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Half-time reading:
Just a shame for Rangers that while they have risen to the occasion in the big matches this season, they can’t seem to stay consistent against the so-called smaller teams. That’s why the top of the Scottish Premiership table looks like this.
Rangers are on course for their third successive win in the Old Firm!
45 min: What a time to score. Two minutes added on before half-time.
Not a few seconds after that Kelly save, Rangers break down the pitch and score! Cerny is at the heart of this move, initially switching the play and later dummying the ball beautifully, as Diomande’s pass finds Dessers in Celtic’s penalty box. The Rangers striker takes a touch, shrugs off Scales and neatly clips a left-footed finish into the far corner! Great goal!
Cyriel Dessers scores for Rangers! Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
43 min: Huge chance for Idah, who latches onto a through ball, one-on-one with Kelly. There’s a hush around the stadium, Idah tries a dink but Kelly stands tall and makes an outstanding save!
40 min: After a sprightly start to the game, there’s now no real fluency from either side. Rangers have a couple of half chances as Souttar and Cerny head and shoot wide, but both were speculative efforts.
38 min: A break in play as Kelly is treated by the Rangers medical staff after a heavy fall.
37 min: Barry Ferguson has been screaming at his left back, Jefte, over something. It seems that the manager is unhappy with Jefte’s positioning, with Forrest enjoying a fruitful half for Celtic down that right flank.
35 min: Set pieces do look like the most likely avenue to a goal, for both teams.
33 min: Carter-Vickers nearly wins another header to give Celtic the lead, this time from a Celtic corner! The USA international beats Balogan at the near post but his bullet header is tipped over by Kelly! Good save.
31 min: Tavernier whips a sensational corner right under the Celtic bar. Sinisalo is helplessly flapping but Carter-Vickers glances a brilliant header away, with Souttar lurking.
29 min: Raskin and McGregor clash again in midfield as the latter clatters into the back of the Rangers man. Another Celtic player perhaps a little lucky not to be cautioned.
26 min: “Big let off for Celtic, who have been drawing 0-0 after 30 minutes in their last two games, and ended up winning 5-0 on both occasions,” emails Simon McMahon. “That’s not going to happen today, but you really must score against them when you’re on top. Though just scoring against them at any time would be good if you support Dundee United, who conceded five last week at home as Celtic clinched the title, and have also lost 3-0 and 2-0 to them this season. United haven’t beaten Celtic for over 10 years now, but at least we don’t have to play them again until next season, though, so every cloud …”
24 min: Celtic get away with one as Raskin, just 5ft10in remember, rises highest between Scales and Ralston and plants a header past Sinisalo from eight yards out! But the Rangers man is penalised for offside, he went just a millisecond too early as the cross came in. It remains 0-0!
Nicolas Raskin is just a fraction offside. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
22 min: Raskin and McGregor, Rangers’ and Celtic’s midfield generals, clash in midfield. There are a few handbags, a few choice words, before the referee steps in.
20 min: Jefte loses possession and suddenly there’s a gaping hole on the left-side of Rangers’ defence. Forrest canters forward into the space but his low cross towards Idah and Maeda is well intercepted by Souttar. Both Rangers centre-backs have been busy (and excellent) so far.
18 min: Celtic’s Carter-Vickers is lucky to get away with a blind pass back his goalkeeper, with Sinisalo alert enough to spring forward and beat the chasing Dessers to the ball.
16 min: Celtic have found their groove. In a slick move, Engels fires an excellent low pass to Maeda, who touches nearly off for Idah. The Irishman finds space around the penalty spot, shifts it onto his right foot but Souttar is able to make a vital block!
14 min: Ralston has had a nervy start at right back for Celtic. Doesn’t appear comfortable and is nearly bullied off the ball by Dessers, only for the referee to blow for a soft free-kick.
12 min: This is an excellent game. Both teams going at it and both sets of fans are raucous.
Nicolas Raskin heads towards the Celtic goal in a lively start at Ibrox. Photograph: Steve Welsh/PA
10 min: Sinisalo twice brought into action in the Celtic goal, initially tipping over a shot from Cerny, that was deflected and threatening to loop under the bar. Latterly to deny Raskin’s header from the resulting corner.
8 min: Celtic win the ball deep in Rangers territory and catch the hosts completely cold. The visitors have a three-on-two on the counter-attack and Idah only has to feed an easy ball right to Forrest for a clean run on goal … but the Celtic striker undercooks the pass and Balogan is able to make a last-ditch sliding tackle! That was a criminal pass, Forrest has his head in his hands. He knows how big a chance that was!
7 min: Rangers are playing quite a high line and Idah has threatened on a few occasions to break the offside trap. Another probing run forces a corner. Here come the Celtic cavalry from the back … and only an excellent defensive header from Balogan at the near post clears the danger!
5 min: Ralston lucky to get away without a booking after late challenge on Bajrami.
3 min: Celtic have barely had a kick. Rangers have started like a train.
1 min: Just 55 seconds into the match, Balogan rises completely unmarked from a Rangers corner and pops a bullet header onto the top of the crossbar! He should have done better, there was a key block from Raskin on Scales to create room for chance. Oooooo, that’s a big miss, and right in front of the travelling Celtic fans as well.
We are underway in the Old Firm.
The teams are out! Tina Turner’s Simply the Best plays out around the stadium, a song that the Celtic fans are all too keen to get in involved in.
Should say there was no guard of honour for the new champions …
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers speaks to the cameras:
We come here in a great moment, winning the league. But these are big games and you want to perform in them.
This is our pride we’re playing for. We have let ourselves down a wee bit in these games, though. There’s no excuses today. We have our own supporters back in the stadium, which is brilliant. Rangers have proven in certain games they are very good. Coming to Ibrox is always a big challenge. I’m looking forward to the duels.
Kuhn hasn’t trained all week. He’s got a real soreness in his knee. He had a clash last week against Dundee United.
Re the Celtic squad, it’s not greatest bench so Brendan Rodgers doesn’t have a lot of options if the gameplan goes south.
Kuhn is a big miss and not even named as a substitute. It’s unclear if he is injured or something else aside. We’ll hear from Rodgers shortly, and he should clear that up. It’s a big day for the veteran James Forrest.
A couple of pre-match pics at Ibrox. It’s a gorgeous day in Glasgow. Enter Sandman by Metallica blares around the stadium. It’s not AC/DC, but it’ll do.
Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA
Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters
Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
This is worth a read from last week, if you are catching up on the state of play in Scotland.
Our Scottish football correspondent, Ewan Murray, is currently fielding Old Firm questions in a Q&A, over on our Matchday Live blog.
Here’s a little taster:
John W asks: how do Rangers close the gap on Celtic next season and is it bringing back Steven Gerrard?
The Gerrard suggestion will not go away and feels mutually useful. Where else does he get a prominent job? And this is a manager with recent experience of succeeding domestically at Rangers. Supporters would accept him. The gap to Celtic remains a huge one; Celtic’s on and off field position is streets ahead of Rangers. The gap is closed by Rangers spending their money in a smarter manner. An imminent takeover by American investors offers hope but Rangers need to dramatically improve their decision making.
Rangers: Kelly; Tavernier, Souttar, Balogun, Jefte; Barron, Diomande, Raskin; Cerny, Dessers, Bajrami.
Subs: Butland, Cortes, Nsiala, Kasanwirjo, Igamane, Hagi, McCausland, Rice, Danilo.
Celtic: Sinisalo; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; Engels, McGregor, Hatate; Forrest, Idah, Maeda.
Subs: Bain, Trusty, Yang, McCowan, Schlupp, Nawrocki, Kenny, Bernardo, McArdle.
Let’s not dress this one up. Celtic are already confirmed as Scottish champions for the 55th time, Rangers can’t finish anywhere but second. In the league table then, there really isn’t much hinging on this Old Firm Derby. But we all know this fixture means a little bit more than that. It is up there as one of the world’s great rivalries, and rarely disappoints.
If Celtic are the stable juggernaut lurching forward – claiming 21 of the last 26 domestic trophies in Scotland and still in the hunt for the treble – then Rangers are still in a state of flux. Barry Ferguson’s deal as interim manager only runs until the end of the season. With the proposed takeover hanging over the club, there are many questions regarding finances, management, recruitment and direction.
The prospective new owners –American investors, Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises Global Football Group – plus Rangers’ new incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell visited the training ground this week. Ferguson spoke this week about his support for the takeover, whatever that means for his job.
It’s something the club has been wanting, outside investment,” he said. “It looks to me like it’s going along smoothly and we’re just waiting to get the thumbs up. It’s the start of a new era for the club and it certainly needs it. Like everybody else, I’m just looking forward to the day it gets signed off and hopefully it’s a brighter future for Rangers.
There has to be a lot of changes to try and make this club successful again, because it’s built on winning trophies. If I’m not going to be here, I’m excited about the prospect of new owners coming in and Kevin coming in. I’m comfortable with the situation. It’s been an amazing couple of months for me. A few ups and downs, but it’s given me a taste for it. Of course I would take it [the manager’s job]. If I don’t get it, I’m not going to spit the dummy out. I’ll go back to my [ambassadorial] role and support the club.
Rangers have won the last two derbies, including an away win at Parkhead under Ferguson in March. This season may be chalked but those in blue will indeed be hoping this is the start of a new era.
Kick-off: 12pm BST.
