Here’s Ewan Murray’s report from Ibrox.
Man of the match Allan McGregor speaks.
I thought we were really really poor first half. Then the sending off occurred, and we were a wee bit better after that. The win’s the most important thing. They looked hungrier for the first 50 minutes but we managed to get the win. You need to be focused and be ready. I was annoyed at how bad we were but I keep repeating myself. The win’s the most important thing.
This is not a pretty sight for Celtic fans. It’s nirvana for Rangers supporters.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rangers | 22 | 52 | 62 |
| 2 | Celtic | 19 | 30 | 43 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | 19 | 9 | 38 |
| 4 | Hibernian | 21 | 10 | 36 |
| 5 | Dundee Utd | 21 | -10 | 25 |
Exultant from Rangers.
FULL-TIME: Rangers 1-0 Celtic
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) January 2, 2021
👏 Another @SPFL victory for #RangersFC at Ibrox. pic.twitter.com/QK5QbLCJ6p
Functional from the Celtic social media team.
Full-time. #RANCEL pic.twitter.com/E4nWSbWxai
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 2, 2021
Final score: Rangers 1-0 Celtic.
It all hinged on Nir Bitton’s rush of blood to the head, and his rash tackle on Alfredo Morelos was followed almost immediately by Callum McGregor’s own-goal. Celtic had been the better team but now they stare down the barrel of a Rangers title win.
Updated
90+3 min: Time ticks down on Ten In A Row. It won’t be happening.
Updated
90+2 min: Scott Broon issues an Auld Firm tackle on Aribo, and all that does is waste time. That’s Aribo’s final contribution as Barker comes on to replace him.
90 min: Elyounoussi takes the corner. That’s cleared. There will be four added minutes and Celtic look absolutely desperate.
89 min: Celtic get a throw deep in Rangers territory. It’s a Hail Mary situation now. Rogic fires a shot that’s deflected behind.
88 min: Rangers now sitting back and holding their shape well. A free-kick chance and Duffy again goes up. Elyounoussi launches the ball in, but it’s cleared by Itten.
87 min: Rangers change: off comes Ryan Kent for Zungu, the South African international.
Updated
86 min: Frimpong’s pass infield misses its target. The crispness of Celtic’s passing of the first half is now a distant memory. Steven Davis has been taking full control of midfield.
84 min: That sub is made as Rogic comes on. A poor pass runs away from Frimpong. The fire looks to have gone out on Celtic.
83 min: Rogic to come on for Celtic. They need something from him. They need something from someone. They’ve gone to pieces.
81 min: Awful stuff from Duffy as he passes the ball straight to Ryan Kent. He makes up for it with a fine block but that’s the story of Duffy at Celtic. What happened to the reliable dreadnought of Brighton and Ireland? A remarkable decline.
79 min: Celtic get a free-kick in a decent position. Duffy lopes up; he has to be good for something. But McGregor’s chip is poor and Rangers’ line holds firm.
78 min: What can Celtic find? They are pinned back. This has been impressive from Rangers in closing down their opponent after their loss of a man.
76 min: It was a shocking tackle by Duffy. He just swung his leg and kicked his opponent. On comes Itten for Rangers as Morelos comes off before he gets sent off. He’s still to score in the Old Firm derby.
Updated
74 min: Here comes the chaos. Elyounoussi goes very close and then Shane Duffy is booked for a tackle that inflames the Rangers players. Morelos - of course - gets booked for his involvement. As does Celtic’s McGregor. This is more like it.
73 min: More Celtic changes. On comes Scott Broon, and Hatem Elhamed for Ryan Christie and Ismaili Soro.
71 min: Bitton’s red card has changed the game completely, and possibly - probably - ended hopes of ten in a row. Tavenier’s ball was great but some questions over Celtic’s defending. McGregor was unlucky.
Goal! Rangers 1-0 Celtic (McGregor, OG 70)
The corner comes in from Tavernier, and it comes off Callum McGregor after Aribo’s flick. There’s nobody on the line to clear it and Rangers have one hand on the title trophy!
Updated
69 min: Free-kick for Rangers. Steven Gerrard claims it and gets it. It’s the edge of the box. Barasic will take, and he whips it. Duffy does well to head it away from amid the wall.
Updated
67 min: The pattern of the game now alters considerably, with Celtic now sat back. Duffy makes his first clearance from a Ryan Kent ball. Eduoard is a lone striker now for Celtic and will have to try and buy time for his defence.
65 min: On comes Shane Duffy, someone with much to prove, and he replaces Griffiths. Also off comes David Turnbull, with Elyounoussi replacing him. That’s a significant reshuffle by Lennon.
64 min: And then Rangers go close. Tavernier and Hagi fail to get on the end of a ball that was going begging. Celtic, having lost a centre-back, are all over the show.
Red card - Bitton sent off for Celtic!
Morelos escapes and Bitton hauls him back. It’s the denial of a goalscoring opportunity and a definite red card. Well well.
Updated
62 min: Eduoard clattered by Aribo but gets up. Neil Lennon looks a little concerned. His team continue to be much the better but still can’t breach Rangers.
60 min: Ooof. Balogum makes a crucial block after Eduoard and Griffiths conjure a chance. There’s been some fine last-ditch stuff from Rangers’ defenders. And it’s been required.
58 min: Free-kick as Griffiths smashes into McGregor. It’s not exactly Nat Lofthouse stuff but it has to count as a reducer. No card is waved.
57 min: The game opening up a little? It’s more end to end, certainly.
56 min: Tavernier skips away, then Barasic crosses and Barkas makes a mess of it. Then Morelos is given time to turn and Ajer makes a fine block, one he celebrates.
54 min: Eduoard holds the ball up well, and Griffiths pings in a cross. Goldson clears; he’s been the pick of Rangers and mostly because of his clearances.
53 min: Rangers try to be calm in midfield. They aren’t very good at it. As soon as the ball goes to Morelos he loses it.
52 min: Ryan Kent scampers away in the style we have become accustomed too. Ajer comes across to make an important and timely tackle.
50 min: First glimpse of Hagi’s talent. Turns and spins, and shoots wide. That’s their best moment of the game so far and it’s a half-chance at best.
49 min: Rangers lose possession again as Morelos, who has been poor, is wasteful.
48 min: Rangers begin with a head of steam. Then Aribo and McGregor go into an Auld Firm-style collision. Both get up. There needs to be crowd roaring on that type of thing.
46 min: Rangers make a change: on comes Ianis Hagi for the almost invisible Kemar Roofe. Something needed to change: the Gers were awful in the first half in attack.
Updated
Ian Copestake has been in touch: “The match is not disappointing in terms of no-holds barred coming togethering (which I for one was hoping for). The ref seems to be smiling at the leg crunchings though, a reaction which seems oddly refreshing.”
Half-time: Rangers 0-0 Celtic
It ends as it began, with heavy Celtic pressure. They’ve been excellent while Rangers have been clinging on for dear life. A draw suits Steven Gerrard’s team, though they will have to play far better to get one.
45 min: Goldson just manages to clear behind when Eduoard looked to be through. The corner that follows is headed by Bitton and his header looked to come off Goldson. There will be just a minute of time added on.
44 min: Neil Lennon rages as Ryan Christie shoots from distance, and wastefully. The suggestion is that Celtic are trying to catch Allan McGregor with a ‘worldie’ as he has been so excellent thus far.
42 min: Barkas has his first touch of the game, claiming a tame shot. Then Morelos has a glimpse of goal, only to be stopped in his tracks by a great tackle from Laxalt.
41 min: A nasty clash between Soro, who was late, very late, on Balogun. Both players down but they get back up. The yellow card is unsheathed.
40 min: Steven Davis booked for a tactical foul on Ajer who had escaped on a solo run through midfield. That was cynical from the veteran.
39 min: Tavernier’s cross cleared by Christie. The Celtic goalie has had nothing to do all game.
38 min: The stats suggest this is Rangers’ lowest passing accuracy of the season so far. You don’t need a stats readout to know they haven’t been very good today.
37 min: Turnbull makes an interception in midfield, and the ball dribbles through to Griffiths who shoots, and shoots wide.
35 min: Free-kick from distance, a long distance of 35 yards or so. Celtic’s Griffiths whacks it into the wall. Ambitious to say the least.
Updated
33 min: Celtic so much more relaxed in possession though they have slowed the pace of their attacks and Rangers have started to keep their shape a little better.
Updated
31 min: A flick-on from Eduoard finds Griffiths offside. Miles offside.
30 min: Roofe and Morelos have been very quiet while Kent has been typically busy but unable to get anything going. A draw is fine for Rangers but they need to create far more of a threat than this.
28 min: Tavernier actually now getting into the Celtic half. The Bhoys will have to look out for the Bradfordian goal machine if he gets much further forward.
26 min: In an exec box, Walter Smith looks on sternly and doesn’t look too impressed. Then again, Walter Smith usually looks stern and unimpressed.
Updated
24 min: Without McGregor, Celtic might have been two goals up. His defence - and Celtic’s attacking - have kept him busy...Christie cuts in and fires wide. Celtic still piling it on.
22 min: Griffiths rattles the woodwork...oh, it was a save from McGregor. He’s always been a fine shot-stopper but that is spectacular. He gets his fingers to it and pushes it on to the post. Brilliant from the veteran.
20 min: Morelos, still without a goal in an Old Firm derby, swings and misses at an Aribo pass. Rangers finally building up a head of steam.
19 min: An actual Rangers attack but Aribo’s shot is blocked.
Updated
18 min: Corner to Celtic after Balogun shanks a clearance behind. Turnbull takes and Steven Davis heads behind and is unaware where he has headed it. Rangers clear the next corner from Christie.
16 min: Some respite for Rangers but it’s brief as McGregor attempts to conjure a move to send Eduoard away. Ryan Kent sets off in attack for Rangers and then Aribo makes a mess of a chance to create an opportunity.
14 min: Rangers seem to have frozen. Celtic are at it, and without Scott Broon dishing out the stoosh too.
12 min: Tavernier, the freescoring defender, is having to do plenty of defending rather than attacking. Callum McGregor, cutting in from the left, fires wide. Allan McGregor in Rangers’ goal rages at his defenders. He’s being exposed.
10 min: Frimpong has space and he also has Griffiths waiting for a cross but his final ball is an appalling waste. A let-off once more for Rangers, who seem to think it’s January 1, like their manager in pre-game.
8 min: Celtic continue to dominate. Rangers have not mounted a proper attack, with Morelos’s only action that act of indiscipline.
Updated
6 min: Griffiths released by Turnbull booms in a shot that McGregor claws away. Celtic creating chances here. Rangers leaving themselves open.
5 min: Frimpong is fouled by Morelos, and that should have been a yellow card. He stood on the ankle. Perhaps the old rule of anything going in the first ten minutes of the Old Firm has stood there. It might actually be worse than a yellow card - an orange card, perhaps.
3 min: Celtic piling it on. Eduoard escapes and gets a shot in that Allan McGregor makes a fine save from. He then makes an even better save for the followup but the whistle had gone for offside.
2 min: Celtic start on the front foot with Laxalt seeing plenty of the ball out on the left. Twice he booms a cross in, but Godson clears on both occasions.
1 min: The game gets underway after the players take the knee. Rangers seek to go 19 points clear. Nothing less than a Celtic win will do for Neil Lennon’s team.
The players take to the field at an empty Ibrox with both captains bringing out a wreath and laying it on the field to commemorate those 66 fans who died 50 years ago. A minute’s silence around the centre circle follows after the coin toss.
Updated
Neil Lennon speaks
Christopher Jullien is an important player and it’s a bad injury so we are going to lose him for three or four months, it’s a hammer blow. We are in a different place than where we were two or there months ago. It’s all about us, and we are focusing on ourselves. We will have to be brave on the ball.
Steven Gerrard speaks and doesn’t know what day it is.
We have to be the best version of ourselves. A lot of good teams have come and posed us a problem, of late, but we’ve performed well collectively and individually. I’ve got confidence and believe that the players are about to deliver and if we reach our heights I’m confident we’ll get what we want.
It will be another three points. It would stretch our lead, three important points but it’s the 1st of January [sic]. I’d much rather be in our position, that’s for sure.
[On Celtic] It’s none of my business. I don’t pick their team. It looks like they will play a diamond. We know it will be a tough game.
Updated
Here’s a Guardian long read from December on the Ibrox Disaster of 1971, written by John Hodgman.
The Guardian’s Ewan Murray is on the scene and will be filing the match report later.
Biggest game in Britain today is here... pic.twitter.com/46xFugSy1P
— Ewan Murray (@mrewanmurray) January 2, 2021
Steven Gerrard picks Leon Balogun instead of Filip Helander in defence. Ryan Kent replaces Ianis Hagi. Nir Bitton replaces Christopher Jullien for Celtic, as club captain and Auld Firm swedger supreme Scott Brown has to settle for a place on the bench.
The teams
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Barisic, Goldson, Balogun, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Kent, Roofe, Morelos
Subs: McLaughlin, Bassey, Hagi, Itten, Defoe, Zungu, Patterson, Barker, Helander
Celtic: Barkas, Frimpong, Laxalt, Bitton, Ajer, Soro, McGregor, Turnbull, Christie, Griffiths, Edouard
Subs: Hazard, Duffy, Taylor, Brown, Ajeti, Rogic, Ntcham, Elyounoussi, Elhamed
Preamble
This is an Old Firm game with an added poignancy. It is 50 years to the day since the Ibrox disaster claimed the lives of 66 fans and injured more than 200 people. Until Hillsborough, it was the gravest day in British football history and today will be a day to commemorate those who went to watch a match and never made it home. And a lack of fans in the stadium will perhaps add yet more to that poignancy.
On the pitch, this is a key match, historic perhaps. Should Steven Gerrard’s Rangers win and extend their lead, then Celtic’s ten in a row would seem to have gone up in smoke. But should Neil Lennon’s Celtic, lately on something of a revival, pull off a famous win then Rangers’ wobbles might begin. Those are the stakes at hand, but the day will begin with remembrance for those lost so tragically half a century ago.
💙 We will never forget those who went to follow Rangers & never made it home. Forever in our hearts.#AlwaysRemembered | https://t.co/JG3Ja1GGlI pic.twitter.com/gdjliQJ7Fr
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) January 2, 2021
Updated
