Rangers Deliver Dominant Old Firm Performance Against Celtic
Rangers finally delivered the Old Firm performance many expected to see from a Derek McInnes side this season: disciplined, snarling, and ruthless when it mattered.
This was not just a derby win. It was a statement.
McInnes springs a tactical surprise
When the team sheet dropped, it looked like a straight 4-4-2. On paper, that shape against Celtic’s midfield can be a gamble. It usually means one thing: you risk getting swamped in the middle of the park.
McInnes had other ideas.
Out of possession, James Penrice tucked in centrally, giving Rangers an extra body where it mattered most. On the ball, he drifted wider, underlapping and overlapping Djeidi Gassama, constantly changing the picture for Celtic’s defenders. The shape flexed and shifted, and the supposed numerical disadvantage in midfield never really materialised.
Rangers didn’t just cope. They controlled.
Back three bully Celtic’s attack
Behind that clever structure, the back three set the tone. They bullied Celtic’s forwards from first whistle to last, snapping into duels and refusing to give an inch. Celtic were restricted to a single shot on target, the kind of tame effort Ivor Pandur could almost have thrown his hat on.
At the heart of it, Olwethu Makhanya looked every inch the Rolls-Royce defender. Composed on the ball, aggressive without it, he showed exactly the blend of qualities needed to thrive in Scottish football. Early days or not, he already carries himself like a defender who expects to dominate these occasions.
Midfield engine takes charge
In midfield, the energy levels were relentless.
Penrice, having already been asked to juggle roles, covered the ground with real discipline. Beside him, Nico Raskin reminded everyone why he is trusted at international level with Belgium. He snapped into tackles, recycled possession, and gave Rangers a platform to build from.
The conductor, though, was Dan Neil.
He dictated the tempo, picking the right passes, calming things down when required and injecting pace when Celtic looked stretched. His two goals were the obvious headline, but they felt like the natural reward for a complete midfield performance. This was a player in command of a big game, not just surviving it.
Wide players pin Celtic back
Out wide, Gassama and Kim Min-su did an important, if less glamorous, job. They may not have produced a stream of high-quality final balls, but their direct running and willingness to attack space forced Celtic’s full-backs to turn and chase.
Instead of joining attacks, those full-backs spent long spells retreating. That alone shifted the territory of the match. Celtic were pushed back, step by step, and Rangers played higher up the pitch as a result.
Kelsy leads the line with authority
Kevin Kelsy might reflect on an early chance and know he should have scored. It didn’t define his night.
His all-round centre-forward play was outstanding. He held the ball up, linked cleverly with Ryan Naderi, and repeatedly pinned Cameron Carter-Vickers, turning the Celtic defender into a static reference point rather than a dominant presence.
When his goal came, it was taken with real authority. The finish matched the performance: strong, decisive, and fully deserved.
A new benchmark before the return trip
Afterwards, McInnes called the display a reference point. He is right. This is the standard his players have now set for themselves in the biggest fixtures.
Now comes the harder part: doing it again.
Rangers head to Celtic on Sunday knowing the dynamics will change. The atmosphere, the territory, the rhythm of the match – all of it will be different. But the requirement is brutally simple. They cannot afford to leave without three points, not with the risk of falling eight points behind already looming over the early weeks of the season.
That Old Firm win should inject belief into the dressing room. Five domestic victories on the spin and a cup semi-final on the horizon would have felt a distant dream in the dark days after Jablonec.
Now, it feels like a platform.
Rangers look like a team finally moving in the right direction. The question is no longer whether they can produce a performance like this.
It is whether they can make it their new normal.
