Brendan Rodgers has admitted his frustration after Celtic fell to a late 3-2 defeat against Rangers, despite mounting a strong second-half comeback at Celtic Park.

Celtic trailed 2-0 at half-time after an uncharacteristically poor first-half display, but Daizen Maeda’s header and Reo Hatate’s composed finish had seemingly put the Hoops in control heading into the final stages. However, Hamza Igamane’s stunning late strike condemned Rodgers’ side to their first league home defeat since December 2023.

Reflecting on the defeat, Rodgers acknowledged that his team failed to play to their usual standards for large spells but believed they had done enough to at least secure a point.

“That’s what the feeling was. The early goal was really good for us in the second half,” he told Sky Sports. 

“Really good move. One of the few moments where we played how we normally play. Great cross and Daizen gets his goal.

“So, that felt good. And then you felt the energy in the stadium. And then we obviously get the second goal.

“So, from there, I expect us to then really go on and put real pressure on. And at the very least, finish with a point. So, to lose the game like we did right at the end was frustrating.”

The result cuts Celtic’s lead to 13 points, delaying their title celebrations until after the Premiership split. While the defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, Rodgers will know that his side remain in full control of the league race.

The Celtic manager will now look to quickly refocus his squad, ensuring that this setback does not affect their momentum as they close in on a fourth consecutive league title.

It was an extremely disappointing day, but lessons simple need to be learned. That’s three derbies in a row that the Celtics simply haven’t been at it, and that can’t continue.