Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Kyogo Furuhashi nets winner in Old Firm derby

Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Kyogo Furuhashi scores his 50th goal for the Bhoys to give Brendan Rodgers’ side the victory in the first Old Firm derby of the season

• Kyogo Furuhashi scored his 50th goal for Celtic at the end of the first-half 
• Rangers earlier had a goal before that disallowed for a foul in the build-up 
• Celtic clung on to take three points in the first Old Firm derby of the season 

In arare show of unity before an Old Firm game there was widespread agreement that this was a Michael Beale couldn’t afford to lose. After another turgid, uninspired performance against Celtic in a game which actually mattered these are now dangerous times for the Rangers manager. The boos around a half empty Ibrox at time up told their own tale.

During his first spell in charge of Celtic it felt as if Brendan Rodgers had some kind of hex over the Ibrox club and their managers. In 13 meetings he lost only one, delivering some pretty hefty beatings to the likes of Mark Warburton and Graeme Murty along the way.

There was nothing swashbuckling or flowing about this latest triumph. It was dogged, gutsy and as unexpected as any Celtic win at Ibrox in recent times.

Scoring his sixth goals in his last five Old Firm starts the emergence of Kyogo Furuhashi as the matchwinner came as a surprise to no one. In other areas of the pitch a makeshift, patched up Celtic side had unexpected heroes all over the pitch.

A difficult, trying transfers window ended with Scotland’s champions scrambling around in the transfer window, signing three players. Two of the new acquisitions, Liverpool defender Nat Phillips and Paulo Bernardo, failed to make the bench here.

Celtic took all three points in the first Old Firm derby of the 2023-24 Scottish Premiership

Rangers thought they had taken a first-half lead when Kemar Roofe fired past Joe Hart

Celtic players protested and the goal was disallowed by VAR for a foul during the build-up

At the end of the first-half it was Celtic who struck the opener through Kyogo Furuhashi

Liam Scales, a defender written off as a liability, was outstanding. His young central defensive partner Gustaf Lagerbielke rode his luck, but survived an Old Firm baptism of fire. Captain Callum McGregor defied all that nonsense over losing a yard of pace. Matt O’Riley – the subject of a failed bid by Leeds United in midweek – was man of the match.

MATCH FACTS

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Sterling (Yilmaz 64), Raskin, Jack (Lawrence 76), Cantwell, Matondo (Lammers 64), Dessers (Sima 76), Roofe (Danilo 64)

Subs: Lundstram, Cifuentes, Davies, McCrorie

Booked: Cantwell 

Celtic: Hart, Alistair Johnston (Ralston 66), Lagerbielke, Scales, Taylor (Bernabei 74), O’Riley, McGregor, Turnbull (Holm 66), Abada (Yang 66), Furuhashi (Oh 76), Maeda. 

Subs: Palma, Kobayashi, Kwon, Bain

Goal: Furuhashi 45+2 

Booked: Scales 

Make no mistake. After the trauma of losing to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup and a dismal draw against St Johnstone, this was a huge win for Rodgers. A timely reminder of why major shareholder Dermot Desmond moved heaven and earth to get him back in the summer. And one in the eye for everyone who took one look at the Celtic team-sheet and naturally feared the worst. This was Celtic’s first clean sheet at Ibrox in six years.

For Michael Beale defeat to a patchwork Celtic team there for the taking ramps up the pressure after a 5-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

People talk at times as if the Ibrox boss is new to the job. After nine months in post, that simply isn’t true.

While the need for a summer rebuild might have made it feel that way, like Rodgers the Ibrox will now face probing questions over the club’s transfer activity. Not to mention the anticipated failure to press and harry Celtic’s midfield to distraction.

Despite a £13milllion spend on new strikers Kemar Roofe is still ranked the best chance of a goal.

Rangers feel he should have had one after 28 minutes when the Jamaican international was denied by a controversial and contested VAR call.

In the days before VAR the goal would have stood. The nervy young Swede Lagerbielke was caught in possession and over-powered by Cyriel Dessers 30 yards from his own goal. The Nigerian ran in and resisted the temptation to shoot himself, squaring to Kemar Roofe instead. The striker kept his composure to take one touch and ram the ball into the net.

Celtic had other chances to score with Daizen Maeda agonisingly failing to connect with the ball

Rangers star James Tavernier protested with referee Don Robertson as they went off at half-time

As Ibrox erupted in glee and celebration VAR did what VAR does; it killed the moment.

Asked to take a look by VAR official Alan Muir, referee Don Robertson walked to the monitor to check for a potential foul. To the frustration and fury of the home Celtic were given the free-kick.

A soft decision, the celebrations of the 50,000 fans inside Ibrox turned quickly to rage and anger and went downhill when Kyogo Furuhashi scored with the final kick of the half.

When Joe Hart launched the ball up the field, Connor Goldson’s unconvincing defensive header from the edge of his own area was delivered straight back into the mixer by Matt O’Riley. The suspicion of offside against was quickly dismissed; John Souttar was playing him onside. Despite missing two easier chances earlier in the half the Celtic talisman lashed the ball into the corner of the net past Jack Butland from 18 yards. It was a stunning finish.

When Rangers had the ball in the net after 38 seconds you’d have got long odds on the 45 minutes finishing like that.

Before coming on to a game – and then some – Scales lost his first header of the game 30 yards from goal. Cyriel Dessers gathered and squared for Matondo to ram the ball into the net. Rightly, the offside flag quelled the wild celebrations.

Gradually Celtic – and their nervy defence – settled. In hindsight the Parkhead side will feel they could have had the game done and dusted by half-time when Kyogo mishit in front of goal then failed to prod the ball past Butland from a narrow angle. Both weere easier chances than the one he scored.

Celtic grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and could – probably should – have killed it in the opening 10 minutes of the second period.

Sam Lammers goes around Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart but the Rangers man shot wide

Brendan Rodgers showed his appreciation to Hart after the game who made some big saves

Whatever anyone says about the new Rangers signings, the excellence of Jack Butland is beyond dispute. The former England number one pulled off a huge fingertip save when Liel Abada smacked a fizzing low strike at goal after 50 minutes. Even then Daizen Maeda was inches from sliding Celtic’s second goal into the net.

Devoid of inspiration, giving the ball way repeatedly, Rangers lived dangerously.

As the hour point dawned and the two managers began looking to their bench, Kyogo blew another opportunity to put some daylight between the two sides. Sent scurrying into acres of space in the Rangers half by an Abada through ball poor first touch offered the Rangers defence time to scramble

Cutting inside on to his weaker foot the goalscorer curled the ball harmlessly over the crossbar. On chances alone he could have been staring at a hat-trick.

When Michael Beale made his move it was hardly met with universal approval. The boos which met the removal of Kemar Roofe for Danilo were loud and unmissable. Ibrox was now an anxious old place.

Almost overlooked in the Roofe kerfuffle, the arrival of Sam Lammers really should have paid off with 15 minutes to play when the Dutchman gathered a terrific Nico Raskin ball. There was space, there was time and, with Joe Hart making himself big , the final effort barely even made the sidenet.

For most of the transfer window Celtic supporters have been screaming for Joe Hart to be replaced. Demanding a new goalkeeper replaces an old stager written off as past his best. When the former England number one made two big saves from Danilo in quick succession the dissent became a little quieter. Turns out there’s life in the old dog yet.

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