Rangers beat Celtic 1-0 at Celtic Park as Ryan Naderi scored the winning goal to secure a second Old Firm derby victory in seven days.
German forward Naderi, who had faced a week of injury uncertainty before being passed fit, reacted quickest to turn in a loose ball 12 minutes before half-time. The result leaves reigning Scottish Premiership champions Celtic holding a slender two-point lead over Rangers heading into the international break.
The Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers is the premier rivalry in Scottish football, contested between Glasgow's two largest clubs. Celtic Park, situated in the Parkhead area of eastern Glasgow, hosted the fixture, where the home supporters were silenced as Rangers earned a second consecutive derby win.
Rangers manager Derek McInnes guided his team to their sixth straight victory across all competitions, extending a remarkable turnaround in form. Earlier in the season, Rangers had stumbled through several poor performances, including a dismal defeat against Czech side Jablonec, but McInnes' side played with fluency and composure at Celtic Park to confirm their momentum.
The victory followed Rangers' League Cup win over Celtic at Ibrox stadium seven days earlier. Although Celtic maintain a two-point advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, Rangers enter the international break in strong form, with McInnes' tactical game plan proving effective once again.
Naderi strike settles feisty first half
Faced with recent poor form, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill changed his tactical approach by deploying a three-man defense for the first time this season. Surprise inclusion Luke McCowan operated in a supporting midfield role alongside Benjamin Nygren, playing behind Colombian forward Camilo Duran, but the new system failed to produce attacking cohesion.
McInnes named an unchanged Rangers starting lineup from the team that won at Ibrox seven days earlier. Former Celtic player Daizen Maeda returned to Celtic Park, the stadium he called home for four years, starting for Rangers as McInnes opted for continuity.
The match opened in feisty fashion, with referee John Beaton issuing yellow cards to both Rangers manager McInnes and Celtic coach Mark Fotheringham following a heated verbal argument on the touchline. On the field, Rangers defender Manny Fernandez engaged in a physical battle with Duran, easing the Colombian off the ball in their first encounter before receiving a yellow card when Duran's pace drew a foul in their second.
Celtic thought they had taken the lead when defender Auston Trusty slammed a volley into the net, but the goal was quickly ruled out as teammate Liam Scales was offside. Celtic created another chance when Nygren found McCowan, who rolled the ball into Kieran Tierney's path, but the defender's rising strike hit the top of the crossbar. Shortly after, McCowan gave away a slack pass to Naderi, who threaded the ball to Djeidi Gassama, but the forward took a heavy touch and lost the opportunity.
Celtic struggled with basic execution at times, highlighted when defender Scales sent a pass straight out of play under no pressure. O'Neill was also left incensed when Rangers' Dujon Sterling left a bit on Nygren while clearing his lines, though referee Beaton chose not to penalize the challenge.
Before opening the scoring, Rangers threatened when Gassama outpaced Colby Donovan and cut the ball back to Dan Neil, whose weak shot was easily saved by Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo. Sinisalo also fielded a header from James Penrice before Rangers broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute.
Penrice delivered a corner that Scales headed clear, but Kim Minsu was allowed space on the edge of the penalty box because no Celtic player charged out to close him down. Sinisalo dived to his left to palm away Kim's shot, and Naderi reacted first to slide a low finish into the net.
Rangers control second half as Celtic struggle
Rangers almost extended their lead before half-time when McCowan surrendered possession again. Gassama took a fine first touch and clipped the post with his shot, before Kevin Kelsy's follow-up effort was blocked by the Celtic defense.
O'Neill substituted McCowan at half-time, bringing on Kasper Hogh. Celtic started the second half positively when Mika Baur crossed to the back post for Donovan, whose header forced a sharp reflex save from Rangers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur.
Rangers quickly resumed control as Penrice dashed into the penalty area and forced Sinisalo into a save with a left-footed attempt. Korean midfielder Kim then displayed footwork by riding three challenges before firing a shot just wide of the target.
Rangers continued to exploit Celtic's defense with a simple ball over the top that exposed Scales. Naderi outpaced Celtic captain Callum McGregor on the wing and delivered a cross, but a stretching Kelsy was unable to convert at the back post.
Pressure mounts on O'Neill after third straight loss
Celtic introduced James Forrest in place of Nygren, but the home side remained devoid of ideas in attack. McGregor was repeatedly caught on the ball and eventually booked by referee Beaton, while Tierney was substituted after failing to impact the match. Substitute Hogh also struggled to create openings against Rangers defender Olwethu Makhanya.
Rangers appeared to score a second goal when defender Makhanya found the net following a half-cleared corner kick. However, the Video Assistant Referee intervened to disallow the goal after identifying that Makhanya had handled the ball while juggling it on the edge of the penalty box.
The defeat marks the first time O'Neill has presided over three consecutive losses as Celtic manager. The slump began with a capitulation against Austrian club LASK in European competition, followed by the League Cup loss to Rangers at Ibrox and a defeat against Hungarian side Ferencvaros. The veteran Northern Irishman had stayed on in the summer following an unlikely domestic Double ahead of an expected squad rebuilding process.
As the final whistle blew, Celtic were left relying on aimless crosses and sideways passes, failing to break down a composed Rangers side. With six straight wins under McInnes, Rangers enter the international break trailing Celtic by two points in the Scottish Premiership title race.
