Celtic claimed a decisive victory over Rangers in the first Old Firm derby of the season, maintaining their flawless start to the Scottish Premiership.
First-half strikes from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi set the tone at Celtic Park, with captain Callum McGregor’s stunning second-half effort sealing a dominant 3-0 win.
Despite a promising opening from Rangers, their challenge quickly faded. Brendan Rodgers’ side, now with four wins from four, extended their perfect record in the league, having yet to concede a single goal.
In contrast, Rangers offered little to trouble the home defence after the initial exchanges, leaving them five points adrift and with their hopes of a title challenge already appearing distant.
The contrast between the two sides was stark. Philippe Clement, who had voiced optimism about his revamped Rangers squad, would have been left frustrated as his team failed to match Celtic’s quality and intensity.
The defeat marked Rangers’ fourth consecutive loss at Celtic Park, underlining the growing gap between the Glasgow rivals. As it stands, Celtic are level on points with Aberdeen at the top of the table, with Rangers now trailing behind in what looks like an uphill battle.
Graeme Souness, the former Rangers player and manager, believes significant investment is needed to bridge the gap between the two sides.
Souness, speaking on William Hill’s new podcast, Three Up Front, remarked: “Right now, there is a gap between Rangers and Celtic, but it’s not insurmountable. Three or four quality signings could make the difference, but Rangers don’t have the money right now.”
He went further, estimating that Rangers would need to spend upwards of £50 million to compete at Celtic’s level. “If they were to spend £50 million, it’d be nip and tuck between the two of them,” he added.
Souness also drew comparisons with Liverpool’s struggles last season, noting that both clubs faltered at crucial moments. Reflecting on the latest Old Firm clash, he said:
“Celtic were the better team, I’m not denying that, I just didn’t think that Rangers got pummelled in the Old Firm derby.”
He pointed out that Jack Butland, the Rangers goalkeeper, had only two saves to make but was still forced to retrieve the ball from the back of the net three times.
“Two more shots on target all game, is that a suggestion they were on the back foot? No. That said, Celtic have better strikers than Rangers do right now.”