Connor Goldson scored an unlikely double as Rangers won the Old Firm derby at Celtic Park.
The centre-back headed home from a fine Tavernier cross to give Rangers an early lead, and doubled his tally when he side-footed into the net from close range.
Celtic truly struggled and didn’t register a single shot on target at all as Rangers were comfortable throughout.
The win sees Rangers win back-to-back games at Celtic Park for the first time since 1997, and keeps them unbeaten whilst dealing Celtic their first loss of the season.
The visitors now have a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League, assuming top spot regardless of Celtic’s game in hand.
Celtic
Vasilis Barkas – 5. Could Barkas have done more to stop the opening goal? Almost certainly – not good enough for the under-fire goalkeeper.
Shane Duffy – 5. Dealt with the threat of Morelos well, but struggled at set pieces against Goldson.
Kristoffer Ajer – 6. He looked calm on the ball, but rarely was involved aside from a fine block to deny Rangers a third goal.
Steven Welsh – 6. A solid outing as he stepped into a depleted Celtic side, but struggled in the first half against Rangers’ right-sided players.
Jeremie Frimpong – 5. Sometimes his dribbling would be mesmerising, then at other times he would lose possession carelessly in his own half. His inconsistencies were frustrating.
Scott Brown – 5. He was solid, but lost the ball on more than once occasion in his own half. A sloppy performance from the captain, who was booked in the second half.
Olivier Ntcham – 6. The French midfielder struggled to impose himself in a scrappy central area.
Callum McGregor – 7. Celtic’s biggest threat and brightest spark, although that isn’t saying much.
Diego Laxalt – 5. He hadn’t played since July before this game, and it showed. The Uruguayan was well off the pace.
Mohamed Elyounoussi – 5. He missed an excellent chance to level the score on 15 minutes, but almost made amends with some fine work to nearly set up Klimala. He had a chance in the second half but couldn’t control the ball well enough.
Patryk Klimala – 5. He was completely anonymous throughout.
Substitutes:
Ajeti – 6.
Griffiths – 6. Perhaps should have scored or won a penalty late.
Rogic – 6.
Rangers
Allan McGregor – 6. He wasn’t tested at all, but his experience showed as his defenders played with real confidence. He did well to not foul Griffiths as the striker rounded him.
James Tavernier – 8. Arguably the best player on the pitch. The right-back never put a foot wrong, and his crosses were a constant menace from the right-hand side.
Connor Goldson – 9. The centre-back begun the game excellently with his goal, flicking the ball into the net from Tavernier’s fine cross. He continued his fine form from there, scoring a second from close range and dominating Celtic’s strikers throughout.
Filip Helander – 7. The Swedish defender made a crucial block after some good work from McGregor, and remained composed for his team.
Borna Barisic – 6. Always offered himself as an outlet to his teammates, but was often let down by his end product.
Glen Kamara – 7. A very clever player, he won the battle against Ntcham and allowed the game to tick over favorably for Rangers.
Steven Davis – 6. The record-setting midfielder for Northern Ireland showcased his experience, but struggled to impose his class on the ball.
Scott Arfield – 7. Arfield worked hard, offering quality on both ends of the field. Booked in the second half.
Brandon Barker – 6. He ran hard, but ultimately didn’t provide too much of an impact before being replaced.
Alfredo Morelos – 7. The fiery forward was often a threat, and made sure his presence was felt. Always physical and hard-working, he played his role well.
Ryan Kent – 7. Kent won the free-kick that led to the goal, and he was a constant threat that Celtic seemed to struggle against. Would have added a third had Ajer not crucially intervened.
Substitutes:
Ryan Jack – 6.
