Rangers stunned Celtic with a dominant Old Firm derby win on January 2 to ease some of the pressure on manager Philippe Clement.
Brendan Rodgers’ side did not lose a single domestic game in 2024 but looked distinctly off-colour in their opening match of the new year as they faced 24 shots in a single Scottish Premiership game for the first time on record.
A 2-1 loss to St. Mirren and a 2-2 draw with Motherwell to end December left the Light Blues 14 points behind their fierce city rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership table heading into this fixture, and the leaders arguably let complacency take hold as they produced a lifeless display against a Rangers defence missing three key players and its first-choice goalkeeper behind it.
? pic. twitter. com/o7l4ry5nla
Ianis Hagi’s fine goal after only seven minutes — scored in front of his watching father, the Romania great Gheorghe Hagi — sent Ibrox into raptures, and Vaclav Cerny hit the bar with a deflected shot before quarter of an hour had been played.
Celtic looked sluggish compared to their hosts, although there was a nervy moment just before the break when Reo Hatate’s shot had to be palmed away by Liam Kelly, who was making just his second start for Rangers.
Clement’s appearance produced a similar demonstration in the first part in the Scottish League Cup last month, only to lose consequences after a 3-3 draw, however, there was no repetition of that fall in the criteria at the time : Kyogo Furuhashi ended skillfully since the end of the end. From Kyogo Furuhashi until the end of Kyogo Furuhashi’s intelligent that was sent by offspect, this sadness in Hampden Park will have remembered.
Yet any such concerns were ended just past the hour mark. Robin Propper proved an unlikely hero, prodding home from close range after Nico Raskin’s header was blocked, and it never looked like Celtic would mount a comeback from there.
Substitute Danilo then scored just a minute after coming off the bench, scoring from a narrow diversity with his sideways shot to spark the birthday party in the stands. The name would possibly surpass them for this season, but at least one game that showed that there isn’t as big of a hole between the old-brand rivals as the standings suggest.
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Venue: Ibrox Stadium, GlasgowReferee: Don Robertson
Track each and every play and goal through the SN Live Scoreboard
Starting lineups:
Rangers (4-2-3-1, from the left): 31. Liam Kelly (GK) -3. Ridvan Yilmaz, 21. Dujon Sterling, 4. Robin Propper, 22. Jefte (47. Robbie Fraser) -43array Nicolas Raskin (8. Connor Barron), 10. Mohamed Diomande – Vaclav Cerny, 14. Nedim Bajami (99. Danilo) , 30. Ianis Hagi (7. Oscar Cortes) – 29. Hamza Igamane (9. Cyriel disserts))
Celtic (4-3-3, from right to left): 1. Kasper Schmeichel (GK) -2. Alistair Johnston, 20. Cameron Carter-Vickers, 5th. Liam Scales, 3. Greg Taylor (11. Alex Valle)- 28. Paulo Bernardo (14. Luke McGowan), 42 years. Callum McGregor, years. Reo Hatate (27. Arne Engels) -10. Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn, 8. Kyogo Furuhashi (Adam Idah), 38. Daizen Maeda
More: How Celtic won an exciting Cup of the Scottish Liga Ultimate | Face to face with the old company of all time
What a result is this! Rangers inflict Celtic their first domestic defeat in over a year. That was one of his worst performances of the season by distance. The name race might be firmly in his hands, but this one will be a sting.
90 3 minutes: The Rangers make a trio of substitutions in the final seconds, to give some players some space to applaud. Celtic are well defeated. Truth be told, they seem pretty beaten up from start to finish.
88 minutes: There is a pause in the match after Arne Engels goes through something that appears to have been thrown from the crowd. The referee hands the object to the fourth referee (looks like Coin) who then hands it to a police officer to place in an evidence bag. Ugly and dead scenes. At least Engels is fine.
86 mins: Celtic have faced 24 shots in today’s game. Since Opta started keeping records in Scotland’s top flight in 2013/14, they have never faced as many in a single match.
81 minutes: GOAL!DANILO SCORES WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH! Johnston got away from the ball thanks to Jefte, who went down the left and fired a low cross that blocked Carter-Vickers. The ball falls softly on substitute Danilo, who goes home on the first attempt. He is in the field 70 seconds before.
To watch in the United States:
It only took one minute for super sub Danilo to find the back of the net for Rangers! ⚡️⏱️ pic.twitter.com/rHnOfwZSNs
UNITED KINGDOM:
“It’s a declared victory!” ?Rangers have a third opposite to Celtic, as Danilo scores seconds after arriving!?pic. twitter. com/KRWC1JV8EZ
78 minutes: big at the break for the Rangers, since Igamane and Bajami have two against one against Carter-Vickers, but the striker’s pass at Bajami is failed and cut.
75 minutes: The Rangers have made 23 shots against the 4 of Celtic so far. Three of the attempts of the league leader arrived in the first part; The last one has just seen a maeda header blocked by Yilmaz. This is really out of place.
In fact, it was not recorded as a hit. Three is.
70 minutes: Rangers need handball after Idah blocks Igamane’s shot from a corner, but his arm opposes his body. There is no possibility.
66 minutes: Objective! The Rangers double their advance! From the corner, Raskin’s head is blocked on the line, but Robin Propper is there to poke the rebound. Celtic has a wonderful difficulty now!
Look at it in the USA:
Good place, time for Robin Pröpper from the Rangers whilst the Ibrox stadium is erupting! ??️ pic. twitter. com/d2ai44T4ZP
UNITED KINGDOM:
“It’s Happy New Year to Rangers at the moment!” ?Robin Propper makes it 2-0 to Rangers against Celtic!pic.twitter.com/NFUcr8pyLh
65 minutes: Good save from Schmeichel! Cerny is back to slash and shoot over his harder left foot, however, the Celtic guardian is equivalent to it. There is a triple replacement for the visitors, with Adam Idah, Alex Valle and Luke McCowan coming.
60 minutes: how did he get out? Cerny goes through the goal and puts a low shot in front of Schmeichel, but it comes back from inside the post and bounces to the goal line without going in!The flag had stayed down, that was a target, Var. He may have simply directed it offside.
57 mins: Penalty check for Rangers after Jefte’s low cross strikes the trailing arm of Paulo Bernardo, but there’s no way that was going to be given. This is a good spell for the home side, though.
53 minutes: Kyogo Lens – No! It’s a sublime finish because he controls the Carter-Vickers lob up front before moving a shot into Kelly and into the net, but Var confirms he’s way out of the game. However, it’s a caution for the Rangers.
50 minutes: The Celtics began the part well, but the Rangers had already threatened the backlash. Another Hagi shot bounced clumsy beyond Schmeichel, but they only gave him the ball.
Don’t substitute one or the other.
The Rangers drive 1-0, and rightly. They were the most productive side, and Celtic simply.
But all those things were also true at halftime of the Ultimate Cup on DicemberArray.
45+4 minutes: Good save, Liam Kelly! The corner returns to Hatate, about 12 meters from the goal. He does well to keep the half-volley in frame, but Kelly must decorate the ball. The referee announces the break amid a small fight in the area and loud shouts in the stands. After all, it’s the old business.
45+3 mins: The delivery isn’t great, but Taylor is able to win a corner. Celtic will have another chance before the break.
45+1 minutes: Jefte Carless, who throws an arm and moves Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn in the face. Celtic gets a loose kick near the corner. Kuhn, in fact, is bleeding and will require remedy before being taken.
39 minutes: Brilliant from Carter-Vickers! Sterling makes a great challenge and Rangers break magnificently. Bajrami waits for him to evaluate his characteristics before filming a good pass of the ball behind Mohamed Diomande’s track, but Carter-Vickers once his vision of the slide is perfect. It may simply be a turning point.
36 mins: Hagi has another chance to shoot, but is cut off as he hits the ball, dissecting the attempt. That came here from another misplaced pass from Reo Hatate, who suffered a genuine play at Ibrox.
32 minutes: Johnson grabs the back of Hagi’s neck with his arm raised as they jump for a head. Rangers enthusiasts are exasperated, but it’s accidental. Var takes a look and it’s fine.
27 mins: So far, this game has felt a bit like the earlier part of the cup final. Rangers have looked sharper with and without the ball and, so far, are keeping Celtic’s forwards a long way from goal. But as that day showed, things can change quickly in Old Firm matches…
18 minutes: Great Yilmaz paintings while moving to cut the Hatate pass to Maeda, advances and makes a low shot. He does not have the strength of Hagi’s efforts, and Schmeichel saves comfortably.
13 minutes: outside the bar! The Rangers break temporarily after Hatate lost the ball in the midfield. Vaclav Cerny intervenes on the right and tries a shot that deviates a lot. Kasper Schmeichel is convinced that the ball does not approach his goal . . . until he hits the crossbar and goes to corner.
7 minutes: goal! Ibrox bursts in! Liam Scales’s pass in the midfield is gently cut and Nico Raskin sends the ball to Ianis Hagi with a great heel. Hagi has a lot to do from 20 meters, but select the right back corner after shooting Cameron Carter-Vickers. ‘ legs. Bright goal.
To watch in the United States:
Ianis Hagi shoots a goal for Rangers!?pic. twitter. com/rluuxzlqty
UNITED KINGDOM:
The early lead of Ianis Hagi Rangers opposed Celtic! ?⚡️Pic. twitter. com/Weqyvmn4jn
5 minutes: Nedim Bajrami attempts a shot inside the Celtic area but his effort hits Hamza Igamane. The Rangers responded well to this first pressure. It was a smart start to the match.
2 minutes: an early corner for Celtic leads to a small race towards the goal, with Dujon Sterling clearing from the penalty area. A very early moments for the Rangers.
After a minute of silence in honor of those affected by the Ibrox disaster, the game begins.
10 minutes before the beginning: representatives of both clubs paid tribute before today’s party to those affected by the Ibrox crisis on January 2, 1971, when other sixty -six people died and more than two hundred were injured on a ladder while others People tried to leave the stadium after the 1-1 draw in the previous match.
Representatives of Rangers and Celtic pay their respects on the anniversary of the Ibrox disaster. #Bbcfootball pic. twitter. com/sajt7rklve
27 minutes before the start: Clement is convinced that Kelly and Nico Raskin will give their best in the absence of key characters such as Butland and Tavernier.
“It’s a new journey with this group of players,” he told Sky Sports. “Some guys are taking really good steps in that way. Nico Raskin is really growing in that role and you need several leaders on the pitch.
“Of course he lacks two leaders, but I’m expecting the same from Liam Kelly. He does it in the dressing room and I also expect that on the pitch. “
1 hour and 10 minutes before kickoff: Team news is here. Goalkeeper Liam Kelly is making his start for Rangers as part of six changes to the starting line-up. It looks like Ridvan Yilmaz will line up at right back in place of injured captain James Tavernier. Indeed, Celtic are starting Daizen Maeda, while Alistair Johnston has the expected fit.
1 hour 45 mins before kickoff: Talk has already turned towards the prospect of Celtic enjoying another invincible season. The Hoops have lost only one domestic match since December 2023, and their only defeat of 2024/25 in any competition came in that 7-1 thrashing by Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.
“I know what it means to win this game”Brendan Rodgers looks ahead to Celtic’s big clash with Rangers at the Ibrox Stadium ?️ pic.twitter.com/94xonvy6aX
2 hours before kickoff: This will be the 444th Old Firm derby, and the first of 2025. Boy, how Rangers would like to level that all-time head-to-head.
? | @DaniloPereira9 pic. twitter. com/E86daPRWfs
The adjustment begins in Glasgow, Scotland at 3 p. m. time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
Clement brings six changes to the schedule, a second start for goalkeeper Liam Kelly in the absence of Jack Butland.
Jefte, Ianis Hagi, Vaclav Cerny, Nedim Bajrami and Hamza Igamane are the other players who will join the team.
Leon Balogun is intelligent to return, while Ridvan Yilmaz begins in the back to the right in the position of the injured club James Tavernier.
Rangers line (4-2-3-1, from right to left): Kelly (GK) – Yilmaz, Sterling, Propper, Jefte – Raskin, Diomande – Cerny, Bajami, Hagi – Igamane
Rangers Sub: Munn, Cortes, Barron, Dessers, Matondo, Dowell, King, Fraser, Danilo
Also: All the latest news from the EPL club | Premier League Squad Accessories for 2024/25 | Latest Most Sensible Premier League Scorer Rankings
Celtic have long-term absentees Odin Thiago Holm and James Forrest, however, Alistair Johnston has recovered from a hip factor injury and is uninjured from the victory over St. Johnston. johnstone.
Daizen Maeda returns to the line-up after his heroics in the Cup final.
Celtic starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Schmeichel (GK) — Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor — Bernardo, McGregor, Hatate — Kuhn, Furuhashi, Maeda
Celtic substitutes: Sinisalo, Trusty, Palma, Idah, Valle, Yang, McGowan, Engels, Ralston
Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions:
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Joe Wright is editor-in-chief of Sporting News, managing global football and the British team. He was in the past a sub-editor and for Goll. com before spending six years in statistics, editorial news services, covering global primary sports, adding football, tennis, boxing, the NBA, Rugby Union and Track and Field. Joe has an extensive delegation to cover some of football’s biggest events, adding two UFA Champions League Ultimates, Euro 2016, the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup, which included the latest in Moscow.