Ben Wild

Sat 17 October 2020 17:00, UK

Rangers have won the first Old Firm of the season as a brace from Connor Goldson gave Steven Gerrard’s side a 2-0 win at Celtic Park.

The result keeps Rangers at the top of the table and puts all the pressure on Celtic going forward as they look to retain their title. This is the Gers’ second successive win against the Hoops and they didn’t have to work that hard for it.

Connor Goldson opened the scoring with a brilliant header following a great free-kick from James Tavernier and the Gers took that lead into half time. The centre back then scored his and Rangers’ second, early in the second half, stabbing home a loose ball in the box.

Gerrard’s side saw out a relatively easy second half as Celtic offered very little in the way of attacking threat. Allan McGregor’s goal was never tested as a poor Celtic side couldn’t get any grip on the game and produced no shots on target.

This was perhaps the easiest task that a Rangers side has faced in an Old Firm recently but they still played very well and were worthy winners on the day.

Here are the Ibrox News ratings for the game

Allan Mcgregor – 6 

A very quiet first half with the few Celtic attacks being dealt with by his defence. While the 38-year-old was good with his distribution, in reality, he had very little to do. Normally a clean sheet in an Old Firm game would merit higher than a 6, but McGregor didn’t have a save to make.

James Tavernier – 8

An excellent cross to create Rangers’ first and once again one of Gers’ best attacking outlets from right-back. Nothing got past the Gers captain all afternoon and he was one of the standout performers once again.

Connor Goldson – 9

A fantastic header to give Rangers the lead, but poorly gave the ball away to Elyounoussi shortly after and the Celtic man should have scored. He was in the right place at the right time to stab home his second goal in the second half and then made some great clearances that secured his side a valuable clean sheet on the road. Man of the match.

Filip Helander – 7

Helander was very strong in the air against Celtic and did well to stop any attacks from getting near McGregor’s goal. He dealt with everything that came his way and produced probably his best performance in a Rangers shirt.

Borna Barisic – 7

Barisic battled well on the left-hand side and was as effective going forward as he was defensively. The Croatian was a calm head at the back and was very confident against the Celtic attack.

Stephen Davis – 7

Tidy in the first half and barely put a foot wrong all afternoon, an understated performance from the midfielder but he did plenty to break down Celtic’s few attempts to break forward in the second half.

Glen Kamara – 8

Kamara was as tidy as ever in the middle of the park and did well to link the defence and attack. He was excellent dribbling down the left of midfield and won plenty of free-kicks for his side. His stock as a Rangers player is rising every time he pulls on the shirt.

Scott Arfield – 6

A good presence going forward for the Gers but he was smothered slightly by the Celtic midfielders and he didn’t create as much as he has done in other games this season. Booked for a reckless tackle in the second half and had a weak shot saved easily, not great but not bad from the Canadian.

Brandon Barker – 5

Barker struggled to have any meaningful impact in the game and his attempts at bringing the ball forward were easily dealt with by the Hoops defence. Withdrawn on 60 minutes after doing very little.

Ryan Kent – 7

Bright in the early stages and chased every ball. He helped out at the back when it was required and looked a danger every time he got the ball. Should have scored in the second half after latching onto a Barisic cross, but he fired his shot off of a Celtic defender.

Alfredo Morelos – 5

Not a great performance from the 24-year-old Colombian, perhaps he was still tired from his international exploits in midweek. Plenty of kicks and little niggles at Celtic players and he got away with flicking out at Scott Brown, though he was booked for a late challenge on Shane Duffy. The wait goes on for his first goal against the Hoops.

Subs

Ryan Jack – 6

Came on with half-an-hour to go and steadied the Gers midfield, but like McGregor, he didn’t have a lot to do.

Cedric Itten – N/A

Joe Aribo – N/A

In other Rangers news, Euro club statement details how Rangers could play in front of fans in the Europa League.