Rangers’ emphatic triumph over historic rivals Celtic gave manager Philippe Clement a vital luxury: space to breathe.
Although the outcome of this thrilling clash will have little impact on the current race for the Scottish Premiership title – with Celtic comfortably in the lead, 11 points clear – the drama at Ibrox provided a blow thumbs up needed by Clement and his team.
On a day when Rangers demonstrated all their brilliance, Celtic struggled to find their bearings. The 3-0 scoreline vividly illustrates the one-sided nature of the encounter, marking another notable failure for Brendan Rodgers, who adds this defeat to his tally, now taking his Old Firm defeat tally to two. It is rare to see Celtic so dominated, forcing the usually sedate manager Rodgers into a realm of discomfort and vulnerability.
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Rangers opened the scoring thanks to Ianis Hagi, whose precise, low shot surprised goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. This moment was particularly special, as the midfielder’s father, Gheorghe, watched with pride from the stands, seeing his son shine in the famous blue jersey.
As hope dwindled for Celtic, their response was dismally late, managing just one shot on goal before the half-time whistle, courtesy of Rangers replacement keeper Liam Kelly .
Vaclav Cerny had a golden opportunity to double the advantage but saw his shot bounce off the post. Fortunately for Rangers, Robin Pröpper made the most of the opportunity, scoring on the rebound after Nico Raskin’s attempt was blocked, reinforcing Celtic’s difficulties as an attacking force.
Danilo further calmed the nerves at Ibrox, as Jefté initially saw his shot saved, but the enthusiastic home fans erupted in chorus when the ball was finally concluded. The result not only avenges their League Cup penalty shootout defeat to Celtic, but also serves as a significant statement from Clement to his detractors.
In the world of football, such performances are the ones that legends are made from, and Rangers have sent a clear message that they are ready to challenge for Scottish supremacy.
