Football Sep 14, 2026

Rangers 3-0 Celtic: What we learned from Old Firm League Cup clash ahead of first Premiership meeting of season

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Rangers 3-0 Celtic: What we learned from Old Firm League Cup clash ahead of first Premiership meeting of season

Rangers dominated Celtic in the first Old Firm clash of the season - of that there is no doubt.

Dan Neil's two perfectly precise strikes from the edge of the area and Kevin Kelsy's back-post volley were symptomatic of the level of control that Derek McInnes' side enjoyed in the game.

Aggressive, front-footed, confident - they were everything that Martin O'Neill's side were not.

Ahead of the second meeting between the two sides in the space of a week - live on Your Site - here is what we learned from the first clash of the new season.

The Rangers boss humbly shrugged off any suggestion of a tactical masterplan in his post-match news conference - but he was just being modest.

McInnes got his game plan spot on, and Celtic couldn't live with his team.

He used left-back James Penrice as an auxiliary midfielder to flood the middle of the pitch - allowing Rangers to press Celtic man-for-man.

Djeidi Gassama and Minsu Kim provided width and energy as wing-backs with Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez and Olwethu Makhanya defending three-vs-three against Celtic's front line.

It was a bold decision that paid dividends as Celtic folded under the pressure.

Dan Neil snatched the starring role of midfield general from his Celtic counterpart Callum McGregor, who was left isolated without a defensive-minded midfield partner.

The former Sunderland man would probably have still been named Player of the Match even if he had not netted two famous derby goals.

After Rangers scored their third, Celtic's usually imperious captain McGregor ordered his own defence "no more goals".

A sobering submission from a figurehead who has been the heartbeat of so many Old Firm victories - but perhaps a signal of a deeper-rooted problem.

Celtic are leaking goals at an alarming rate in big games.

Their now infamous precipitous collapse against LASK from 4-0 up in their Champions League play-off round qualifier is no longer an anomaly. In the two biggest games of Celtic's season so far, they have shipped nine consecutive goals without reply.

A team that has been lauded for the strength of their mentality and togetherness is now showing early signs of mental fragility when faced with the intangible pressure of a 'big game', and the very tangible threat of aggressive, direct and physical opposition.

While Sunday's defeat is nowhere near as humiliating as that fateful evening in Linz, it must serve as a wake-up call for the Scottish champions if they dared to believe they could canter to another title.

There were no away fans inside Ibrox on Sunday, and there will also be no travelling support at Celtic Park next weekend.

It's impossible to measure what, if any, impact that had on Celtic's lacklustre display or Rangers' rampant performance. However, the result heaps pressure on next week's hosts, who will be met by 60,000 scarred supporters expecting a response.

On paper, the champions go into the game with a 100 percent league record, but psychologically, their impressive start pales in significance to the trauma inflicted upon them following a beating at the hands of their fiercest rivals.

Perhaps the Hoops will embody the spirit of a wounded animal, perhaps Rangers will too crumble without the safety net of their own support, or perhaps any logical or rational thinking applied to attempting to predict the outcome of an Old Firm game will once again be rendered useless.

The only certainty is that next week's Scottish Premiership meeting - live on Your Site - is more consequential. Ahead of a three-week-long international break, the gap at the top of the table will stand at either two, five or eight points.

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

FC Porto 0-2 Manchester City: Erling Haaland earns Enzo Maresca a first Champions League win as City head coach but English side fail to impress

FC Porto 0-2 Manchester City: Erling Haaland earns Enzo Maresca a first Champions League win as City head coach but English side fail to impress

Erling Haaland's double earned Manchester City a 2-0 win at FC Porto - but it was another game where Enzo Maresca's side won but struggled to convince...

Club Brugge 2-3 Aston Villa: Unai Emery's side end scoring concerns as Nicolas Jackson nets first goal in Champions League win

Club Brugge 2-3 Aston Villa: Unai Emery's side end scoring concerns as Nicolas Jackson nets first goal in Champions League win

Aston Villa produced a superb attacking display to end their scoring concerns and begin their Champions League campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win over...

Sunderland 1-0 Hull City: Chemsdine Talbi's delightful dink enough to send dominant Black Cats through in Carabao Cup

Sunderland 1-0 Hull City: Chemsdine Talbi's delightful dink enough to send dominant Black Cats through in Carabao Cup

Chemsdine Talbi's goal was the difference as Sunderland claimed a 1-0 win over Hull in the third round of the Carabao Cup.A lacklustre meeting at the...

Millwall 0-1 Newcastle: Joe Willock's late finish helps Matthias Jaissle's side to Carabao Cup victory at The Den

Millwall 0-1 Newcastle: Joe Willock's late finish helps Matthias Jaissle's side to Carabao Cup victory at The Den

Joe Willock's late goal sent a relieved Newcastle into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as the Premier League side scraped to a 1-0 victory at Sky...

Crystal Palace 3-0 Middlesbrough: Jorden Strand Larsen nets twice as Eagles cruise into fourth round

Crystal Palace 3-0 Middlesbrough: Jorden Strand Larsen nets twice as Eagles cruise into fourth round

Jorgen Strand Larsen struck twice to propel Crystal Palace into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Selhurst...

Bournemouth 4-0 Lincoln: Ryan Christie hat-trick helps Cherries demolish Imps in Carabao Cup

Bournemouth 4-0 Lincoln: Ryan Christie hat-trick helps Cherries demolish Imps in Carabao Cup

Ryan Christie scored a hat-trick to give Marco Rose his first win as Bournemouth manager as the Cherries swept aside Sky Bet Championship side Lincoln...