It proved a testing afternoon for the Light Blues on Saturday as they drew 1-1 in an emotionally charged Old Firm derby against Celtic at Ibrox. The match was a money spinner, selling out with 2,100 visiting supporters from Celtic. It was the largest such convening since before January 2023. Rangers made a dream start with Cyriel Dessers netting an early opener. They were unable to sustain the lead when Adam Idah scored a leveler for Celtic in the dying moments.
Interim manager Barry Ferguson expressed disappointment over the result, noting that while his players showed commitment, they failed to create enough opportunities in the final third. This draw continued Rangers winless streak at home – their last Ibrox victory coming on February 2. Under Ferguson’s watch, the team has only won four of their last 12 games, and that inconsistency would be scary.
Rangers Struggle in Final Third
Rangers were the first to find the back of the net just two minutes into the match after a beautiful sequence of passing started by Mohamed Diomande. He cut inside and delivered an impeccable cross into the penalty area. Dessers took a touch and fired it into the net, giving Rangers the lead. Even after taking the lead, Rangers could not find a way to carry their offensive production.
From start to finish, Rangers missed goal-scoring opportunity after opportunity. Nicolas Raskin noted, “Disappointed a little, we can be cleaner in the last pass or shot to punish them.” This expression of disappointment and impatience perfectly captured the growing frustration that players—and likely fans—were feeling as chances continued to go by the wayside.
As the match went on, Rangers had plenty of opportunities turned away. A powerful deflected strike from Cerny was expertly tipped over by Celtic’s goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo, and Raskin’s header was blocked by the same keeper. Despite being outplayed in those matches, these moments were crucial reminders of their need to do better with their finishing in the final third.
Defensive Resilience and Late Equalizer
For the entirety of the second half, Rangers put forth an admirable rearguard effort, absorbing a ton of pressure from their opponents in the process. Ferguson praised his players’ commitment during this period, stating, “A bit disappointed we didn’t come away with three points. The commitment from my players was what I asked for, really good.”
Defensive lapses contributed to Celtic’s equalizer. First, Daizen Maeda embarrassed Rangers’ James Tavernier down the left wing. This left Souttar in a difficult position as he desperately attempted to clear the danger. Unfortunately for the Rangers, the clearance deflected off Maeda. Idah took full advantage and coolly slotted it past the keeper into the far corner.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor expressed mixed feelings about the draw: “Happy with the point but we’ve got enough of the game to win it. A wee bit of disappointment coming out of it.” This is a testament to just how hard fought and competitive the game was, and how each team presented themselves a chance to win.
Looking Ahead
As Rangers look back on this encouraging draw, Ferguson made it clear that they must build some consistency from here. The mentality is not the issue, it’s just ensuring the mentality is something you bring with you regularly and consistently. It’s something we haven’t been able to do all year,” he said.
The team’s deeper flaws are visible even under Ferguson’s interim leadership. Yet they’ve succeeded in winning just four out of 12 games to date. With a congested fixture list coming up, Rangers will be hoping to focus on creating more chances. In order to earn more critical points in their upcoming matches, it’s important they up their efforts.
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