Rangers

Scottish football gets off to a lively start in 2023 today with the Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic.

Rangers vs Celtic match odds Rangers vs Celtic prediction Where to watch Rangers vs Celtic

Rangers are in good form themselves, winning their last four matches with Michael Beale making a strong start to life in charge at the club. This is a must-win ...

That’s a massive goal for the visitors! First yellow card of the match. However, Kyogo struck with two minutes remaining for the visitors to maintain Celtic’s nine-point cushion at the top of the table. Rangers 2-2 Celtic FT: Rangers 2-2 Celtic Rangers 2-2 Celtic LIVE!

60 min: Celtic double-substitution: Liel Abada and Aaron Mooy on for James Forrest and Matt O'Riley.

Alistair Johnston chucks the ball to Matt O’Riley, who turns inside Tavernier and gets a cross away. It rolls on to Maeda, who shoots hurriedly over the bar when he had time to take a touch and settle himself. The goal was gifted to them by Rangers, who have forged a few chances of their own. 49 min: Josip Juranovic was hopelessly out of position as Fashion Sakala took down the ball and picked out Kent with a low pass across the Celtic penalty area. Starfelt tries his luck with a wild swing and the ball appears to hit the hand of Connor Goldson. For the visitors, Matate wriggles into space down by the byline and drills the ball across the face of goal. The ref doesn’t award a spot-kick but submits to a VAR check. 84 min: Malik Tillman runs on to a pass from Ryan Jack and advances down the inside left. 63 min: Abada cuts inside from the right and sends a cross towards the far post. Celtic maintained their lead until half-time, despite Morelos missing a couple of excellent chances and Ryan Kent having as shot saved on to the post. The ball eventually goes out for a corner from which Rangers break upfield. We’ve sat deep and had three or four chances to clear the ball.

Match report and highlights as the second Old Firm clash of the season ends 2-2; Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Celtic after an Alfredo Morelos error; Ryan Kent equalised in style; James Tavernier fired Rangers ahead from the penalty spot; ...

They threw everything at us, they knew how important the game was in the context of the league. Michael Beale's side then face Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on January 15. Celtic's next Scottish Premiership game is at home against Kilmarnock in a 3pm kick-off on Saturday. We had two big chances with Alfredo from headers, Ryan Kent hits the post and you're thinking at half-time that we need to show a little bit more belief because I didn't think there was much in the game other than that. Again, a great spirit shown by the lads. We have a big chance to go 3-1 up and we don't take it. "Now, we need to show consistency in all the other games. "The two goals [conceded] from us are poor goals to give away, certainly early in the game. We'd like to be two points closer, but there's 18 games to go and we need to keep improving here." "It was a great game of football. "In the second half, we showed that. Hart almost gifted Rangers an equaliser in the 27th minute.

Kyogo Furuhashi's late equaliser denies Rangers a famous Old Firm comeback victory and preserves Celtic's nine-point lead in the Scottish Premiership.

All eyes, not just in Scotland, but around the world were on it, and both teams at it - a proper derby." Malik Tillman (Rangers) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Ibrox was electrified - then Rangers scored again. We had two big chances with Alfredo and then Kent who hit the post. There was a couple of minutes left and the visitors looked a beaten side. Slowly but surely Rangers were growing into the game. The first signs of a momentum shift came just before the half-hour mark when Joe Hart dallied in possession and got mugged by Morelos. Here, playing out of position and getting a roasting from Sakala, all he had was a red face. In the 20 minutes that followed, Celtic were slick and Rangers were reeling. The visitors looked superior in the beginning, and it wasn't as if Rangers were not warned about Celtic's rapid starts in these games. The start and the finish were all Celtic but in between they had a kitchen sink thrown at them.

Michael Gannon manned the phone in the wake of a dramatic Old Firm clash where honours were even but controversy wasn't far away.

A section of the away support spoiled the minute’s silence to commemorate the Ibrox Disaster, as well as the passing of Hoops hero Frank McGarvey, icon Pele and Pope Benedict. [Alfredo Morelos](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/alfredo-morelos) display as much belly fat as I did at the same age. O’Riley can't pass a ball to save himself right now, with a severe lack of confidence. But a couple of things are seriously needing to be addressed by Ange. Would love to know the thinking behind starting James Forrest as yet again as he was anonymous.” Celtic maintained their nine point Premiership lead but Joe Graham, Garrowhill, said: “A team still in progress as our new boss Mick Beale says, the 2-2 draw didn’t change the fact that Rangers are still nine points behind in the title race.

The Parkhead club said in a statement before the match that the silence was also to remember Hoops strike legend Frank McGarvey, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI ...

The tragedy occurred on January 2, 1971 when 66 fans lost their lives following a crush on Stairway 13 with more than 200 people injured following a crush after a 1-1 draw. Sections of the home support then responded with a rendition of the Billy Boys as commentator Ian Crocker stated after the silence "one or two couldn't manage it". Around 700 tickets were issued for the away fans and some noise could be heard from the visiting support before a ball was kicked in Govan. The champions also wore black arm bands as a mark of respect, but upon match referee John Beaton's whistle the Sky Sports microphones picked up sporadic shouts from the away end. [Rangers](https://twitter.com/DR_Rangers) and [Celtic](https://twitter.com/DR_Celtic) podcast pages and sign up to our [newsletters](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/) to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. When Beaton sounded his whistle to signal the end of the moment of remembrance a vocal home support booed the response of the Celtic fans before the derby showdown got underway.

Kyogo Furuhashi scored in the 87th minute to earn the Hoops a 2-2 draw at Ibrox.

Substitutes Mooy, Jota and Georgios Giakoumakis were all involved in an attack inside the Gers box and when the ball fell to Furuhashi, the Japan striker lifted his shot high past McGregor for a share of the spoils as seven minutes of added time could not provide a winner. When Starfelt took Sakala’s leg away in the box referee John Beaton pointed to the spot and Tavernier made amends for his earlier indiscretion by smashing the ball high past Hart. The forward’s effort was tipped on to the post by the recovering Hart before Fashion Sakala’s shot was blocked for a corner by Carl Starfelt.

The Ajax defender swapped the Scottish Premiership for the Eredivise with a big money move last summer.

[Tavernier ](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/james-tavernier)and Celtic star Maeda that earned plaudits from Ajax star Bassey - who left Ibrox for the Eredivisie champions in the summer. He posted an emoji saluting his former skipper for continuing to see out the top of the table clash. That left Tavernier in a heap on the Ibrox pitch before he received treatment with blood trickling from his nose. Ryan Kent levelled the game with a spectacular strike before skipper Tavernier rifled a precise penalty beyond Hoops' goalkeeper Joe Hart to turn the game on its head. [Rangers](https://twitter.com/DR_Rangers) and [Celtic](https://twitter.com/DR_Celtic) podcast pages and sign up to our [newsletters](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/) to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. With Rangers leading 2-1, the skipper headed a deep [Celtic](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) ball away, but collided with the Japan international as he made the clearance.

Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute but the Light Blues fought back through a Ryan Kent strike and a James Tavernier ...

"The points are the same. That is the third time we have let in two goals, so we are going to have to improve on that. We are no further away than we were five games ago.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor zoned in on his team's “character” as they snatched a 2-2 against Rangers at Ibrox with a late equaliser – even as he ...

Ideally we wanted to win, but in football it is important when you aren’t playing well you don’t lose. We get the one chance and Kyogo [Furuhashi] does really well to finish, so it was positive in the end considering the performance. “In terms of performance levels we weren’t quite at the races, but it’s important when things are going against you, you show mental strength.

Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute but the Light Blues fought back through a Ryan Kent strike and a James Tavernier penalty ...

“The points are the same. “I don’t want short term until the end of the season because there is no point, to appease myself or fans. That is the third time we have let in two goals, so we are going to have to improve on that. “Celtic are a very good team. We are no further away than we were five games ago. We are the home team and, as a group, when I worked with them previously, they pride themselves on clean sheets.

Rangers defender Ben Davies insists there will be no looking back at Rangers under Michael Beale as he surveyed the ramifications of the 2-2 draw against ...

"I thought the atmosphere was incredible," he said. That's what we're trying to do going forward." "I would have enjoyed the experience more if we'd have won the game but I thought it was special."

There were some positives for Rangers to take from the derby draw but Davies knows there's plenty of work to be done.

“We’re all disappointed that we didn’t get the win but I do think there’s signs that we’re going in the right direction. When you get to that late in the game and you’re winning, obviously that’s why we’re disappointed. We played a square ball across the pitch and he danced through a couple, which is disappointing for us. We had a chance to cut the gap and that would have been good but there is still a long way to go. "The manager put the belief in us. But we’re just disappointed we didn’t see it through when we were that close.” He said: “Since the manager has come in he’s made it clear we’re going in one direction and that’s forward. We turned it around within five or six minutes of the second half which is really pleasing. Davies admitted: “We struggled a little bit to get going. For a while, it looked like he might only need one lasting 45-minutes to cut the nine-point title deficit and renew hope amongst his squad that the title race is back on. It took a half-time finger-wagging from Beale, though, to remind Rangers of the heights they are capable of hitting. Gers were off the pace and in danger of losing touch with their derby rivals as Daizen Maeda’s fifth-minute strike threatened to push the Hoops 12 points ahead in the Premiership.

But he also left derby-day specialists Jota and Liel Abada on the bench with Maeda and James Forrest running the flanks. In the blue, Beale chose to stick with ...

Having closed Hart down he then set up Kent for another crack at goal and even though Hart was able to recover and finger-tip it onto the base of his left-hand post, Celtic found it impossible to recover from this scare. Exactly why Beaton was not advised to make his way to the nearest TV screen will have to remain a mystery for the time being but that will do nothing to suppress the levels of paranoia among a Celtic support that revels in the belief officials conspire against their team at every turn. And that’s why the Englishman seemed underwhelmed by it all in the immediate aftermath even though this was a pretty explosive, utterly compelling encounter from start to finish. Having promised his team would not take a single backwards step at least the manager was being true to his own word. [ Rangers](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/rangers-fc) support that growled in disapproval all the way to the half-time break, even though long before then their own side was actually seizing control of the contest right in front of their eyes. In fact, Celtic only turned up for about 20 minutes at the start of this one and in that time they did enough to take an early lead through Daizen Maeda.

Beale spoke in the aftermath of the draw with Celtic about the Old Firm fixture being a 'big indicator' as he looked into the eyes of his players and sought to ...

"It will take a long time to get back to the control and dominance we have had. We need to maintain the standards every single week. "We have had 20 training sessions and five games. "We have loads to do," Beale said. "I said to them at half time just embrace the hard work, go where it hurts for each other that had to become a norm. Today was nearer where I want the performance levels to be. The ones who may leave will struggle to play for a bigger a club in my "If we’re not moving in the right direction at times or [not] improving I’ll be the first to put up my hand, that’s what I’ve been brought in to do," Beale said after second half goals from Ryan Kent and James Tavernier were only enough to earn his side a draw at Ibrox. If we do that performances should come off the back of it. This was a match that Rangers could and should have won. He is now a month into that voyage of discovery at Ibrox and the coming days and weeks will be public evidence of what Beale has deduced behind closed doors. He has learned something from every one of them and about those who he has had little option but to place his trust in.

It was a blockbuster chapter between the rivals with Michael Beale taking on his first derby as the main man at Ibrox.

The American outlet reckon Beale is down to a prayer in the push for title glory. A Bola stated: "The Portuguese winger Jota was a substitute and came on in the 77th minute, when Rangers had already turned the score around. Yes, it was a clash between the top two teams in the table. Furuhashi sent the ball into the roof of the net, blunting Ibrox in a whisper. However, the gap between the two entrants in the match was nine points. "Rangers were heading for an important win over Celtic but had to see Kyogo Furuhashi secure a point for the visitors. They stated: "In a game that meant little to the Scottish Premiership table, the Old Firm meant everything to the pair of teams involved. Furuhashi tied it up in a goalmouth scramble that saw the ball bounce off several defenders before it fell to the Japanese international in front of goal. The game ended in a performance-based draw, which Celtic will live with better than Rangers, who are still nine points behind The Bhoys." Celtic, a solid leader in the Premiership, travelled to the lair of their best enemy, second, on Monday afternoon for the resumption of the Scottish championship. The show must go on in Scotland." However, that's just the tip of the iceberg with a host of talking points taking up the post match debrief.

It was a share of the spoils at Ibrox as the Hoops maintained their nine-point lead as well as a far superior goal difference.

Rangers would have been gutted at the way the match ended at Ibrox so it will be interesting to see how they bounce back given many will now see their title chance has gone. There’s no getting away from the fact they have been the course and distance and a lot of the Rangers boys have in winning title 55 so it’s an intriguing one to say the least. The Old Firm fixture is world-famous and Ange Postecoglou admitted the two rivals had put on a great show for a global audience. They need to keep going but the harsh reality is Celtic are nine points clear with more than half the season played so it will be difficult to claw that back. Mick will have an eye on next season and he’ll need to wheel and deal in the January transfer window. If you think that was a handball because the hands are big and above the head, then you're entitled to give a penalty kick. I don't think there is enough for VAR to come in and tell the referee that he has got it wrong. It was an unbelievable experience and once you get a little bit of that taste, you just want more so I can’t wait for the next match already.” With regards to the VAR check on Goldson’s potential handball, Dougal again backed the decision of Collum in Beaton. With a mistake like that you lift the Rangers players, you lift everything when everything is going well for your team. [ Connor Goldson](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/connor-goldson)'s arm made contact with the ball inside the penalty box while the game was at 2-1, following Ryan Kent and James Tavernier goals that cancelled out a Daizen Maeda opener for Celtic. [Celtic](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) can be fairly satisfied following a derby clash but the Ne'erday meeting at Ibrox was one of those.

Allan McGregor became the third oldest player to feature in 135 years of Old Firm history this week.

“The points are the same. That is the third time we have let in two goals, so we are going to have to improve on that. He played a total of 641 games for Celtic which would have been even more if it wasn't for the First World War.

It was one intriguing contest and John Greechan put his tactical hat on to pore over the finer details from Ibrox.

Any coach in football would want the centre-half to be a yard or two deeper, just to provide a bit of cover in the event of the fullback being skinned. But this also demonstrated the value of off-the-ball running, in this case by Morelos. - Look at the space between Kent and Johnston when the Rangers player receives the ball. 10 position, in between the Celtic midfield and defence. When Ben Davies did squeeze a pass into that area between the lines, Kent turned, drove at the Celtic defence – and caused panic. Ange Postecoglou saw no reason to mess with his favoured 4-3-3 shape, handing a debut to Alistair Johnston at right back and trusting in the experience of James Forrest on the right wing, and used his bench well to inspire that late equaliser for a valuable point. And the next picture, from a different angle, shows how effectively Michael Beale tweaked his formation to grant Ryan Kent a more central role in the Rangers attack, playing in behind the front two of Glen Kamara is surrounded by four Celtic players before he’s even managed to control the ball. There is always a case for arguing mistakes, rather than moments of genius, had the greatest bearing on the result in any game. - Let’s start with the opening goal. There was an element of Celtic design in it, too.