Rangers claimed a 1-0 victory at Celtic Park to secure their second Old Firm triumph in just eight days, narrowing the gap to league leaders Celtic to a mere two points in the Scottish Premiership.
Striker Ryan Naderi netted the sole goal before half-time, registering his first strike in this fixture and extending his side’s winning sequence to six matches.
The result handed Derek McInnes a remarkable distinction. Not since Graeme Souness managed it in 1986 has a Rangers boss triumphed in both of his first two Glasgow derbies.
With no visiting supporters permitted inside the ground, Naderi’s goal left the home crowd stunned. For Celtic manager Martin O’Neill, the defeat posed serious questions, marking a third loss in the space of seven days.
Celtic were booed off at Parkhead after defeat to Rangers
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O’Neill opted for a five-man defensive setup following two painful results, deploying Kieran Tierney in an advanced midfield position alongside Luke McCowan in what appeared to be a 4-4-1-1 shape. Benjamin Nygren sat behind sole frontman Camilo Duran.
An early Auston Trusty volley was chalked off for offside, and matters deteriorated from there for the hosts.
Trailing at the interval, O’Neill withdrew the largely anonymous McCowan, introducing expensive summer acquisition Kasper Hogh. When that switch yielded little improvement, the manager turned to dropped wingers Haissem Hassan and Sebastian Tounekti.
Neither injection made any discernible difference. Celtic looked entirely bereft of the sharpness and rhythm that had carried them to last season’s title and fuelled six successive league victories at the start of this campaign.
Naderi struck from close range after Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo could only push Kim Min-su’s fierce shot back into the danger zone.
Rangers nearly made it two almost instantly. Djeidi Gassama’s deft chip struck the inside of the right-hand post, denying the visitors a potentially decisive second.
Rangers had a rocky start under Derek McInnes but are right back in the mix now
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Before falling behind, Tierney had come close himself, his effort grazing the top of Ivor Pandur’s crossbar. The Croatian goalkeeper later produced a superb stop to deny Colby Donovan’s header, which looked certain to bring Celtic level.
The home side’s frustration deepened further when Olwethu Makhanya fired a spectacular strike into the top corner, only for the goal to be ruled out after a handball was spotted in the build-up.
Celtic’s downturn now spans three matches across three competitions. Their League Cup defeat at Ibrox the previous Sunday was followed by a Europa League loss to Ferencvaros on Thursday before this latest setback.
It represents their first Premiership defeat since Dundee United overcame them at Tannadice back in March.
The decline in fortunes has been stark since their Champions League elimination in Linz, and O’Neill faces a lengthy three-week international break in which to find answers.
Rangers, meanwhile, have conceded just one goal during their six-match winning run. Free from European commitments after their own exit in Jablonec, McInnes’s side have built formidable domestic momentum and have a League Cup semi-final to anticipate next month.
In the last eight league derbies, Rangers have lost only once.
