Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Kyogo earns Brendan Rodgers statement Old Firm win in controversial derby
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Kyogo Furuhashi’s sixth Old Firm derby goal concluded a frenetic first half at Ibrox
Brendan Rodgers answered early questions surrounding his second Celtic tenure by delivering a statement Old Firm Scottish Premiership win over Rangers in a controversial derby.
Kyogo Furuhashi provided the decisive moment again, capitalising on more slack defending by the home defence just before the break at Ibrox to ruthlessly lash in his sixth goal in five starts in the fixture.
But the Japan forward’s strike came after Rabbi Matondo had an offside effort disallowed inside the first minute, before Kemar Roofe had another chopped off for Cyriel Dessers’ contentious foul on Gustaf Lagerbielke.
The Celtic centre-back appeared to kick through the back of the Rangers striker while being dispossessed, but referee Don Robertson opted to rule the goal out after an on-field VAR review.
Michael Beale stressed the importance to “lay down a marker” pre-match following Wednesday’s Champions League humiliation in Eindhoven, but instead more pressure will now build on the Ibrox boss, who has just one win from six derbies.
Celtic, whose depleted defence consisted of centre-back pairing of Lagerbielke and Liam Scales making their Old Firm debuts, just about held firm after the interval with the help of Joe Hart to move Rodgers’ men top by two points and four clear of their rivals.
Old Firm management is a pressure cooker at the best of times, but prior to Sunday it was difficult to think of a derby in which both managers went into the fixture feeling a similar amount of heat.
Rodgers, still trying to win over a chunk of the Celtic fanbase, came into the game off the back of a Viaplay Cup exit at Kilmarnock a fortnight ago and a goalless draw at home to St Johnstone last week.
Beale, who also suffered defeat at Rugby Park in the first league game of the season, was fresh off a chastening 5-1 second-leg defeat to PSV in a failed Champions League qualifying campaign.
So it was little wonder that in a cauldron of noise at Ibrox, which was completely packed with home fans, both sets of players took turns in handling the pressure better.
Sandwiched between Rangers’ ruled out strikes, Kyogo failed to connect from close range and saw a finish cleared off the line by Connor Goldson, before firing over when he should have teed up Liel Abada, who had just forced Jack Butland into a superb fingertip save.
The remainder of the game was about Celtic’s defensive resistance and Rangers’ lack of clinical edge, which was laid bare by Sam Lammers’ glaring miss when he rounded Hart, who then made two key stops to deny Danilo in the dying stages.
Player of the match – Liam Scales
After a shaky opening period, the Celtic centre-back – making his Old Firm debut – delivered a colossal second-half display at the heart of a makeshift defenceRangers fail to grasp another ‘big opportunity’ – analysis
“When you have a big opportunity, you need big performances,” were the words of Beale pre-match. Against a depleted Celtic defence, that opportunity was there for his players, but again they failed to grasp it.
Rightly or wrongly, a lot of the Rangers focus will be on Roofe’s disallowed goal, but that simply cannot detract attention from another defensive lapse which has decided a derby.
A simple Matt O’Riley header over the top caught John Souttar too deep in the hosts’ defensive line, allowing Kyogo to dispatch a clinical finish from an onside position.
What Beale would do for someone with the ruthless streak of the Japan striker, who had just nine touches in the game – four of which were shots.
Instead, his recent attacking recruits are doing little to inspire. The Rangers boss’ decision to start Roofe and Matondo perhaps highlights he is also yet to be convinced.
On the flipside, this win – Rodgers’ 10th from 13 derbies – will swat away minor doubts that were threatening to build around the infancy of his second spell at the club.
Based on this evidence, there is nothing to suggest that Celtic’s dominance will come to a halt, especially with a serial winner at the helm.
What they said
Rangers manager Michael Beale: “Having seen [Roofe’s disallowed goal] back, he kicks Cyriel [Dessers], so I think it’s a harsh call. I think that’s one that’s gone against us, but there’s a lot of time to play in the game.
“The [Celtic] goal is an error on our part, a huge error. Second half, we pushed and pushed, but you’d like us to be more inventive and ruthless because the chances were there. It’s a desperately disappointing day for everybody. It’s been a rough week.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: “It’s a massive result for the squad when you consider virtually half the team is unavailable. To come here and keep a clean sheet, with not one away supporter in the stadium, is a brilliant.
“It’s a great finish from Kyogo, and it puts us in a position that I thought we deserved at half-time. The players stood up. Liam [Scales] was outstanding. A lot of the new players needed that big win to feel what the intensity is like at a club like Celtic.”
What’s next?
Following the international break, both sides return to action on 16 September as Rangers travel to St Johnstone (12:30 BST) before Celtic host Dundee.
Line-upsRangers
Formation 4-3-3
1Butland
2Tavernier6Goldson5Souttar21Sterling
43Raskin8Jack13Cantwell
25Roofe9Dessers17Matondo
Substitutes
Celtic
Formation 4-3-3
1Hart
2Johnston4Lagerbielke5Scales3Taylor
33O’Riley42McGregor14Turnbull
11Abada8Furuhashi38Maeda
Substitutes
Live Text
Match ends, Rangers 0, Celtic 1.
Second Half ends, Rangers 0, Celtic 1.
Foul by Matt O’Riley (Celtic).
Tom Lawrence (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Anthony Ralston (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Rangers).
Attempt missed. Todd Cantwell (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Abdallah Sima with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Sam Lammers (Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Todd Cantwell.
Daizen Maeda (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Connor Goldson (Rangers).
Foul by Oh Hyeon-Gyu (Celtic).
Connor Goldson (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Todd Cantwell (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Ridvan Yilmaz.
Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Rangers).
Attempt missed. Sam Lammers (Rangers) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ridvan Yilmaz with a cross.
Attempt saved. Daizen Maeda (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Oh Hyeon-Gyu (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Rangers).
Attempt saved. Danilo (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Abdallah Sima with a cross.
Player of the match
FuruhashiKyogo Furuhashi
Rangers
Squad number1Player nameButland
Squad number5Player nameSouttar
Squad number2Player nameTavernier
Squad number25Player nameRoofe
Squad number13Player nameCantwell
Squad number6Player nameGoldson
Squad number21Player nameSterling
Squad number17Player nameMatondo
Squad number43Player nameRaskin
Squad number9Player nameDessers
Squad number8Player nameJack
Squad number3Player nameYilmaz
Squad number99Player nameDanilo
Squad number19Player nameSima
Squad number11Player nameLawrence
Squad number14Player nameLammers
Celtic
Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi
Squad number42Player nameMcGregor
Squad number1Player nameHart
Squad number38Player nameMaeda
Squad number5Player nameScales
Squad number33Player nameO’Riley
Squad number2Player nameJohnston
Squad number15Player nameHolm
Squad number56Player nameRalston
Squad number11Player nameAbada
Squad number13Player nameYang Hyun-Jun
Squad number3Player nameTaylor
Squad number14Player nameTurnbull
Squad number25Player nameBernabéi
Squad number4Player nameLagerbielke
Squad number19Player nameOh Hyeon-Gyu