Jonathan Liew was at Ibrox for us today, so I’ll leave you with his match report. Thanks for your company and emails - bye!
Cameron Carter-Vickers speaks
“It’s a massive win for us. All season we’ve showed the character to keep going no matter what the score is, and that’s what we did today. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get into the game, especially at a big stadium like this. It was disappointing to concede in the first few minutes but after that I thought we played well.
“The goal was a bit lucky, probably. It ricocheted off two or three people and fell to me, I had a shot and luckily it went in. There was a lot of defending to do in the second half. We had to defend as a unit and I thought we did that well today.”
Most of the Celtic players run to Cameron Carter-Vickers, who scored the winner and defended staunchly alongside Carl Starfelt. They must have headed away at least 10 crosses each. It looked like Celtic might be overwhelmed in the first half, when Rangers started ferociously and scored through Aaron Ramsey. But Tom Rogic pinched an equaliser out of nothing and Carter-Vickers put them ahead just before half-time.
Both keepers made outstanding saves in the second half, and Celtic held on to continue their extraordinary run of form. They have now won 22 and lost none of the last 25 league games. And they are surely going to regain the title.
👏 Celtic players celebrate with the 700 fans in the away end after winning the Old Firm derby pic.twitter.com/OgGhbmYni3
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 3, 2022
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Full time: Rangers 1-2 Celtic
Peep peep! Celtic move six points clear - effectively seven because of goal difference - with six games to play after a seriously hard-fought victory at Ibrox.
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90+4 min Roofe drifts offside, which allows Celtic to waste another 30 seconds. They are so close to a mighty victory.
90+3 min Now Carter-Vickers is struggling with cramp, though it doesn’t stop him heading another Bassey cross away.
90+1 min Five minutes of added time.
90 min Bassey’s cross is headed wide by Roofe at the near post. That was a trickier chance, with the ball almost behind him.
90 min “How nice,” says Robert Speed, “to watch a match without VAR.”
Isn’t it just.
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89 min Tavernier plays a clever pass through to Aribo, but his shot on the turn is tame and Hart makes a comfortable save.
88 min Ralston is booked for cleaning out Ryan Kent.
87 min The corner leads to a game of head tennis before the ball is hoofed clear. Celtic are camped in their own penalty area now.
86 min Bassey’s cross is headed behind by Starfelt, who then goes down with cramp. Sakala and Juranovic have a row over something or other, but Willie Collum calms everything down before the corner is taken.
86 min Tavernier’s cross is headed away by Starfelt. He and Carter-Vickers have put in a helluva shift today.
85 min “Worth noting that Celtic’s goal difference is vastly superior to Rangers,” begins Simon McMahon, “meaning that they would effectively be seven points clear if they win today, with only six games left to play.”
Yep, if they win today it’s surely over.
84 min: What a chance for Roofe! Goldson charges down the right, away from Giakoumakis, and clips a cross towards the near post. Arfield misses a flick header and Roofe pings it over the bar on the volley. It came quickly but that was still an excellent chance to equalise.
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82 min Bitton is booked.
81 min: Great save from McGregor! Ralston plays a give-and-go with Turnbull on the right and fizzes a low cross to the near post. Goldson gets in front of Maeda but can only divert the ball to Abada, following up the play just inside the area. He smashes the ball towards goal and McGregor, in the process of falling to his left, throws up his left hand to make an outstanding reaction save.
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80 min Lots of Rangers pressure now, mainly through a stream of crosses into the box. They have struggled to get behind the Celtic defence all afternoon.
78 min Rangers appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty after a wrestling match between Goldson and Carter-Vickers. It was risky defending from Carter-Vickers, who clearly had a handful of Goldson’s shirt.
77 min: What a chance for Abada! Liel Abada, just on the field, is put through by a devastating first-time pass from Giakoumakis. His first touch isn’t the best, taking the ball slightly away from his body, and he drags wide of the near post with his second.
76 min Two more changes for Celtic: Liel Abada and David Turnbull replace Jota and the injured substitute Matt O’Riley.
75 min: Fine save from Hart! After a long spell of Rangers possession, Sakala drags a left-footed shot towards the near post from just inside the area. Hart, who was moving to his right, changes direction and plunges to his left to push it away. Roofe was offside as he went for the rebound.
73 min Kent plays in the overlapping Bassey, whose dangerous cross is headed away by Starfelt at the near post. He and Carter-Vickers have dealt brilliantly with crosses throughout the game.
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71 min Another change for Celtic. Anthony Ralston is on for Greg Taylor, so Juranovic will move to left-back.
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70 min Saying which, Rangers suddenly pin Celtic in their own penalty area for a 90-second spell. A number of crosses are headed clear, and then Kent has a shot well blocked by Bitton.
69 min Rangers are struggling to generate any momentum. They need at least a draw today to have a realistic chance of winning the league.
67 min A crisp long-range strike from Lundstram is comfortably held by Hart. Almost all of Rangers’ shots on target have been from outside the area.
66 min A double change for Chelsea Celtic: Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala replace Ryan Jack and Aaron Ramsey, who faded badly after a brilliant start.
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65 min And Carter-Vickers is booked for a foul on Roofe in the same move. Willie Collum played the advantage after Giakoumakis’s foul.
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64 min Giakoumakis is booked for taking out Jack.
62 min A double change for Celtic: Matt O’Riley and Nir Bitton replace the tiring pair of Tom Rogic and Reo Hatate. Rogic had an outstanding game.
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61 min Ramsey finds Jack in space on the left of the area. His cross hits Carter-Vickers, prompting a huge appeal for handball that is rejected by Willie Collum. Carter-Vickers slaps his chest repeatedly, but replays show the ball clearly hit his left arm. I think his arm was tight to his body, though I’d like to see it again to be sure.
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59 min Lundstram’s long-range shot takes a deflection and dribbles through to Hart. Rangers are starting to look a little desperate.
55 min Ramsey’s cross from the right just evades the stretching Aribo at the far post; then Kent shoots over from 25 yards.
51 min Taylor makes a vital challenge on Kent, who ran onto a return pass from Jack in the area and was lining up a shot.
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49 min Rangers have started the second half well. Ramsey has a backheel cleared off the line by Starfelt, though he was fractionally offside so it wouldn’t have counted.
48 min I forgot to say that Lundstram was booked for the foul that led to Celtic’s second goal. I’m telling you now in the spirit of foreshadowing.
47 min Kent beats Juranovic with ease but crosses too close to Hart. Rangers have switched Ramsey to the right with Aribo moving infield.
46 min Peep peep! The glass has been cleared and Rangers get the second half under way.
You can’t throw a bottle onto the pitch! That’s dangerous beyond belief man 😭
— Marvin Bartley (@dothebartman1) April 3, 2022
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There are shards everywhere in the Celtic penalty area, so it could take a few minutes to clear it all up. This is scandalous.
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There’s a delay to the start of the second half. It looks like some broken glass has been thrown at Joe Hart, who is talking to the referee Willie Collum. It didn’t hit Hart but it needs to be cleared from the field.
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Half-time reading
Half time: Rangers 1-2 Celtic
Peep peep! Celtic lead at Ibrox after a pulsating first half. Aaron Ramsey gave Rangers an early lead, only for Tom Rogic to equalise from Celtic’s first attack. Celtic slowly took control of the game and missed some good chances before Cameron Carter-Vickers put them ahead just before half-time. If it stays like this, they will be six points with six games to play, and heading for their 52nd title.
🎙️"A frantic start to the half & now a frantic end to the half!"@CelticFC go in 2-1 up at the break thanks to this from Cameron Carter-Vickers! Watch half-time analysis & the second-half live on @SkyFootball 📺 pic.twitter.com/VIuJS8yP84
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 3, 2022
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45 min Rangers desperately need half-time. They started ferociously but have been outplayed in the latter part of the half.
Jota’s big, dipping free-kick from the left was headed down by Balogun, under a lot of pressure from Starfelt at the far post. Lundstram couldn’t clear and Carter-Vickers rattled the ball past McGregor with his left foot.
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GOAL! Rangers 1-2 Celtic (Cameron-Vickers 43)
Celtic have come from behind to lead!
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40 min: Another chance for Celtic! Rogic slides a killer pass through to Maeda, who goes over after being challenged by McGregor. The ball runs to safety and Willie Collum ignores Celtic’s penalty appeals. McGregor certainly didn’t get the ball, though Rangers will argue that Maeda had lost control of it.
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40 min Rangers need more for Aaron Ramsey, who started superbly but has been anonymous in the last 20 minutes or so.
38 min Jota teases Tavernier and stands up a fine cross that is headed wide by Giakoumakis at the far post. After a torrid start, Celtic have had the better chances.
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36 min: What a chance for Celtic! Juranovic curls a brilliant pass from the right towards Maeda, who loses Tavernier on the edge of the area and tries to go round the outrushing McGregor. He dives at Maeda’s feet to make an excellent save but the loose ball is picked up by Rogic, who dances past McGregor and hits a shot that is blocked by a combination of Goldson and Bassey.
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33 min A lovely run from Kent, who beats McGregor and Hatate before finding Tavernier in space on the right. His cross is claimed at full stretch by Hart. Aribo was accidentally tripped off the ball by Starfelt, just outside the area, though the referee didn’t see it anyway.
32 min Tavernier’s free-kick from the right is cleared over his own bar by the stretching Giakoumakis. The resulting corner ricochets behind for another, which is headed away by Starfelt. So far Celtic have dealt well with Rangers’ set-pieces.
30 min “I don’t watch much Scottish football,” says Joshua Reynolds. “What is the general consensus on Joe Hart’s time at Celtic so far? Does he have his mojo back?”
I’m not an expert but the impression I get is that he has been very good. Maybe not quite back to his best, but certainly playing his best football since the mid-2010s.
28 min Jota slithers inside from the left but then spanks the ball over the bar from 20 yards. Celtic are the better side at the moment.
27 min “Gotta love the 100mph Glasgow/Old Firm derby,” says Simon McMahon. “Or, as it’s also known, El Frantico.”
25 min: Chance for Celtic! The underlapping Taylor makes a brilliant run, surging into the area on the left. Goldson gets a good challenge in but the ball rolls to Rogic, who whips over from 12 yards. That was a pretty good opportunity.
24 min Maeda and Jota have switched wings, with Jota moving to the left. I’m slightly surprised by that as Rogic and Jota were causing problems on the right.
24 min A ludicrous shove from Starfelt on Aribo gives Rangers a free-kick on the right, 45 yards from goal. Tavernier’s delivery is unusually poor and goes out for a goalkick on the far side.
22 min This is a good spell for Celtic, who have slowed the game down and are keeping the ball much better than they did at the start.
20 min Bassey curls an excellent pass to Aribo, whose first touch is just heavy enough to allow Taylor to get round and clear. With a better touch, Aribo might have been in on goal.
18 min Taylor is pretty fortunate not to be booked for a cynical hack at Kent.
17 min Jota’s dangerous cross from the right is headed over his own bar by Goldson. The corner is taken short and eventually cleared.
16 min Celtic enjoy their first extended spell of possession. It’s been a pulsating start to the game.
15 min Here’s the Rangers goal.
🎙️"A breathtaking start to a breathtaking derby! It is absolutely magnificent from start to finish."
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 3, 2022
Here's how @RangersFC took an early lead at Ibrox through Aaron Ramsey👇 pic.twitter.com/dRK7FnQUqd
And here’s the Celtic equaliser.
🎙️"How about that for a rapid response from Celtic! An extraordinary start to this game!"
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 3, 2022
Here's how @CelticFC got back on level terms at Ibrox through Tom Rogic! Watch Rangers vs Celtic live on @SkyFootball📺 pic.twitter.com/AOv2P2RW0b
14 min Roofe robs Starfelt and finds Jack, whose long-range shot takes a deflection and dribbles thorugh to Hart.
12 min Tavernier’s deflected shot is saved to his right by Hart, a comfortable enough stop. Celtic are struggling to live with Rangers’ intensity.
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10 min Hart makes a great save from Ramsey, though the flag had gone up. Ramsey had started really brightly.
9 min “Hey Rob,” says Tom Stratford. “In response to Simon McMahon’s earlier email, the last time I felt genuinely optimistic about a potential non-Old Firm league winner was when we first learned Hearts were going to be the subject of a similar buyout to Chelsea. How wrong I was…”
8 min That goal wasn’t just against the run of play, it was a complete affront to the run of play. Celtic had barely crossed the halfway line, but then McGregor took matters into his own hands and suddenly they were level.
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Callum McGregor marched past two players in the inside-right channel and slid the ball across to Rogic. His shot was blocked, Hatate’s follow-up was saved to his left by McGregor - but he could only push the ball back to Rogic, who clipped it high into the net. McGregor probably should have done better there.
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GOAL! Rangers 1-1 Celtic (Rogic 7)
Never mind staying in the game; Celtic are level!
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6 min Tavernier’s wicked cross just evades the stretching Kent, who got the wrong side of the sleeping Juranovic at the far post.
5 min Rangers have made a blistering start with and without the ball. Celtic just need to stay in the game for the next 5-10 minutes.
What a superb team goal. Bassey started the move with a terrific ball inside Juranovic to find Kent on the left. He slid an early low cross towards Ramsey, who clipped it first time past Hart with his left foot. Hart got a hand on it as he dived to his left but couldn’t keep it out.
GOAL! Rangers 1-0 Celtic (Ramsey 3)
Aaron Ramsey has given Rangers the lead!
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2 min Bassey is bundled over by Jota, which gives Rangers an early free-kick. Tavernier’s inswinger just evades the stretching Balogun at the far post.
1 min Peep peep! Celtic get the game under way, kicking from left to right as we watch. “The atmosphere in this place... I’ve not heard it like this in years,” says Ally McCoist, co-commentating on Sky Sports.
📊 @RangersFC SP home record in last 2 years
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 3, 2022
3️⃣5️⃣ games
3️⃣1️⃣ wins
4️⃣ draws
0️⃣ defeats@CelticFC SP record since September
2️⃣5️⃣ games
2️⃣1️⃣ wins
4️⃣ draws
0️⃣ defeats pic.twitter.com/GVhS0uRm9j
The players stroll out of the tunnel and onto the field. You don’t need me to tell you that the atmosphere is sensational.
Ten minutes to kick off
Let’s have a reminder of the two teams.
Rangers (4-2-3-1) McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey; Jack, Lundstram; Aribo, Ramsey, Kent; Roofe.
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Sands, Arfield, Amad, Fashion Jr.
Celtic (4-3-3) Hart; Juranovic, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; Rogic, McGregor, Hatate; Jota, Giakoumakis, Maeda.
Substitutes: Bain, Bitton, Abada, Turnbull, McCarthy, Johnston, Ideguchi, O’Riley, Ralston.
Referee Willie Collum.
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Book club
Can I recommend a couple of books? Good, thanks. Martyn Ramsay’s 50 Greatest Rangers Games, as well as being superbly written, is a reminder to us outsiders that Rangers’ world doesn’t necessarily revolve around Celtic. I think only four of the top 20 are Old Firm matches. I haven’t read Celtic’s Greatest Games yet but suspect it tells a similar tale - Internazionale, Barcelona, St Mirren, etc.
I haven’t read Tom Brogan’s We Made Them Angry either, mainly because it isn’t released until the end of the month, but he’s a brilliant writer and it’s on a subject I’ve always wanted to know more about: Scotland at the 1982 World Cup. We tend to think of 1978 as the great missed opportunity, understandably so given the sheer tragicomedy of it all, but the squad four years later was arguably even better. Sadly they were in a Group of Certain Death with a fine USSR side and an awesome Brazil.
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“Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Alex Ferguson was the last manager to lead a club other than Celtic or Rangers to the Scottish title, with Aberdeen in 1885. Or maybe it was 1985, and just feels longer. Just another indication of his genius I suppose. The chances of somebody ‘doing a Leicester’ in Scotland are less than zero I’m afraid. Even ‘doing a Brentford’ and giving the big boys a bloody nose on their own patch once in a while seems increasingly unlikely for most teams. Anyway, lots of goals and red cards please.”
Yes please.
While Rangers are without Alfredo Morelos, Celtic have the in-form Georgios Giakoumakis up front. He’s scored hat-tricks in two of his last three league games, and should get a lively reception after saying Celtic are better than Rangers “in every single department”.
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“I know every game is the BIGGEST OF ALL TIME!!!! but this feels as big as I can recall,” writes Martyn Ramsay. “Certainly the most meaningful Old Firm game at this stage of the season since 2011 in terms of deciding the title. And then there’s the automatic Champions League money. Losing out on £40m is just too much to comprehend. We’d have to win the Europa!”
This is the first of three games between Rangers and Celtic in the next few weeks. They meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final on 17 April and will play again at Celtic Park when the league splits after 33 games. Whatever happens, it’ll be emotional.
Team news
Four changes for Rangers from the team that beat Dundee before the international break. Ryan Jack, Joe Aribo, Leon Balogun and Kemar Roofe replace James Sands, Filip Helander, Scott Arfield and the injured Alfredo Morelos.
Celtic are unchanged from the 4-0 win over Ross County a fortnight ago, though it’s slightly surprising to see that Kyogo isn’t among the substitutes.
🆕 Today's #RangersFC team to face Celtic in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) April 3, 2022
👉 Full Team News: https://t.co/DoRW6E25X1 pic.twitter.com/8vrNYijz45
📋 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 📋
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) April 3, 2022
The 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙨 line up as follows ⤵️#RANCEL | #cinchPrem | #COYBIG🍀 pic.twitter.com/IoYrYtI7WZ
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Ewan Murray’s preview
Form guide
Celtic have won 21 and lost none of their last 24 league games. Rangers have lost only one of the last 29, when they were routed in the first half at Celtic Park back in February.
Early team news
Rangers are missing Alfredo Morelos, who will be out for at least a couple of weeks with a thigh injury. Kemar Roofe is likely to replace him up front.
Kyogo Furuhashi is in the Celtic squad for the first time this year, though he is unlikely to start.
Let’s start with some hard facts. Celtic are three points and 14 goals ahead of Rangers with seven games remaining. If they win today, it’s probably over. If they draw, they’ll keep their safety net. And if Rangers win, it’s on like never before.
Okay, that’s a palpable exaggeration, a bald-faced lie, but I’m sure you’ll forgive the excitement. We could be heading for the closest SPFL title race since 2010-11. And don’t us neutrals just love that.
Kick off 12pm.
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Preamble
It’s Rangers v Celtic in a potential title decider. There’s your preamble!
