Rangers secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Celtic in a tense Old Firm derby at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The win extends Rangers’ lead at the top of the cinch Premiership to 16 points, with 17 matches remaining in the season. John Lundstram opened the scoring for Rangers in the 23rd minute, before Kyogo Furuhashi equalised for Celtic just before half-time. The decisive goal came from Fashion Sakala in the 71st minute, sealing Rangers’ 12th league win in 16 Old Firm derbies under manager Michael Beale. The defeat leaves Celtic in second place, 16 points adrift of their rivals, with their title hopes hanging by a thread. The victory marks Rangers’ 115th Old Firm win, with Celtic having won 137 times and 51 matches ending in a draw.
Rangers Secure Narrow Victory in High-Stakes Derby
Rangers secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Celtic in a tense Old Firm derby at Ibrox Stadium. The win extends Rangers’ lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to six points.
John Lundstram scored the opening goal for Rangers in the 18th minute, capitalising on a defensive error from Celtic. The home side doubled their lead just before half-time through Fashion Sakala, who slotted home after a swift counter-attack.
Celtic pulled one back in the 65th minute through a well-taken strike from Matt O’Riley. The goal sparked a late surge from the visitors, but Rangers held firm to secure all three points.
Rangers manager Michael Beale praised his side’s resilience. “We knew it would be a tough game, but the boys showed great character to see it through,” he said post-match.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted his side’s defensive frailties cost them. “We gave away cheap goals, and that’s not good enough at this level,” he conceded.
The result marks Rangers’ fourth consecutive win in the league, while Celtic’s title challenge takes another hit. The two sides will meet again in the Scottish League Cup final next month.
Celtic's Late Push Falls Short Against Rangers
Rangers secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Celtic in a tense Old Firm derby at Ibrox. The win extends Rangers’ lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 16 points.
Celtic pushed late, but their efforts fell short. The Hoops launched 18 shots on target, but Rangers’ goalkeeper Allan McGregor made crucial saves to maintain his clean sheet.
Rangers’ first goal came from a penalty in the 38th minute. Alfredo Morelos converted after Celtic’s Stephen Welsh was deemed to have fouled Scott Arfield in the box.
The second goal arrived in the 69th minute. Ryan Kent capitalised on a defensive error, slotting the ball past Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Celtic’s lone goal came in the 89th minute. Matt O’Riley scored with a powerful header from a corner, but it was too little, too late.
Rangers manager Michael Beale praised his team’s resilience. “We knew it would be tough,” he said post-match. “But the boys showed great character to hold on.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers lamented his side’s finishing. “We created chances, but we lacked that final touch,” he admitted.
The defeat marks Celtic’s fourth loss in the league this season. Rangers, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in their last 12 matches.
Old Firm Rivalry Renewed with Tense 2-1 Showdown
Rangers secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Celtic in a tense Old Firm derby at Ibrox Stadium. The win extends Rangers’ lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to seven points, with 65 points from 30 matches compared to Celtic’s 58 from 29.
The decisive moment came in the 72nd minute when Rangers’ John Lundstram scored the winning goal. This was his seventh goal of the season, contributing to Rangers’ impressive 68 goals scored this season. Celtic has conceded 31 goals, while Rangers have conceded 28.
Celtic’s only goal came from a penalty kick by Odsonne Edouard in the 58th minute. This was Edouard’s 18th goal of the season, maintaining his position as Celtic’s top scorer. Despite the loss, Celtic remains in second place, with a game in hand.
Rangers’ manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised his team’s resilience. “We showed great character today,” he said post-match. “We knew it would be a tough game, but we fought until the end.”
Celtic’s manager Ange Postecoglou acknowledged the defeat but remained optimistic. “We’re disappointed, but there’s still a lot of football to be played,” he stated. The defeat ends Celtic’s three-match winning streak in the league.
Both teams are now preparing for their respective Scottish Cup quarter-final matches. Rangers will face Heart of Midlothian, while Celtic takes on Aberdeen. The next Old Firm derby is scheduled for 2 April at Celtic Park.
Rangers Extend Lead in Title Race with Derby Win
Rangers extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Celtic in the Old Firm derby. The win took Rangers nine points clear of their rivals, with a game in hand.
The Gers opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through Fashion Sakala. The Zambian winger latched onto a loose ball in the box and slotted it past Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart. Rangers doubled their lead just before half-time, with John Lundstram heading in a corner from Borna Barisic.
Celtic pulled one back in the 67th minute through a penalty from Kyogo Furuhashi. The Japanese striker converted from the spot after a handball from Rangers defender John Lundstram. However, Rangers held firm to secure all three points.
Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst praised his side’s resilience. “We knew it would be a tough game, but the players showed great character to get the win,” he said post-match. Celtic counterpart Ange Postecoglou admitted his side were second best. “Rangers were the better team today, and we have to improve to catch them,” he conceded.
The result means Rangers have now won four consecutive Old Firm derbies for the first time since 2012. Celtic, meanwhile, have lost three league games in a row for the first time since 2019.
Celtic's Defensive Frailties Exposed in Derby Defeat
Rangers secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Celtic in a tense Old Firm derby at Ibrox. The win extends Rangers’ lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to six points, with Celtic now facing pressure to respond.
Celtic’s defensive vulnerabilities were starkly exposed throughout the match. Rangers’ John Lundstram capitalised on these frailties, scoring both goals for the hosts. His first came from a swift counter-attack in the 23rd minute, while his second was a well-placed header from a corner in the 65th minute.
Celtic’s manager, Brendan Rodgers, acknowledged the defensive issues post-match. “We’ve got to be better defensively,” he stated. “We gave them too much space and they exploited it well.”
Rangers’ manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, praised his team’s resilience. “It was a tough game, but we showed great character,” he said. “We knew Celtic would come at us, but we defended well as a unit.”
The statistics highlighted Celtic’s defensive struggles. Rangers had 14 shots on target compared to Celtic’s 7. Celtic’s defence also conceded two penalties, although only one was successfully converted by Rangers’ Fashion Sakala in the 88th minute.
Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi scored a consolation goal in the 72nd minute, but it was too little too late. The defeat leaves Celtic with work to do if they are to close the gap on Rangers at the summit.
Rangers secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Celtic in a tightly contested Old Firm derby at Ibrox. The win keeps Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side top of the cinch Premiership, two points clear of their rivals. The result also extends Rangers’ unbeaten run to 18 matches in all competitions. Celtic, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to have taken at least a point from the game, having dominated possession and created several clear chances. The defeat leaves them six points behind their city rivals, though they have a game in hand. The next Old Firm meeting is scheduled for March 19 at Celtic Park.
