RANGERS suffered a hugely disappointing defeat in the first Old Firm derby of the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season at Parkhead.
Three goals in the first half – two for Liel Abada and another from Jota – put the home side in a strong position at the break and the Light Blues were unable to recover and get back into a game they will look back on with a real sense of frustration.
David Turnbull scored his side’s fourth on 78 minutes, the second-half substitute taking full advantage of a goalkeeping error from Jon McLaughlin to find the net on what proved to be a painful afternoon for the visitors.
Almost immediately from kick-off, an innocuous challenge from John Lundstram on Kyogo Furuhashi left the Japanese forward in need of treatment. He returned to the pitch but quickly went down again holding his shoulder and was replaced by Giorgos Giakoumakis.
After just eight minutes, however, Celtic took the lead and it was a poor goal for the visitors to concede so early in the contest.
A throw-in from Jota allowed Greg Taylor to cross from the left to Abada who had found space in the Gers’ 18-yard box. His left-foot strike was too powerful for McLaughlin who got a glove to the ball but couldn’t spot it from nestling in the bottom corner of the net.
The goal lifted the home side and they continued to pile on the pressure in the early stages of a match being played at a blistering pace.
Rangers had to remain focused and they gradually edged their way into it. On 22 minutes a teasing Borna Barisic cross from the left was millimetres away from Antonio Colak’s head with the Croatian international six yards out.
It was better from the Light Blues, with Davis, Kamara and Lundstram starting to see more of the ball in midfield and Ryan Kent gaining confidence on the left flank.
Rangers were starting to ask questions and when a long, hopeful ball up the park from James Sands was nodded down nervously by Carl Starfelt with Joe Hart rushing from his goal, Colak tried an audacious chip from distance but it lacked the power and accuracy to beat the English keeper.
This proved to be a pivotal moment as, on 32 minutes, Celtic doubled their advantage, with Jota this time the scorer. The Portuguese winger got in behind the Gers backline and, after receiving a through pass from Matt O’Riley, he dinked a clever finish past McLaughlin from the tightest of angles.
Rangers were now on the ropes and Celtic went 3-0 up five minutes before the break, with Abada bagging his second. Again a cross came in too easily from the left and the Israeli forward blasted a shot through McLaughlin’s legs.
Scott Wright replaced Glen Kamara at half time with Rangers desperately in need of a spark in the final third.
On the hour mark, Alfredo Morelos and Scott Arfield also went on for Colak and Malik Tillman and, with a three-goal lead in place and 72 minutes on the clock, Celtic made three changes to their personnel with Turnbull, Mooy and Maeda getting a run-out.
Before those changes, Morelos had a half-chance when he received the ball in the box but the Colombian skewed a right-foot shot across goal and wide of the far post.
The nail in the coffin arrived on 78 minutes. From a goal kick the keeper misplaced a pass and it went straight to Turnbull who gratefully took a touch before slotting the ball home.
CELTIC: Hart, Taylor, Starfelt , Carter-Vickers, Juranovic, O’Riley (Turnbull 72), Hatate (Mooy 72) , McGregor, Furuhashi (Giakoumakis 2), Abada (Maeda 72) , Jota
SUBS NOT USED: Siegrist, Jens, Haksabanovic, Forrest, Ralston
GOALS: Abada 8, 40 Jota 32, Turnbull 78
BOOKINGS: Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Giakoumakis
RANGERS: McLaughlin, Tavernier, Goldson, Sands, Barisic, Davis, Kamara (Wright 45), Lundstram (Jack 78), Kent (Fashion Jr 78), Tillman (Arfield 60), Colak (Morelos 60)
SUBS NOT USED: McGregor, Ridvan, King, Devine
BOOKINGS: Barisic, Tillman, Goldson
REF: Nick Walsh
ㅤ
ㅤ