Celtic’s Callum McGregor praised his team’s resilience and collective defensive effort following their pivotal 2-1 victory over Rangers, edging them closer to clinching the Scottish Premiership title.
With only two matches remaining and a six-point lead, Celtic is on the brink of securing the championship.
The match saw Celtic taking an early lead with a goal from Matt O’Riley, followed by an own goal from Rangers’ John Lundstram, who inadvertently turned a cross from Daizen Maeda into his own net.
Despite the numerical advantage in the second half—following Lundstram’s dismissal just before halftime—Celtic faced a load of high and long balls into their box in the closing stages of the game, which tested Celtic’s defence.
Speaking after the match to Celtic TV, McGregor highlighted the importance of teamwork and determination, particularly in defence.
“Defending as a group in the box, we work on that constantly. That’s why Joe Hart has as few saves as possible that he has to make, because they’re a unit and they defend together.
“You have to have that grit and determination.
“We were tested at the end, boys were making blocks, tackles and headers. That’s all part of being a successful football team.
“In derby games and league titles, there’s always difficult moments. You’ve got to come through them.
”You show that character and resilience to get over the line.
“We’ve taken a big step, but we know the job isn’t finished yet.
“We have to rest and recover and go again on Wednesday night and try to get over the line.”
Callum McGregor now has one hand on his 21st trophy as a Celtic player, a terrific record for the Celtic captain whose first Glasgow Derby start was Rodgers’ derby debut.
