Glasgow Derby Draw; Three Talking Points as Celtic Maintain Lead

CELTIC were sluggish in the New Year Glasgow Derby, failing to make a real impact on the game after opening the scoring.

rangers v celtic
Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Rangers vs Celtic – Ibrox, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – January 2, 2023 Celtic’s James Forrest in action with Rangers’ Glen Kamara REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

It was a quick start for the Hoops, after Maeda picked up Morelos’ slack pass and made no mistake in hitting the back of the net.

After that, The Rangers got themselves back into the match and started to build some attacks. Joe Hart’s mistake at the back invited more pressure onto Celtic, and the Hosts manages to grow into the game from then on; it was a turning point in the match.

The draw keeps Celtic at the top of the table, with a nine-point lead. It could’ve, and really should’ve been twelve, but a poor performance on the day had its own say.

Ange’s Mistake

The lineup was questionable, but it worked for the most part. Forrest was the biggest surprise in the starting side, and he failed to show why he’d been given the nod. But that wasn’t a mistake by Ange, but bringing Josip Juranovic, a right back, on for the injured Tayor, instead of Alexandro Bernabei, a left back, was costly.

JJ struggled all match out of position and was questionable in both of the Rangers’ goals. Had Ange brought on Bernabei, who’s more than capable of playing in a match like that, Celtic could’ve extended their lead at the top of the table.

Debut Delight

Alistair Johnston looked extremely comfortable in the right back position, taking everything in his stride. He was impressive throughout the match, particularly in the opening 45.

His decision-making was great, and he had some great challenges and remained calm on the ball, picking out some nice passes. He looked the part, and fans are excited to see what more he can offer.

Celtic Don’t Stop

Celtic didn’t make many chances for themselves throughout the match, but they didn’t give up as the hunted for their equaliser, scoring yet another late goal. The mentality and self-belief on show was amazing to see, and there was a sense that they would get that chance to at least salvage a point.

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