BRENDAN RODGERS has earned the honour of being Celtic’s most successful team boss in Glasgow derby encounters in history.
The elite manager has masterminded 16 victories, managed three draws and suffered just two defeats in his 21 games against Ibrox foes.
Following ten victories, two draws and a solitary loss in his first stint, the Irishman marked his return to the fixture for the first time following an absence of over four and a half years with a 1-0 success in Govan on September 3 2023 when Kyogo Furuhashi proved to be the matchwinner.
PARADISE…Brendan Rodgers applauds the Celtic fans after another derby triumph.
All eyes were on Rodgers and his players in the remaining three Premiership derby tussles.
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE series, we have been charting Rodgers’ confrontations against Celtic’s city rivals since he kicked off with a convincing 5-1 thumping over Mark Warburton’s shell-shocked side in the east end of Glasgow in September 2016.
Today, we focus on three vital all-Glasgow meetings as Rodgers zeroed on winning the title in his comeback campaign.
Please enjoy!
HOOP HOOP HOORAY…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates his winning goal with Celtic team-mates Paulo Bernardo and Luis Palma.
December 30 2023: Premiership:
CELTIC 2 (Bernardo, Kyogo) Rangers 1 (Tavernier)
A SPECTACLAR double strike from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi fired Celtic to a crucial triumph in front of a packed and pulsating Parkhead.
It was a happy second homecoming for Rodgers who had last been in the home dug-out on one of these unique occasions back on September 2 2018 when Olivier Ntcham rifled in the only goal of the game.
The latest victory eased the champions eight points ahead at the Premiership pinnacle in their quest for their twelfth title in 13 years. The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 71st minute after Leon Balogun had floored Daizen Maeda and referee Nick Walsh had no option but to banish the defender.
DERBY DAZE…Paulo Bernardo salutes the Celtic support after his whizzbang opening goal.
Ten minutes of stoppage time made it a nervy conclusion for Rodgers’ side who had taken the lead in the 25th minute following a wonder strike from Bernardo that almost ripped the net from the stanchion behind Jack Butland.
Luis Palma whipped in a right-wing corner-kick to the near post where Abdallah Sima rose to head away. However, his clearance fell only as far as the lurking on-loan Benfica midfielder.
Bernardo hit the ball first-time with ferocious timing from the edge of the box and his effort simply bulleted past the Ibrox keeper at his left to thump against the net.
Parkhead rocked to its foundations as 60,000 joyous fans rose in unison to greet the brilliant effort.
Maik Nawrocki, who had last figured in the League Cup exit against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the third game of the season, came on for the injured Stephen Welsh in the 35th minute.
MOMENTS FROM GLORY…Kyogo Furuhashi’s shot is on its way with Connor Goldson too late to block the effort and keeper Jack Butland about to be left helpless.
The second-half had an explosive start when Kyogo claimed a breathtaking goal for Scotland’s title kings as he notched his seventh strike this year against the Govan club.
Maeda and Nawrocki were involved in the build-up on the right with the defender picking out Matt O’Riley with an astute forward pass.
The stylish Danish international playmaker moved the ball onto the Japanese hitman lurking 25 yards outside the box.
The danger signals immediately flared as Kyogo jinked inside and then dragged the ball to his left before sending a truly stupendous 47th-minute strike high past Butland into his top left-hand corner.
Rodgers made a second change in in the 71st minute when he replaced Bernardo with David Turnbull and only moments later Balogun saw red when he hauled down Maeda.
In the 83rd minute, the Hoops gaffer made three changes as he took off marksman Kyogo, Maeda and Palma and sent on Oh Hyeon-gyu, Liel Abada and Mikey Johnston.
Some slack play allowed the 10-man opposition back into the match and Tavernier had the nerve ends jangling with a free-kick that swirled high past Hart.
The final whistle was greeted with almighty cheers amid huge relief as Rodgers smiled at a job well done.
TEAM: Hart; A Johnston, Welsh (sub: Nawrocki 35), Scales, Taylor; Bernardo (sub: Turnbull 71), McGregor, O’Riley; Maeda (sub: Abada 83), Kyogo (sub: Oh 83), Palma (sub: M Johnston 83).
HANDS UP IF YOU’RE HAPPY…Brendan Rodgers hails one of Celtic’s three goals at Ibrox in April.
April 7, 2024: Premiership:
Rangers 3 (Tavernier pen, Sima, Matondo), CELTIC 3 (Maeda, O’Riley pen, Idah)
THERE was a mixture of delight and despair for the champions in a dramatic six-goal stalemate at Ibrox.
Celtic saw a stoppage-time strike from Rabbi Matondo snatch away victory in a frantic finale to a match in which the visitors had led twice.
Goals from Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley, with a penalty-kick, had Brendan Rodgers’ men 2-0 ahead at the interval, but they allowed their opponents back into the contest after the turnaround and forfeited two points.
Ten minutes into the second-half, James Tavernier pulled one back with a penalty-kick after an intervention from VAR and and it remained that way until Abdallah Sima levelled with a deflection off Callum McGregor in the 86th minute.
Moments later, substitute Paulo Bernardo drove forward and picked out Adam Idah with a neat pass. The Republic of Ireland international, who had replaced Kyogo Furuhashi, turned inside John Souttar and Dujon Sterling to fire a low drive past the flummoxed Jack Butland.
PICK IT OUT…Daizen Maeda races away in triumph after his lightning strike at Ibrox.
That looked like being the goal to get the job done, but three minutes into the eight minutes of added-on time, some atrocious defending from Yang Hyun-jun allowed Motondo to come in from the left onto his strong right foot.
As expected, the winger thundered in a drive that swept high past the helpless Joe Hart. He really should have been denied that goalscoring opportunity by the South Korean who had come on for Nicolas Kuhn in the 65th minute.
The hosts took the kick-off, but, remarkably, found themselves a goal behind after exactly 21 SECONDS!
It was a lightning-swift break that exposed James Tavernier when he was slow to react to a long ball downfield from Joe Hart.
No immediate danger threatened, but the determined Maeda refused to give up the chase and the Ibrox skipper paid a heavy price when he dallied in his clearance.
The defender attempted to whip the ball to safety, but only succeeded in thumping his effort against the Japanese speedster and the ricochet zipped past the stranded Butland and into the far left-hand corner of the net.
The ground was bathed in silence as the Hoops attacker whooped with joy before his team-mates joined in the celebrations.
MATT FINISH…nice and easy does it as Matt O’Riley dinks his penalty-kick past the diving Jack Butland.
In the 33rd minute, the champions were awarded a VAR-assisted penalty-kick when it was clear Connor Goldson has used his right elbow to clear a right-wing cross from Kuhn.
Referee John Beaton missed the offence, but Nick Walsh, the man in front of the multi-screens, instructed his colleague to review the incident.
Images proved conclusively that there was contact with an illegal part of the centre-back’s arm and there was no option but to point to the spot.
O’Riley was the calmest man in the vicinity as he stepped up to take the award and nonchalantly flick the ball past Butland who dived to his left as the effort sailed down the middle.
Ten minutes into the second-half, the hosts were awarded a spot-kick after VAR intervened again and Alistair Johnston was penalised for a challenge on the diving Fabio Silva.
Tavernier proved once again that partice makes perfect with a drive into the roof of Hart’s net.
In the 65th minute, Rodgers made a double substitution when he took off the tiring Reo Hatate and Kuhn and put on skipper McGregor and Yang.
GOVAN GLEE…Adam Idah disappears from view as he is submerged by joyous Brendan Rodgers, Alistair Johnston and Liam Scales after hitting Celtic’s third goal at Ibrox.
Four minutes later, Idah joined the action with Kyogo being withdrawn
In the 82nd minute Paulo Bernardo replaced O’Riley, but Rodgers’ men were reeling five minutes later when McGregor, of all people, was wayward with a crossfield pass that set off a home attack.
Sterling sent a ball into the box, Liam Scales headed clear, but the ball fell to Sima who thrashed an attempt at goal.
McGregor, attempting to atone for his mistake, tried to block the shot, but only succeeded getting a nick on the ball to leave Hart helpless.
Then came Idah’s instant response with Matondo, alas, allowed the chance to thrash in the leveller as the clock ticked down.
TEAM: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; Iwata, O’Riley (sub: Bernardo 82), Hatate (sub: McGregor 65); Kuhn (sub: Yang 65), Kyogo (sub: Idah 69) and Maeda.
A ROUND OF APPLAUSE…Brendan Rodgers celebrates with the Celtic support.
May 11, 2024: Premiership:
CELTIC 2 (Maeda, Lundstram og), Rangers 1 (Dessers)
ALL THAT was missing was the Premiership title presentation.
This dramtic, pulverising occasion at Parkhead had it all as 60,000 fans were transfixed with what was occurring in front of their very eyes.
Two Celtic goals withinTHIRTY-FIVE SECONDS, a quickfire reply from the Ibrox side, a red card for a visitor, a missed penalty-kick from the Hoops, two Celtic goals chalked off for offside and a nervy countdown to the final whistle after seven minutes of stoppage-time.
A tense encounter exploded to life in 12 breathtaking minutes in which the champions scored two goals, their opponents pulled one back and John Lundstram was red-carded for an out-of-control lunge on Alistair Johnston.
When the smoke of battle cleared, the hosts were 2-1 ahead at the interval and halfway to getting the job done.
It was the masterful Matt O’Riley who fired in the crucial breakthrough strike in the 35th minute to send a sell-out crowd into raptures.
It was a goal that was crafted with just about every Celtic player involved in the build-up before the impressive James Forrest picked out Callum McGregor scampering into space in the box.
HAPPY DAZE…Matt O’Riley celebrates the opening goal to set Celtic on the way to a vital derby triumph.
The captain spied O’Riley moving into the danger zone and sent the ball in his direction. The Danish international playmaker took a touch, steadied himself and then whipped a low drive between the stretching Jack Butland and his left-hand post for a memorable breakthrough counter.
The game was briefly held up with a flare on the pitch and, amazingly, Brendan Rodgers’ men had the ball in the net exactly 35 seconds after the restart.
Johnston cleared up a long ball before Cameron Carter-Vickers zipped an unerring diagonal pass into the tracks of Daizen Maeda on the left.
The Japanese speedster left James Tavernier in his slipstream before sending a low cross into the box from the left.
Lundstram tried to intercept the ball, but only contrived in diverting it past his own keeper as Parkhead exploded in joy yet again.
However, silence descended on the ground in the 40th minute when the team’s vulnerability at dealing with back post crosses was exposed once more when Cyriel Dessers was allowed to head home from four yards.
Two minutes into first-half stoppage-time, Lundstram’s woeful afternoon didn’t get much better after he launched himself into a wayward challenge on Johnston.
ON A WING AND A SLAYER…Daizen Maeda races towards the crowd after John Lundstram deflects his low cross into his own net for Celtic’s second goal.
The midfielder got none of the ball and a lot of the Canadian’s ankle and the right-back crashed to the turf. Referee Willie Collum was quick to show a yellow card, but was instructed by his VAR colleague Steven McLean to review the incident on his touchline monitor.
There was no surprise when the official returned to the pitch to flash the red card and banish the errant Englishman.
Six minutes after the break, O’Riley was sent tumbling after Mohamad Diamande clipped his heels. Collum immediately pointed to the spot, but was invited to have a second look by VAR.
After a delay of three minutes, the match official refused to change his mind and the penalty was given. O’Riley stepped forward to take the kick, but his almost nonchalant attempt was pushed away by Butland to his left and the chance was gone.
On the hour mark, Maeda latched onto a deflected Forrest shot to slide the ball under the Ibrox netminder, but the cheers of the fans were strangled when the effort was chalked off for offside.
Near the end, the jet-propelled winger had the ball in the net again after great service from substitute Nicolas Kuhn, but the speedster had strayed just offside.
The 54th crown in the club’s proud history was rubber-stamped four days later with a 5-0 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
That’s what we call class!
TEAM: Hart; Johnston (sub: Ralston 74), Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; O’Riley, McGregor, Hatate (sub: Iwata 80); Forrest (sub: Kuhn 71), Kyogo (sub: Idah 71), Maeda.
* DON’T miss Rodgers v Rangers: Part Eight – only in your champion CQN.
