6
No goalkeeper on the planet may have stopped Celtic’s goals while the summer signing was still up in the air. A few late saves were made, but the loss cannot be attributed to the goalkeeper’s door.
JAMES TAVERNIER 6
Didn’t appear to be the skipper’s day as he struggled to produce anything going forward until 88th minute free kick beat Hart all ends up. Up to that point deliveries had not been up to usual standard as he failed to impose himself on game.
CONNOR GOLDSON 5
He happened to have compatibility to occupy his position in central defence, but looked back at speed and could not get close to Kyogo at the time of the goal. He was booked in the last minute and now faces a suspension for the match against Hibs.
LEON BALOGUN 4
Horrible afternoon for the Nigerian international. He forced back to the centre of defence, but struggled with Kyogo and the turmoil worsened when a strong touch allowed Maeda to run forward and left Balogun with no option yet to shoot at the Japanese and get a red card.
RIDVAN YILMAZ 5
My hands were completely opposite to Maeda’s. He has worked hard defensively, but Rangers lack the attacking risk of Borna Barisic down the left while Yilmaz continues to struggle to make a good impression.
JOHN LUNSTRAM 6
Gave fans a huge lift by passing fitness test and was Rangers’ best midfielder on the day as he used energy to drive forward. Ibrox side were second best in the middle though and Scouser was replaced by Souttar with 14 to go.
STERLING DROP 6
He maintained his position in midfield ahead of Cifuentes, but was unable to complete the match as he had in previous matches, as the Gers midfielder was outplayed by Hoops until the end of the match. Warning for a barge on Bernardo.
TODD CANTWELL4
The guy Rangers enthusiasts expected to work magic at No. 10, but failed to stand out and was never far behind. Decent effort stored in the first half. Hanging after 68 minutes to a standing ovation. . . of Celtic enthusiasts.
ROSS McCAUSLAND 6
First taste of the derthrough. A smart first run snuck into Celtic and reduced the alarms in the home defence. A decent effort blocked by Nawrocki and even greater stored by Hart.
ABDALLAH SIMA 5
He gave Johnston a lot early on, but he got out of the game. An extravagant first-half chance flew over the bar, but a poor defensive header from the corner allowed Bernardo to put Celtic ahead. Replaced by Wright with 21 minutes remaining.
CYRIEL DESSERS 5
Just as the summer signing was starting to win over fans, he took the opportunity to backtrack and squander a great chance to equalize, as he misslipped into a great opportunity, allowing Johnston to come back and save the shot. Same result for the last goal.
SUBS:
KIERAN DOWELL 4
He replaced the in-form Cantwell in the final 21 minutes but missed a chance to end the game in stoppage time when he struggled to cut back.
SCOTT WRIGHT 4
He passed to Sima in the 69th minute when Rangers went broke and the injection of speed caused disorder in Celtic.
JOHN SOUTTAR2
Launched into a solid delivery after Balogun’s red card. Reserved.
NOT USED: McCrorie, Lammers, Cifuentes, Matondo, King, Devine.
JOE HART 7
The veteran has shown that he has the courage to face the big occasions. Good save to stop Cantwell’s stinging punch and even bigger to clear McCausland with a strong right-footed shot just before the break. No chance on Tavernier’s free kick.
ALISTAIR JOHNSTON 6
First into book for lunging in on Sima and should have been punished for slack pass that allowed Dessers in on goal but did well to race back and thwart dallying Gers man. Survived a handball scare late in first half after VAR check.
STEPHEN GALAIS 4
Another high-pressure appearance for the defender when he replaced the bitten Carter-Vickers, but the 23-year-old lasted just 34 minutes after injuring his shoulder while diving at Dessers.
LIAM SCALES 7
He had a couple of careless moments as an owner early on, but won most of his headers and demanding situations and kept it going as the game progressed with Gers ramping up the pressure. End the year on an excellent note.
GREG TAYLOR 6
Has had his critics this season and a few tricky early moments as McCausland got in behind and struggled to get forward but kept composure as Gers rallied late on.
CALLUM MCGREGOR 8
A veteran of this fixture, the skipper oozed class as he drove side on and kept ball ticking over. So much of his work goes unnoticed but tidy use of ball opened up angles and off the ball he covered every blade of grass. Booked late on.
MATT O’RILEY 8
A quiet first half according to his own criteria and reserved for haste, but he helped Kyogo score after the break and it is now five assists in nine old adventures of the Englishman. Sterling’s shaky arm, the blown nose but a very good chunk of the moment.
PAULO BERNARDO 7
Slow start at Celtic, but the Portuguese would probably have temporarily advanced with a second goal in a week. He missed a first chance with his head before shooting wide, but the third time he got lucky and flew off the roof of the stadium with a brilliantly controlled half-volley. Reserved for the party.
DAIZEN MAEDA 6
The Jet-Pack striker has yet to find the spark after being sacked due to injury. The pace deserved to have given Yilmaz a thrilling moment, but not at his best. The poor let him down from the start and just produced the same rhythm as always. .
LUIS PALMA 7
In charge of generating magic on the left flank and avoiding the risk of Tavernier in the direction. He did so by taking a corner for the first goal and minimising the danger for the Gers captain before being substituted in the 82nd minute.
KYOGO FURUHASHI 8
Lack of confidence? No way! Sniffing the target early after pressuring Goldson and denying him through Butland, however, the talisman is enjoying this game as he produced a sensational lineout and a left-footed shot from 20 yards out to make it 2-0.
SUBS:
MAIK NAWROCKI 6
The forgotten boy came on for the first action since August to update the injured Welshman after 34 minutes. He blocked McCausland’s chance moments later and threw a pair of key interceptions and blocks. But the free kick conceded for Gers’ goal.
DAVID TURNBULL4
It’s time for Bernardo with 20 minutes left. . . booked for bringing down Sterling.
OH HYEON-GYU2
Kyogo in the 82nd minute to give the goal hero a rousing welcome and Hoops to victory.
MIKEY JOHNSTON1
This is the case for Maeda with 8 minutes to go, but he is to blame for being out because Hoops had to protect himself.
LIEL ABADA 2
Replaced Palma on 82 minutes to a huge ovation as he made first appearance since last Old Firm.
NOT USED: Bain, Yang, Hatate, Ralston.
It’s full-time as Celtic hold on to secure a 2-1 win over the 10-man Rangers.
Goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo were enough for the home side, and James Tavernier’s very good free-kick was just a consolation for Celtic to take an eight-point lead.
Substitutes Oh and John Souttar have clashed on the half-way line as Celtic try and break forward. Souttar and Goldson are into the book.
Matt O’Riley’s taken another sore one in a challenge with John Souttar as the two rise for a header. It looks like a broken nose from earlier and he’s taken another whack to open it up again, but he’s back on the pitch.
Callum McGregor goes down in the box after a challenge, but when the referee waves, the flag goes up.
The Rangers have a wonderful chance as Dowell plays but chooses to shoot from the center where the Rangers had men.
Tavernier was looking for a clever cross-field pass and the captain’s cross was deflected wide.
Rangers desperately want a draw with EIGHT minutes left in this thrilling derby.
Starting from scratch, James Tavernier reduced the deficit with a very good free kick to the most sensible corner.
Joe Hart found himself in trouble when the ball was given to him, but as with Kyogo’s effort, the goalkeeper had little chance to save it.
Celtic 2-1 Rangers and reach the final minutes.