Here’s Ewan Murray’s match report:
Summary
This has been some start, in the league at least, for Celtic, beating all their most likely challengers, and none more convincingly than their city rivals here. They were the dominant side from the off, and though the football wasn’t always fluent, most of the stuff that was came from them, and Dembélé’s hat-trick was a thoroughly accomplished one. Rangers had their moments, many of them flowing through Windass, but they were outclassed at both ends of the pitch in the end. Senderos’s needless dismissal summed up their afternoon.
“Top six looks like the extent of Rangers ambition this year,” writes Simon McMahon. “The Ronny Deila era at Celtic Park already seems a long time ago.” I guess we’ll find out just how long ago when Brendan Rodgers’s side face the rather more formidable talents of Barcelona on Tuesday. Rangers have a way to go yet, on this evidence, before they can become title contenders.
Anyway, that’s me done for the afternoon. Thanks for your company and comments. Bye
Updated
Full-time: Celtic 5-1 Rangers
All over. Waghorn actually had a half-chance with the last kick of the game but his attempted chip was cut out by De Vries. Celtic Park basks in derby glory and the party songs continue.
Updated
Goal! Celtic 5-1 Rangers (Armstrong, 90+2)
It’s a rout. Tierney gets forward down the left, and his low ball across the area is received by Armstrong, whose smart first touch tees him up for a forensically accurate finish into the opposite corner. Another fine goal.
Updated
90 mins: Roberts has enjoyed himself since coming on, and skips forward with carefree abandon, and in that spirit sends a 25-yarder high into the stand. We’ll have three added minutes.
Updated
87 mins: The Rangers end is emptying rapidly, as Bitton receives another knee-rub but gets up to continue. It’s been comprehensively one-sided since the sending off, and was fairly one-sided before that.
Updated
Goal! Celtic 4-1 Rangers (Dembele, 83 hat-trick)
Dembele has a hat-trick in his first Old Firm game. Celtic break again on the right through Lustig, who floats a delicious ball into the path of Dembele on the left-hand side of the area. The striker brings it down easily and belts it left-footed into the opposite corner to complete the first treble of his career. Amid all the pandemonium, Dembele is booked for his “excessive” goal celebration.
Updated
82 mins: Armstrong almost capitalises on more confusion in the Rangers’ defence as Halliday is caught in possession by Roberts, who plays in his fellow sub but his shot is blocked as the linesman’s flag is raised for offside.
80 mins: Roberts tries his luck from 25 yards after neat interplay in the middle of the park from Celtic but it drifts five yards wide. The dramatic tension is seeping out of this a little now. Roberts is booked for a niggly foul.
Updated
79 mins: More woe for Rangers’ – as assistant manager David Weir is sent to the stands for, one presumes, dissent. On the pitch Dembele goes close after Sinclair plays him in on the left but it’s blocked for a corner
Sending off! Senderos (second booking)
75 mins: A needless handball from Senderos, and he’s off for a second booking. It’s all unravelling for Rangers. Bitton sends the ensuing free-kick over the bar.
Updated
74 mins: Celtic substitution - McGregor for Brown. A lot of stopping and starting now with subs and minor knocks. Scott Brown is getting a bit of a knee-rub, and Rodgers decide to withdraw him. He milks the applause from team-mates and crowd alike before McGregor replaces him.
73 mins: Close for Celtic! Armstrong cuts inside 25 yards out and his fierce low shot is well palmed away by Foderingham
72 mins: Rangers substitution: Forrester for Kiernan, who knacked himself in the course of committing the foul for which he was booked. Rangers are switching to three at the back as time runs out.
70 mins: Senderos wins a battle with Dembele for a change, making a well-timed tackle to halt Dembele’s run on the left hand side of the area. Celtic come again though through Roberts who dashes down the right, ambles along the edge of the area before being halted by Barton, as Celtic appeal for a foul for a push in vain.
67 mins: Rangers booking – Kiernan. Celtic fans have decided to have a gander at the back of the stands rather than the match and are duly doing the Poznan, as the players slug it out rather inelegantly until Dembele is upended by Kiernan, who receives a booking. Sinclair’s free-kick is sent harmlessly into touch behind the goal.
“Afternoon Tom.” Afternoon Simon McMahon. “Apparently all the other clubs in Scotland can relax now that the ‘Old Firm’ derby is back. I understand that Sky, as a commercial broadcaster, have a product to sell, but the Scotland manager, having played for the great Aberdeen side of the early 80s, really should know better than to casually dismiss every other club in the land. And whilst it’s neither the time nor place to get into the ‘old club / new club’ debate, lets just say that the ‘isn’t it great, normal service is resumed’ line isn’t felt by everyone up here, certainly outwith the Glasgow bubble. Anyhoo, Celtic should see it out now, no?” They should, but you never know.
Updated
63 mins: Two more changes – Rangers substitution: Waghorn for Miller, Celtic substitution: Roberts for Forrest
Updated
62 mins: Rangers booking: Senderos clatters into Sinclair going to meet a high goalkick, and goes into the book. Textbook Needless Old Firm booking
Updated
Goal! Celtic 3-1 Rangers (Sinclair, 61)
Lovely move, deft finish. Celtic are two in front again. Dembele finds space just outside the area, surges forward, and then takes out two defenders with a brilliantly disguised reverse pass to Sinclair, who finishes with a low shot in off the near post.
Updated
60 mins: A bit of to-order spiciness now as Garner protests that he’s been stamped on by Sviatchenko. The referee issues words but no cards.
Updated
59 mins: Barton and Brown contest the subsequent drop ball, Brown wins it but Rangers win it back before a long ball is lumped forward straight down the keeper’s throat. Bitton is ready to return.
58 mins: Some lovely interplay from Celtic on the right involving Forrest, Lustig, Sinclair and Armstrong before Armstrong tries to take on one man too many on the edge of the are, and Rangers clear. An unfortunate clash follows as Garner and Bitton contest a loose high ball. Both need treatment
56 mins: Armstrong is involved again, receiving Dembeles headed knockdown on the edge of the area and trying to get a shot away. He thinks he’s won a corner after a firm tackle but the referee gives a goalkick.
55 mins: Armstrong is involved straight away, powering forward through the centre and setting up Forrest whose low shot is well held by Foderingham.
Updated
54 mins: Celtic substitution: Armstrong for Rogic, who had looked lively.
52 mins: Rangers are trying to play with a bit more patience here – Halliday for Kranjcar already looks a wise swap – and it almost pays off with the overlapping Tavernier sending in a low ball fizzing across the area for McKay, whose shot is curled and strong but also high and wide.
Updated
51 mins: Good interception from Scott Brown to cut out Windass’s pull-back from the left by-line before Celtic break through Rogic, whose own pass to Sinclair is delayed too long. Scrappy this half, so far.
49 mins: Booking: Toure booked for a foul on Garner near the centre circle. Garner and Windass do look Rangers’ most menacing outlets here. But the free-kick comes to nothing
Updated
47 mins: Rangers begin the half with a prolonged spell of possession before Kiernan gives the ball away in the middle of the park in a manner that has characterised too much of Rangers’ performance today.
Peep!
They’re off again
Rangers substitution: Halliday on for Kranjcar who had an absolutely torrid first half
While we pick the bones out of all that, Manchester City are ahead in the other derby. Barry Glendenning has the latest
Half-time: Celtic 2-1 Rangers
Interesting. Celtic have been dominant in pretty much every area, but Rangers will go in with their tails up a little after that unexpected goal. It’s not been a classic but is nicely set up now.
45 mins: Looking to resume their overall dominance, Celtic get on the offensive again, Rogic curling over from 20 yards.
Goal! Celtic 2-1 Rangers (Garner, 44)
Well wouldn’t you know. A searching diagonal ball is well headed goalwards from the edge of the six-yard box by Miller and Garner’s on hand to mark his first Old Firm game with a goal, heading in from almost under the bar. It was well worked, instigated by another run from the increasingly influential Windass, but sloppy from Celtic.
Updated
Goal! Celtic 2-0 Rangers (Dembele, 42)
But Celtic charge down the other end after Rangers give the ball away needlessly in midfield once more and Dembele is played in, finishes smartly and coolly, cutting in just inside the area, completely wrongfooting Senderos and then calmly picking his spot and finishing with a well placed shot into the left hand corner.
Updated
40 mins: Nice stuff down the right again from Celtic as Rogic plays in Forrest whose low ball in has menace but is cleared. Rangers counter strongly this time with a surging run from Windass, Toure intercepts but Rangers win it back and it’s laid off for Miller whose shot is blocked.
Updated
38 mins: Tavernier gives the ball away to Dembele but Kiernan makes a vital interception on the edge of the area to cut out the through ball. Rangers press again but Kranjcar concedes a free-kick after diving in on Bitton. Rash.
36 mins: Wallace tries a nice give and go on the edge of the Celtic area with McKay but Celtic clear through Brown, and Rogic wins a free-kick. Celtic are now just trying to calm it and slow it down a little – good luck with that.
33 mins: Shocking defending from Rangers. Sinclair is the provider from the corner kick, but Dembélé should never be able to meet it, near enough unchallenged.
GOAL! Celtic 1-0 Rangers (Dembélé)
So simple. The corner is curled in a Dembélé heads up, far too easily.
Updated
32 mins: Rogic continues to pull the strings for Celtic and now he’s threading a ball through to Sinclair inside the Rangers box. It’s smuggled out for a corner. From which …
30 mins: A third of the game gone and the visitors will surely be the happier. And they comfortably deal with another roving attack down the left by Celtic. Sinclair continues to see plenty of the ball, but his cross fails to pick out anyone in a green and white shirt.
29 mins: It’s not been much better since. Anyway, here’s a yellow card for Kranjcar, teaming up with Barton to take down Rogic. It’s the result of a series of fouls.
20 minutes gone. Dreadful game.
— Ewan Murray (@mrewanmurray) September 10, 2016
Barry Glendenning is just about to get under way with the day’s other big local coming-together, down at Old Trafford. If you want to acquaint yourself with that derby, here you go.
26 mins: It’s not a classic, is probably putting it mildly.
25 mins: Some off-the-ball between Lustig and Joe Garner leaves the Rangers man on the deck as a Celtic throw-in is taken. He’s back up soon later and we’re under way again.
Updated
21 mins: The pressure on Rangers is building …
20 mins: Again, Celtic push forward, this time down the left. A low ball is cut back and finds its way neatly to Rogic, not far outside the Rangers penalty area. He could take a touch, but opts for a first-time belt, and the ball flies tamely wide and over.
18 mins: Still no real clear-cut chances to speak of … but here’s Rogic and Brown, looking to instigate something. The ball is eventually worked right to Forrest, but his cross is comfortably dealt with by the Rangers defence. Still, more possession for the hosts.
15 mins: Celtic continue to press and now Scott Brown makes a charge down the inside-left. Burrowing towards the penalty area, he’s eventually snuffed out. Soon after, Rangers move upfield. Kranjcar finds some space around 30 yards out, probably further, but blasts well over.
12 mins: Good work from Scott Sinclair down the left and, as two Rangers defenders crowd him out, the ball runs loose for a corner. Sinclair takes the kick but fails to beat the first man.
11 mins: Rangers growing into the game now, with Tavernier and Windass combining on the right.
9 mins: McKay wins the ball back brilliantly from Scott Brown on the left to instigate a Rangers attack, and he then forages forward to receive by the six-yard box and win the first corner. But Kranjcar overhits it a touch and Kiernan’s header sails harmlessly over the bar.
Updated
8 mins: First booking sweepstake: Bitton gets it, given a yellow for an obvious foul on Windass.
7 mins: Windass breaks up a Celtic move in midfield neatly to instigate a Rangers attack but they can’t find their forward players yet and Touré gets ahead of Garner to clear. Celtic attack again, with Sinclair seeing a shot blocked. Rogic sees another effort similarly thwarted but it rebounds to him and he fires a shot narrowly wide. All Celtic so far.
4 mins: Celtic are looking to use Forrest on the right plenty already, and he wriggles towards the byline and crosses for Dembele inside the area, who swivels and attempts a shot but it’s blocked and Celtic must build again. They do and Forrest is released again but his low cross is again cleared. The Hoops are on the front foot so far.
2 mins: Celtic swarm at Rangers from the off, press them back and win possesion within 20 seconds. Sviatchenko feeds Forrest with a sweeping diagonal ball to the right and he tees up Rogic who has a shot blocked before Rangers break through Barton, but that comes to nowt.
Peep!
And we’re off. Rangers get us underway
The players are on their way out. It is very noisy. Rangers’ team are booed vehemently. The usual
Updated
Pre-match manager chat: Rodgers describes Griffiths’ absence as “a big disappointment but there’s no need for us to risk him”. He may only be seven days away from a return, says the manager. Warburton hails Joey Barton as “a vastly experienced and talented player”, as is Miller, Kranjcar, but makes a point of stressing the value of his younger players. “You have to relish this environment and enjoy these sorts of fixtures, but let the head rule the heart,” he adds.
Another minor point of interest, for those of us who keep tabs on the English lower divisions, will be the performances for Rangers of new signings Josh Windass, outstanding for Accrington last season and thrown into the starting XI today, and Garner, who could prove a very smart buy.
Sky’s people certainly aren’t holding back on the hyperbole: “Glasgow has seemed incomplete without this fixture … four long years … fixture that defines this city” Etc. More on this as we get it.
Team news
No Griffiths for Celtic then:
And four changes for Rangers, with Garner starting:
📋 Celtic team to play Rangers. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/e6Ofho6oFc
— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) September 10, 2016
TEAM NEWS: Mark Warburton has made four changes from the Kilmarnock match... pic.twitter.com/nY6FRJF3A9
— Rangers FC (@RangersFC) September 10, 2016
Updated
Anyway, while we’re waiting for the team news, how’s about some clips of Old Firm classics past.
One of the best, as a neutral, in the past couple of decades, was this pulsating, typically incident-packed draw in 1999:
For Celtic fans, there’s this – one of their most complete, and important, derby performances, from the title-winning campaign of 1998:
And one to remember for Rangers, a thriller from Hampden – the 2002 Cup final:
Preamble
Morning everyone. So, after a few years’ hiatus, the intoxicating rivalry resumes, amid breathless hype, re-scratching of old wounds, ancient enmities, and a grudging resentment from fans of other clubs at the obsession over this one fixture at the expense of anything and everything else. But enough about Guardiola v Mourinho and the Manchester derby, for the Old Firm rivalry is back! back! back!
Not that it ever really went away, of course, with the circumstances of Rangers’ reconstitution becoming a kind of proxy battleground for all the old hostility. So Rangers are either back in their rightful place after being vengefully dumped on by the rest of Scottish football (not helped by their own internal boardroom strife), or an entirely new club, given a leg-up by dint of historic reputation and institutional bias. Whatever your views, CORRESPONDENCE ON THIS SUBJECT IS CLOSED.
Let’s talk about the football. There’s no doubt that Celtic are the favourites on paper, their unchallenged domestic dominance over the past five years giving them an in-built advantage. In theory anyway. The well-received appointment of Brendan Rodgers has brightened the mood at Parkhead and they’ve won all three of their league games this season. The contrast in status is illustrated by the fact that while this is undoubtedly Rangers’ biggest game of the season so far, it’s not even Celtic’s biggest this week – Tuesday’s Big Cup damage-limitation exercise in Barcelona will undoubtedly be on Parkhead minds. And while the top of the early-season table may look like any other Scottish top flight table from the past 100 years, Rangers have not been mightily convincing in nestling in behind Celtic in second place.
However, Marc Warburton is a smart manager and his side were deserved winners of the most recent derby, last year’s Scottish Cup semi-final, and then played their part in arguably the most raucously entertaining major domestic match played in Britain last season, the Scottish Cup final defeat to Hibs, even if the aftermath was a tad ugly. They will provide a stern test for Brendan Rodgers’s side, whose aptitude in pressure situations remains unproven, given the dreadful performance in Israel against Hapoel Beer-Sheva that almost turfed them out of the Champions League.
There’s some interesting team speculation to chew over too – will Leigh Griffiths be fit? How will the much-trailed Scott Brown v Joey Barton midfield square-up pan out? Will Joe Garner, a striker with an eye for a spectacular finish, get a start for Rangers? Neither side looks entirely convincing at the back so we might expect goals today. May football be the winner, whatever happens.
Updated
