April 03, (THEWILL) – Celtic moved an inch closer to recovering the Scottish Premiership title with a deserved win over Old Firm arch-rivals rivals and defending champions Rangers on Sunday afternoon.
Rangers went at a flimsy-looking Celtic backline in a frenzied first ten minutes before the visitors reacted. Aaron Ramsey seized his chance to score his second league goal in as many games, coolly tapping off a cross from Ryan Kent.
Allan McGregor was at fault for the equaliser as he palmed Reo Hatate’s shot into Tom Rogic’s path in what was Celtic’s first meaningful attack of the game. Rogic accepted the gift and tucked in from close range.
After a tumultuous start, the game cooled down, with goal-scorer Rogic getting the next chance. Although he was in a good position, the Australian could only curl high and wide.
McGregor had to sprawl at the feet of Daizen Maeda to keep the score equal before Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey combined to deny Rogic a tap-in. Following a similar confrontation with McGregor, Maeda screamed for a penalty, but referee William Collum was not convinced.
Celtic had created the better chances in the first half and went ahead when Cameron Carter-Vickers hammered in a loose ball from a set-piece as the first 45 minutes drew to a conclusion.
The start of the second half was delayed due to a broken bottle and shards of glass on Joe Hart’s side of the pitch.
Rangers failed to create clear openings, with Kemar Roofe, who came in to replace the injured Alfredo Morelos up front, barely making an impact. They requested a penalty for a handball call on Carter-Vickers, but it was likewise denied.
Celtic were mainly hemmed in during the last moments as Rangers poured forward in search of an equaliser, but the Bhoys went near again on the break, with substitute Liel Abada forcing McGregor into a superb save. The hosts kept pushing for a 2-2 draw, but Roofe and Sakala’s late half-chances were in vain.
Celtic now lead the Premiership by six points over Rangers, with Ange Postecoglou aiming for his first title in Scotland.
Rangers will have to bounce back from their defeat as they travel to Sporting Braga for the opening leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on Thursday. Celtic’s next match is against St Johnstone at Celtic Park on Saturday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
