Rangers produced a composed and deserved derby performance to beat Celtic 1-0 at Celtic Park, making it two derby victories in seven days and cutting the Premiership leaders’ advantage to just two points.
Ryan Naderi’s poacher’s finish after 33 minutes settled a tense, one-sided encounter in front of a home-only Celtic Park, where the half time and final whistles were greeted by boos from the stands. Rangers have now won six matches in succession and travel into the international break with momentum, belief and the title race firmly alive.
The decisive moment arrived after Rangers had begun to impose themselves. A corner was only partially cleared to Kim Min-su, whose fierce strike from the edge of the area was pushed out by Viljami Sinisalo. Naderi reacted first, arriving in the right place to turn the loose ball home and silence the stadium.
It was the striker’s first goal in a Glasgow derby and a reward for Rangers’ greater authority. Celtic had started with intent, Kieran Tierney - operating in a more advanced midfield role - skimming the bar with a powerful effort, but the hosts rarely translated territorial spells into sustained threat.
Rangers looked sharper in possession, stronger in the challenge and more decisive around both penalty areas. The breakthrough was not merely a smash-and-grab; it reflected the visitors’ increasing command of the contest.
Celtic could count themselves fortunate to remain within one goal soon after falling behind. Djeidi Gassama chipped cleverly over Sinisalo only to see his effort strike the post, a near-miss that might have removed any late uncertainty from the occasion.
The home side did have their moment to level it. Colby Donovan rose to meet a cross with a header that appeared destined for the net, only for Ivor Pandur to make an outstanding save. It was Celtic’s clearest opportunity, but it proved the exception rather than the beginning of a concerted revival.
Rangers remained the more threatening team after the interval and thought they had doubled their advantage when Olwethu Makhanya thundered a strike into the top corner. VAR, however, ruled the goal out for handball in the build-up. Even that let-off failed to galvanise Celtic, whose attacks became increasingly predictable against a disciplined Rangers block.
For Martin O’Neill, this was a third defeat in seven days and the most troubling of the lot in a domestic sense. Last weekend’s 3-0 League Cup defeat at Ibrox was followed by a Europa League loss to Ferencvaros on Thursday; now Celtic have suffered their first league defeat of the season.
The champions remain top, but their lead has been cut to two points and the confidence that underpinned their early-season form has evaporated quickly. Celtic struggled in the final third, while the frustration of the home support became more audible.
There will be a long international break in which to address a worrying downturn, particularly after Celtic had previously been building a strong run of league results. The defeat leaves unanswered questions about creativity, attacking balance and the team’s response when placed under pressure.
This was a Rangers performance built on control. Naderi supplied the finish, Pandur delivered when required, and the collective defensive discipline ensured Celtic never established the late siege their supporters demanded.
The result changes the mood at the top of the Premiership. Celtic still lead, but Rangers are now only two points back, in form, and heading towards next month’s League Cup semi-final with their city rivals looking over their shoulders.
Speaking after the game, a disappointed Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, said: “We’re still two points clear. We have a break coming up and it’s a time to reflect, see where we are positioned and get on from there.
“I thought there wasn’t much between the teams. Rangers scored, we had a couple of chances ourselves.
“The club has suffered defeat in the past; I’ve had that and it’s a matter of fighting back and that’s what you’ve got to try and do. Every defeat is really painful and it hurts every bit as much now as it did before.
“I have to reflect on things myself, see what I can do better to help the team. That’s something that I’ll genuinely think about.
“There are always big questions when you lose matches. You have to accept responsibility, which I do. Remember, this is my team. I am responsible for that.”
Rangers manager Derek McInnes added: “It’s such an important win for us. To follow it up on the back of last week was really important.
“In the context of the season, it’s just three points and it gets us three points closer to Celtic. We understood if we lost the game, that distance just starts to feel uncomfortable for us.
“It’s still very early on. There’s still 80-odd points to play for but I do think that winning here, particularly because we’ve got a young team, can only give them some much-needed confidence and belief on the back of last week.
“I like putting my name to this team at the minute and I think we’ve got a good thing going but we know how quickly that can change so we just try to keep those bad days to a minimum.”