Match Report: Celtic 3-0 Rangers

RANGERS have suffered defeat in the second Old Firm match of the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season at Parkhead tonight.

A first-half double from Celtic’s Reo Hatate and a close-range finish from Liel Abada before the break did the damage, and while the Light Blues put in an improved display in the second half they were unable to get the goals required to get back into a game they will want to forget.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst made one change to his starting eleven after Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Ross County at Dingwall.

Kemar Roofe replaced Cedric Itten in attack and while January signing Aaron Ramsey was not in the Gers squad, Steven Davis was back from injury to take a place on the nine-man bench.

With no Rangers fans in the stadium, the Light Blues were looking to silence the home support but it was Celtic that came flying out the traps and after an early period of pressure, and a blocked shot by Liel Abada, they opened the scoring on five minutes.

A corner was met by Joe Aribo but his headed clearance arrived at the feet of the unmarked Hatate 20 yards out and the Japanese midfielder fired a low shot into the bottom right corner of Allan McGregor’s net.

Rangers now had to respond from this early setback and after a hesitant start it looks as though they were starting to find their feet, with Ryan Kent in particular finding space and trying to get on the ball.

Celtic, however, were asking a lot of questions of the Gers backline and when a short inside pass from James Tavernier was intercepted by Jota, the Portuguese winger stung McGregor’s palms with a powerful shot which sent the ball high into the air. Giorgos Giakoumakis then leapt above Calvin Bassey to head it goalward but he was denied by another fine stop.

Rangers could not afford to concede a second goal and on 19 minutes they again had McGregor to thank when he brilliantly parried a shot, again from Giakoumakis, over the bar.

Remarkably, he pulled off another big save five minutes later, although this one was not as spectacular as the previous three.

Josip Juranovic this time crossed from the right to the near post and Giakoumakis threw himself at the ball but could only poke it straight at Gers’ busy and relieved number one.

On the half-hour mark Rangers managed to test Joe Hart for the first time, with Kent trying his luck from distance but unable to beat the home side’s keeper, who gathered his effort comfortably.

With five minutes of the first half remaining Aribo had a great opportunity to play in Scott Arfield who ran from deep towards goal and was in acres of space. The pass he received was too strong allowing Hart to come off his line to claim the ball, and this was to be a pivotal moment in the contest.

In the next attack Celtic went up the park and doubled their advantage, with Hatate again on the scoresheet with another drive from around 20 yards which curled around Connor Goldson and beat McGregor inside his near post.

It got worse for the Gers though, as the home side grabbed a third goal a minute before the interval. Hatate this time turned provider as he got to the byline before crossing into the six-yard box. Abada was quickest to react and he turned it past the helpless McGregor.

Van Bronckhorst reacted swiftly at the interval by making three changes – Ryan Jack for Glen Kamara, Fashion Jr for Amad Diallo and Leon Balogun for Borna Barisic.

With Balogun now alongside Connor Goldson in the centre of defence and Bassey shifting to left-back, Rangers had to put in an improved second-half display across the pitch to salvage some pride.

The early signs were better, with Scott Arfield pinging a shot from 25 yards over before a low cross from Kent fizzed across the face of Hart’s goal but there were no takers.

As the game went on Celtic appeared to tire with Ange Postecoglou making his third change to his team when James McCarthy replaced Hatate with 72 minutes on the clock.

But while Rangers kept battling and came close to pulling one back when substitute Ryan Jack’s rasping effort from distance clattered off the crossbar, the visitors just couldn’t find the net which might have put pressure on the home side in the latter stages of a match van Bronckhorst’s men will look back on with frustration.

CELTIC: Hart, Taylor, Starfelt, Giakoumakis (Forrest 62), Abada (Maeda 62), Jota (Doak 87), Carter-Vickers, O’Riley (Soro 88), Hatate (McCarthy 72), McGregor, Juranovic

SUBS: Bain, Scales, Ralston, Welsh

GOALS: Hatate 5, 42 Abada 44

BOOKINGS: McGregor

RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Bassey, Goldson, Barisic (Balogun 45), Kamara (Jack 45), Arfield, Aribo, Kent, Amad (Fashion Jr 45), Roofe

SUBS: McLaughlin, Lundstram, Davis, Sands, Lowry, Itten

REF: Bobby Madden