In what proved to be a tense and tight encounter between the Glasgow rivals, Rangers edged home at Ibrox. The initial Old Firm derby of the current campaign finished in a dramatic 0–0 tie. The result left Rangers’ head coach Russell Martin still searching for his first league victory since taking over, while Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers remained winless in four consecutive derbies. Each squad had their flashes of brilliance but lacked the composure to turn brilliant chances into goals.
Bojan Miovski entered the match for his first appearance. He had only joined the team from La Liga side Girona days before the fixture. Even with all of that promising play, it still wasn’t nearly enough to earn a morale-building victory for the Rangers. Celtic’s Adam Idah was notably absent from the squad as he nears a transfer to Swansea City, raising questions about the team’s depth ahead of the busy season.
Tactical Adjustments and Key Players
Rangers surprised everyone with a trio of significant offseason acquisitions. James Tavernier was back at right-back, reinvigorating the defense with vital experience and leadership. Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron were inserted into midfield, with Mikey Moore getting the nod up top. It was Jack Butland, making his first significant save on the hour mark, who ensured Rangers kept a clean sheet against their rivals.
For Celtic, Kieran Tierney had a rough game defensively especially getting burned for pace by Djeidi Gassama in the 53rd minute. Reo Hatate did record the only shot on target for Celtic just over the hour mark. There were missed opportunities on both ends, but regardless of the collective attempts at activity, both teams weren’t able to score.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t win because I thought the guys were great. I was really proud of them.” – Russell Martin
Martin said he was disappointed at the missed opportunity but proud of his team’s effort. He praised their spirit and determination on the field, saying their reaction following a difficult mid-week was admirable.
Opportunities and Missed Chances
Once the match settled into its flow, both teams lost their sense of creativity and finishing. Rangers introduced Cyriel Dessers and Oliver Antman for Miovski and Moore. They were looking to add a new dynamic element in their front line. Nedim Bajrami came in for Thelo Aasgaard, looking for a bit more attacking threat.
Even with these alterations, the match was still barren of real goal-scoring chances. Celtic’s new signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha made his debut but could not change the outcome, while Rangers’ substitutions failed to create any significant openings.
“My overall feeling is the game was of low quality. We only had a couple of shots on target, they didn’t have any. It wouldn’t have been a great watch.” – Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers agreed with Martin’s call for more progress. He admitted that they were good enough to get a clean sheet. Still, as they look to the future, they are in dire need of offensive ingenuity.
Looking Ahead
Both managers played up their intentions to improve squad quality during the new winter transfer window. Martin identified a number of key aspects that require a new direction. He even made a point to focus on maintaining a competition and creativity vibe among the group.
“Looking at ourselves, we need to be much more creative and find ways to be that.” – Brendan Rodgers
In his critique, Rodgers focused specifically on past productions which were more energetic. He showed optimism that reinforcements would aid in recapturing that form. On that topic, he emphasized the importance for both squads to clean things up on the offensive end as they get further along in the year.
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