Scottish football champions Celtic Glasgow won the 438th edition of the traditional Old Firm derby on Saturday (December 30, 2023).
The “Hoops” beat arch-rivals Rangers 2-1 (1-0) with goals from Paulo Bernardo (25th) and Kyogo Furuhashi (47th). James Tavernier was successful for Rangers shortly before the final whistle (88th). Team manager Brendan Rodgers’ team celebrates their 167th Celtic victory in the long derby history.
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Balogun sees red
In a sold-out Celtic Park, the Portuguese Bernardo gave the initially superior home team the lead. The two rivals then fought an intense and fast-paced duel with chances on both sides. Immediately after the break, Japanese international Furuhashi increased the score to 2-0.
In the period that followed, the Rangers tried to score the next goal, but after a red card against former Mainz player Leon Balogun after an emergency stop (71′), the game seemed to be decided early. The Rangers still came close again through Tavernier, but the hosts survived eleven minutes of added time.
Celtic are now at the top of the table with 51 points, eight points ahead of Rangers, who have played two fewer games.
