Rangers cut Celtic's lead after Glasgow Derby win
Rangers 3 - 0 Celtic
Rangers cut Celtic’s lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 11 points in sensational fashion, as Philippe Clement finally secured his first derby victory at the seventh attempt.
Ianis Hagi’s early goal, followed by strikes from Robin Propper and Danilo in the second half, sealed the win as the hosts dominated a fervent Ibrox crowd.
The victory ended a long and frustrating run of poor results for Rangers against Brendan Rodgers' Celtic, who had only lost once in 20 derby clashes before this encounter.
However, the occasion was slightly marred when Celtic’s Arne Engels appeared to be struck by a coin thrown from the stands. Fortunately, his manager later confirmed the player was unharmed.
More reaction coming up. A bad day for Celtic.https://t.co/Mu4Cn3x6Z9 https://t.co/3FCnK8E1Sv
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) January 2, 2025
A closer look at what happened
Rangers had come into the match under mounting pressure, having slipped further behind Celtic after a loss to St Mirren and a draw against Motherwell during the festive period.
Injuries to key players—including goalkeeper Jack Butland, captain James Tavernier, and centre-back John Souttar—seemed to compound their problems, and Celtic’s sharp start hinted at another tough day for Clement’s men.
But how wrong that proved to be. Rangers took control with an energetic and aggressive performance. Hagi’s superb 25-yard strike into the bottom corner gave the home side a deserved lead and ignited the crowd.
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Clement’s side kept pressing, completely unsettling Celtic’s rhythm. Vaclav Cerny nearly doubled the lead when his deflected effort clipped the crossbar, while Liam Kelly denied Reo Hatate at the other end in Celtic’s only real chance of the first half.
Any hopes of a Celtic comeback after the break quickly faded. This was simply not their day.
Cerny hit the post and was later thwarted by Schmeichel, but Rangers refused to relent. Propper smashed home from a set piece to make it 2-0, and Danilo sealed the win with a clinical finish after Jefte’s blocked effort fell kindly to him.
A vital and thoroughly deserved victory for Rangers, who finally got the better of their rivals in emphatic style.
