Celtic vs Rangers player ratings as Connor Goldson double secures Old Firm victory for Steve Gerrard’s side
Connor Goldson scored an unlikely double as Rangers won the Old Firm derby at Celtic Park.
The centre-back headed home from a fine Tavernier cross to give Rangers an early lead, and doubled his tally when he side-footed into the net from close range.
Celtic truly struggled and didn’t register a single shot on target at all as Rangers were comfortable throughout.
The win sees Rangers win back-to-back games at Celtic Park for the first time since 1997, and keeps them unbeaten whilst dealing Celtic their first loss of the season.
The visitors now have a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League, assuming top spot regardless of Celtic’s game in hand.
Celtic
Vasilis Barkas – 5. Could Barkas have done more to stop the opening goal? Almost certainly – not good enough for the under-fire goalkeeper.
Shane Duffy – 5. Dealt with the threat of Morelos well, but struggled at set pieces against Goldson.
Kristoffer Ajer – 6. He looked calm on the ball, but rarely was involved aside from a fine block to deny Rangers a third goal.
Steven Welsh – 6. A solid outing as he stepped into a depleted Celtic side, but struggled in the first half against Rangers’ right-sided players.
Jeremie Frimpong – 5. Sometimes his dribbling would be mesmerising, then at other times he would lose possession carelessly in his own half. His inconsistencies were frustrating.
Scott Brown – 5. He was solid, but lost the ball on more than once occasion in his own half. A sloppy performance from the captain, who was booked in the second half.
Olivier Ntcham – 6. The French midfielder struggled to impose himself in a scrappy central area.
Callum McGregor – 7. Celtic’s biggest threat and brightest spark, although that isn’t saying much.
Diego Laxalt – 5. He hadn’t played since July before this game, and it showed. The Uruguayan was well off the pace.
Mohamed Elyounoussi – 5. He missed an excellent chance to level the score on 15 minutes, but almost made amends with some fine work to nearly set up Klimala. He had a chance in the second half but couldn’t control the ball well enough.
Patryk Klimala – 5. He was completely anonymous throughout.
Substitutes:
Ajeti – 6.
Griffiths – 6. Perhaps should have scored or won a penalty late.
Rogic – 6.
Rangers
Allan McGregor – 6. He wasn’t tested at all, but his experience showed as his defenders played with real confidence. He did well to not foul Griffiths as the striker rounded him.
James Tavernier – 8. Arguably the best player on the pitch. The right-back never put a foot wrong, and his crosses were a constant menace from the right-hand side.
Connor Goldson – 9. The centre-back begun the game excellently with his goal, flicking the ball into the net from Tavernier’s fine cross. He continued his fine form from there, scoring a second from close range and dominating Celtic’s strikers throughout.
Filip Helander – 7. The Swedish defender made a crucial block after some good work from McGregor, and remained composed for his team.
Borna Barisic – 6. Always offered himself as an outlet to his teammates, but was often let down by his end product.
Glen Kamara – 7. A very clever player, he won the battle against Ntcham and allowed the game to tick over favorably for Rangers.
Steven Davis – 6. The record-setting midfielder for Northern Ireland showcased his experience, but struggled to impose his class on the ball.
Scott Arfield – 7. Arfield worked hard, offering quality on both ends of the field. Booked in the second half.
Brandon Barker – 6. He ran hard, but ultimately didn’t provide too much of an impact before being replaced.
Alfredo Morelos – 7. The fiery forward was often a threat, and made sure his presence was felt. Always physical and hard-working, he played his role well.
Ryan Kent – 7. Kent won the free-kick that led to the goal, and he was a constant threat that Celtic seemed to struggle against. Would have added a third had Ajer not crucially intervened.
Substitutes:
Ryan Jack – 6.
