Scotland: Celtic win first Glasgow Derby of the season
Rangers 0 - 1 Celtic
Brendan Rodgers responded to questions about his second spell at Celtic with a statement win in what was a controversial Glasgow Derby.
Kyogo Furuhashi once again delivered the decisive moment, taking advantage of a poor defence just before half-time to score.
The winning goal goal came after a strike from Rabbi Matondo was disallowed for offside in the first minute.
Before the match, Michael Beale has stressed the importance of 'setting a milestone' after Wednesday's humiliating Champions League defeat at Eindhoven, but the pressure will now rest on the Ibrox boss, who has not only one win in six derbies.
Rangers fans created a memorable atmosphere at Ibrox in the build up to the match but they fell silent once they went 1-0 up.
Celtic's defence wasn't at full strength and included central defenders Lagerbielke and Liam Scales making their Old Firm debut. It wasn't pretty at times, but everyone associated with the club will be delighted with the end result.
After the match, much of the Rangers focus will be on that disallowed goal, but that simply couldn't distract from another decisive error.
Based on the evidence throughout this much, you'd have to say that Celtic's dominance will carry on. The Ibrox side needs to be careful that their season does not unravel quickly. Their Europa League campaign could prove to be important.
Smiles all round at Ibrox! 💚😁 pic.twitter.com/es0YYZs5jg
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 3, 2023
What's next for Celtic and Rangers
Following the upcoming international break, both sides return to action on the 16th of September. Rangers travel to St Johnstone. Celtic will host Dundee and they will hope start to build on their lead at the top of the league.
Fan reaction
Celtic fans were critical of the way Rodgers departed for Leicester City and many were concerned about his return. This victory will help him win over the hardcore Celtic support.
Sean, a Celtic fan from Glasgow, said: "It's a huge result for Celtic's squad when you consider that nearly half the team was unavailable. It was a great finish from Kyogo, and it put us in a position we deserved at halftime. The players stood up and worked hard throughout the match. There was an outstanding performance by Liam Scales. A fantastic day to be a Celtic fan."
Peter, a Rangers fan, was less happy with his sdie's performance: "Granted, there was a dodgy VAR decision, but I thought it was a poor performance from the Rangers. We look like a team that will bottle it in all the big matches this season. I am not happy."
