Rangers 2-0 Celtic: Steven Gerrard’s men dominate Hoops at Ibrox in exciting Old Firm derby
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers set down a marker ahead of Celtic’s attempt to win their ninth straight title next season as they sealed a dominant 2-0 victory in the final Old Firm clash of the campaign.Neil Lennon’s side arrived at Ibrox a week on from wrapping up their eighth title in a row but trudged away after allowing the Light Blues to square up this term’s derby head-to-head at two wins apiece.
5Rangers dominated Celtic at ParkheadCaptain James Tavernier swept home a free-kick just moments after kick-off to give Gerrard’s men the perfect start.The Parkhead triple treble chasers looked like they had their minds elsewhere and paid the price when Scott Arfield wrapped up the win midway through the second half.The victory – which cuts Celtic’s lead to six points – counts for little in the larger scheme of things but will renew belief among the blue half of Glasgow that they can finally halt their bitter rivals’ era of domination after the summer.Wes Foderingham lining up in goal was a reminder of the disciplinary problems that have plagued Gers this season.
Getty
5Gerrard’s men secured back-to-back victories over Celtic at IbroxAllan McGregor’s red card against Hibernian last week was the hosts’ 12th of the campaign and Gerrard was once again forced to reiterate to his players in the days leading up to the game the importance of keeping referee Kevin Clancy onside.The change in goal was Rangers only alteration but Neil Lennon made three from the side which clinched title number 50 at Pittodrie as he decided to take no chances on the fitness of Kieran Tierney and James Forrest ahead of the Scottish Cup final.With Timothy Weah now departed, that made space for Jonny Hayes, Oliver Burke and Michael Johnston.
5Celtic secured their eighth consecutive title last weekAs expected, there was no guard of honour from Gerrard’s team for the champions – but there were delirious celebrations from the home support as Rangers struck inside two minutes.Tavernier was handed a free-kick opening after Ryan Kent was tripped by Johnston on the edge of Celtic’s box. The Ibrox captain was looking to pick out a colleague but when a touch failed to come, Scott Bain was caught flat-footed watched with anguish as the ball flew in at his back post.Ibrox erupted in joy and the fevered atmosphere only encouraged Rangers to run quicker and press harder.
5Celtic were outplayed for large parts of the contestJermain Defoe, however, was fortunate not to be booked when he went down with a flamboyant tumble as he and Kristoffer Ajer chased an Arfield knock-down.It took Celtic 18 minutes to catch their breath but Burke could only fire over as a messy contest continued to frustrate Lennon on the touchline.The Hoops established a foothold as the match ticked towards the break but it was an out-of-sorts display from the champions. Ajer and Jozo Simunovic took their time getting play going, Scott Brown was left griping to Clancy as Arfield bit at his ankles while Callum McGregor wasted a good free-kick chance by knocking it out of the park. Jon Flanagan was the first player to have his name taken after barging Brown over before a corner delivery. Given Gerrard’s earlier warning on discipline it was a hugely unnecessary risk to take.Lennon looked far happier with his side’s approach following the restart as Gers were made to sit back.But Gerrard’s team responded by upping their tempo and struck again on 65 minutes.Glen Kamara took Brown out of the game with sublime drop of the shoulder then marched on. Defoe dummied his pass and the Hoops defence were caught cold as Arfield raced past the statuesque Ajer to prod home the second.
5A goal in either half sealed a brilliant win for RangersAgain Ibrox erupted as a couple of dozen jubilant Rangers fans spilled on to the pitch to celebrate with the goalscorer, who was booked as punishment.Number three should have arrived on 77 minutes as Kent released Defoe. Bain stood up to block his first attempt then watched with relief as he lobbed the rebound against the bar.Odsonne Edouard skipped past Nikola Katic with seven minutes left but there was no lifeline for the Hoops as Burke’s finish was easily stopped by Foderingham.
Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock and chief executive Ken Choo will attend Emiliano Sala's funeral in Argentina this week. The pair will be part of a Bluebirds delegation travelling to Santa Fe for
Emiliano Sala: Cardiff footballer's funeral takes place - BBC
Previous Post Previous post: Tony Adams claims Arsenal are a bigger club than Juventus as he questions Aaron Ramsey's decision to join Serie A champions Next Post Next post: Porto 3 Roma 1 (Agg 4-3) live on talkSPORT 2: Free stream and full commentary as Porto net extra-time penalty
Accrington Stanley goalkeeper Dimitar Evtimov sent off for
Declan Rice: West Ham and England youngster apologises for
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester United: Red Devils face
Alex Bruce has defended his father Steve Bruce after BBC pundits questioned his absence during Sheffield Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. as Danny Murphy and Ruud Gullit question his absence
Master Your Classes™ | Course Hero
Liverpool ensured they would be top of the table at Christmas after goals from Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk sealed a 2-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Real Madrid are ready to offer Manchester United three players as bait as they bid to sign Paul Pogba during the summer transfer window, according to reports. Zinedine Zidane, who returned to the Bernabeu earlier in the year, has identified Pogba as one of his priority signings and is putting pressure on Real to secure his signature.
Manchester United Transfer News: Real Madrid set to offer
Sergio Ramos leaves Real Madrid chiefs in shock as defender questions his future with Manchester United and PSG set to pounce this summer. Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has admitted he could
Fans go mad as Luis Suarez trolls Sergio Ramos with Panenka
Liverpool news: Incredible concept kits as Reds commercial chiefs enter talks over new deal. so it would be surprising if Anfield chiefs make a deal with them.
Liverpool news: Incredible concept kits as Reds commercial
footballnote.com/liverpool-news-incredible-concept-kits-as-reds-commercial-chiefs-enter-talks-over-new-deal/
Liverpool news: Incredible concept kits as Reds commercial chiefs enter talks over new deal kitted out The last two kit deals with New Balance officially became the best-selling Liverpool kits of all time - but they could be willing to look elsewhere to brands such as Nike and Adidas?
The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
Jose Mourinho says four-time Premier League winning goalkeeper Petr Cech will be a "big loss" to football. The former Manchester United and Chelsea boss says he is proud to have managed one of the
Jose Mourinho Congratulates Petr Cech On 'Amazing Career'
Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been confirmed to have an interest in former Arsenal and England under-20 forward Chris Willock after sending scouts to catch him in action this weekend. The 20-year-old, who only made a handful of senior appearances for the Gunners, now plies his trade in Portugal with Benfica, where he signed a five-year
NewsNow: Championship news | Breaking News & Search 24/7
Real Madrid on the verge of signing superstar in stunning £210m deal, Barcelona superstar provides crucial update on future, and more: Transfer Roundup, 7th April 2019
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifies TWO possible
0 Comments