By BongoLoyal
It’s the hope that kills you. A football cliché perfectly played out at Parkhead as Rangers lost 3-2 to their bitter rivals — and have now lost any chance of winning the Premiership title.
Five goals, six bookings, countless chances and talking points. But talking points…. it’s three lost and 12 behind now and game over.
The build up to this game was all about the fans — or lack off. Mainstream media hacks rehashing history, pundits having a pop and claiming ‘no the same game without all the away supporters’ blah blah blah ‘Rangers are to blame’.
Newsflash: It’s five years since 7,000 away fans attended an Old Firm league match, with 700 being the allocation agreed between the clubs since May 2018.
The Light Blues went into the game knowing they had not beaten their Old Firm rivals in the SPFL since August 2021 — however, Beale was in the dugout that day at Ibrox as first-team coach to watch Filip Helander head home the winner.
There were murmurs last night that there could be a shock in the Rangers starting XI — and so it proved as Connor Goldson missed out through injury and John Souttar took his place in central defence.
The only other change from last week’s 2-0 win over Dundee United was in midfield, with fit-again Nico Raskin taking over from John Lundstram, who dropped to the bench.
Rangers started brightly and their high press panicked Celtic into some slack passes. Kent and then Morelos could have made more of the opportunities.
But with five minutes gone, and in their first attack, Celtic almost hit Rangers with a sucker punch when Kyogo slotted past Allan McGregor — but the Japanese striker had strayed a yard offside.
It was all quite tame, well for an Old Firm game, until the 19th minute. A corner was swung in from the right by Borna Barisic and Alfredo Morelos poked the ball home at the far post. Kevin Clancy was the only person in the stadium who saw a foul by the Rangers striker on Alastair Johnston as they both tried to push in front of each other.
Surely a VAR check would correct Clancy’s cock-up? Not a chance. To the disbelief of everyone with working eyesight, the goal was ruled out.
The aforementioned sucker punch was not long in landing, however. You knew it was coming. Greg Taylor to Matt O’Riley to Kyogo to the back of the net.
It looked like a remake of a bad movie at that point in proceedings. Hopeful, hard done by then heartache. However, there was a final twist to the first half.
And what a twist it was. Malik Tillman was floored 25 yards from the Celtic goal by O’Riley. He saw yellow for the clumsy challenge but James Tavernier saw his chance.
The Rangers skipper took two steps then arrowed the ball off the bar and into the net past Joe Hart. Silence in the stadium. Bedlam for the Bears watching from afar.
The second period was only four minutes old when Morelos should have put Rangers ahead. Celtic’s defenders reverted to their comic capers of clearing the ball and it fell perfectly for the Colombian, who could only hit Hart instead of the open goal.
Ben Davies then decided to copy Celtic’s Comic capers at the other end of the pitch as he ballooned a clearance in the air then tried to head the ball out to spare his blushes. It was like a baby chasing a beach ball. It bounced off Jota and into the path of Kyogo, who fired in from a tight angle.
Things got worse soon after in 75 minutes when a poor pass from John Souttar let in Jota to make it 3-1.
It looked all over until Tavernier notched up a ton of goals for Rangers when he headed home a great cross from Barisic. Celtic Park hushed and their Poznan party gatecrashed.
However, there was no grand finale as the match meandered to a disappointing denouement. Much like the season as a whole
Celtic: Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor, McGregor, Mooy, O’Riley, Jota, Kyogo, Maeda. Subs: Bain, Haksabanovic, Turnbull, Kobayashi, Iwata, Oh, Bernabei, Welsh, Vata.
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Souttar, Davies, Barisic, Raskin, Jack, Cantwell; Kent, Morelos, Tillman. Subs: McLaughlin, Ridvan, Lundstram, Hagi, Colak, Kamara, Wright, Sakala, Arfield.
