Rangers secure narrow victory at Celtic Park
Rangers claimed a 1-0 victory at Celtic Park to secure their second Old Firm triumph in just eight days, narrowing the gap to league leaders Celtic to a mere two points in the Scottish Premiership, reports BritPanorama.
Striker Ryan Naderi netted the sole goal before half-time, marking his first strike in this fixture and extending his side’s winning sequence to six matches.
This result handed manager Derek McInnes a remarkable distinction; it is the first time since Graeme Souness managed the side in 1986 that a Rangers boss has triumphed in both of his initial Glasgow derbies.
With no visiting supporters permitted inside the ground, Naderi’s goal stunned the home crowd. For Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, the defeat raised serious questions, marking a third loss in the space of seven days.
O’Neill opted for a five-man defensive setup, deploying Kieran Tierney in an advanced midfield role alongside Luke McCowan within a 4-4-1-1 formation. An early volley from Auston Trusty was ruled out for offside, and matters quickly deteriorated for the hosts.
Trailing at the interval, O’Neill withdrew the largely anonymous McCowan, introducing expensive summer acquisition Kasper Hogh. When that switch yielded little improvement, the manager turned to dropped wingers Haissem Hassan and Sebastian Tounekti, but neither injection changed the narrative. Celtic appeared bereft of the sharpness that had powered them to six successive league victories at the outset of this campaign.
Naderi struck from close range after Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo could only push Kim Min-su’s fierce shot back into the danger zone. Rangers nearly extended their lead; Djeidi Gassama’s deft chip struck the inside of the right-hand post, denying them a potentially decisive second.
Before conceding, Tierney had come close himself, nearly grazing the top of Ivor Pandur’s crossbar. The Croatian goalkeeper later produced a superb stop to deny Colby Donovan’s header, which seemed certain to draw Celtic level. Frustration deepened for the home side when Olwethu Makhanya fired a spectacular strike into the top corner, only for the goal to be ruled out due to a handball in the build-up.
Celtic’s downturn now spans three matches across three competitions, following a League Cup defeat at Ibrox and a Europa League loss to Ferencvaros earlier in the week. This match marked their first Premiership defeat since Dundee United overcame them at Tannadice back in March.
Rangers, meanwhile, have conceded just one goal during their six-match winning run. Free from European commitments after their own exit in Jablonec, McInnes’s side has built formidable domestic momentum and has a League Cup semi-final to anticipate next month.
The last eight league derbies have seen Rangers lose only once, illustrating a growing confidence under McInnes that will surely be tested further in the coming weeks.
