Thibaut Simon, Media365, published on Thursday January 2, 2025 at 8:07 p.m.
Former Monaco coach Philippe Clement gave himself a little breathing room by winning the Old Firm against Celtic Glasgow (3-0). Enough success to continue on the Rangers bench in 2025?
A breath of fresh air for the Rangers, a reprieve for Philippe Clement. On the 21st day of the Scottish championship, Rangers hosted their rival Celtic for a tense Old Firm (the name given to the derby). On the one hand, Celtic walk on water. Leader with 14 points ahead of their opponent, Celtic won the first leg (3-0). Last December 15, Celtic won the League Cup already against Rangers (4-3 after TAB) after a crazy match. On the other hand, the Rangers are in crisis with a coach in the hot seat. With a defeat and a draw with the derby, Clement's men had almost said goodbye to the title before entering the pitch at Ibrox Stadium. Especially since in the last 7 clashes, the Rangers have never won.
The Rangers Awaken
For the Belgian coach who arrived last year, this match was perhaps his last chance. The only reason for satisfaction this season turns out to be the course in the Europa League. With three wins, two draws and one defeat, the club is in 8th place in the standings and currently qualified for the round of 16. The Rangers players undoubtedly rode on their good performances in Europe to win the derby this Thursday. With 24 shots on Schmeichel's cage – in the last three meetings, Celtic had only conceded two strikes at most – the championship runner-up dominated his opponent. By scoring very quickly through Hagi (7th), the locals made the difference just after the hour mark through Propper (65th) before Danilo definitively sealed the victory for his team (80th). If Rangers have returned to 11 points behind Celtic in the standings, the title already seems to be decided. But the main thing was elsewhere for Clement and his group. At a press conference, the Belgian did not want to hear about dismissal. Passionate, Clement tries day after day to restore the club's letters of nobility, which has not been titled in the championship since 2021. “I know that the results will fall short of expectations and that the criticism will follow. But the people within of the club know what the plan is: to build a sustainable project with young players.” he mentioned before the derby.
