Scottish Premiership
Monday, January 2, 2023
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

RANGERS… 2
(Kent 47, Tavernier 53pen)

CELTIC… 2
(Maeda 5, Kyogo 88)

Celtic left it late to secure a point in the first game of 2023 as the Hoops drew 2-2 with Rangers in the Glasgow derby at Ibrox.

A goal inside the opening five minutes from Daizen Maeda gave Celtic the perfect start. However, two quick goals at the start of the second period from Ryan Kent and James Tavernier turned the game in the hosts' favour.

But Ange Postecoglou's side kept battling and grabbed an equaliser with just two minutes remaining through Kyogo, which maintains the nine-point lead at the top of the Premiership table.

These derby games so often begin at a rapid pace and under the stewardship of Ange Postecoglou the stats prove that point for Celtic, with all but one of their goals in this fixture in the last 18 months coming in the first-half of matches, a feat they continued at Ibrox with Maeda scoring after five minutes.

Picking up a misplaced pass from Alfredo Morleos, Maeda showed every inch of his electric pace, reaching the loose ball first before skipping past two Rangers defenders and then having the coolness to slot under the advancing Allan McGregor and into the bottom right corner for his sixth goal of the season.

The small section of Celtic fans were the ones making all the noise inside Ibrox at this early point in the match, and they almost had another reason to celebrate with Maeda putting in a dangerous ball across the six-yard box on eight minutes, but no one was there in a Celtic jersey to tap home.

The opening stages were controlled by Celtic and Callum McGregor almost doubled the lead on 14 minutes, forcing the Rangers keeper to dive down low to his right to stop the skipper’s shot from 20 yards creeping into the bottom corner.

New Bhoy Alistair Johnston was in from the start at right-back for his first appearance in a Hoops jersey, with Josip Juranovic a substitute, but the World Cup bronze medallist would be the first called from the bench in the opening 25 minutes with Greg Taylor forced off through injury, slotting in at left-back.

Despite Celtic’s dominance, the hosts almost equalised on 27 minutes. Joe Hart gave away possession inside the penalty area but then pulled off a remarkable save from Ryan Kent’s low effort on the 18-yard line, tipping the ball away from the bottom right corner and on to the post before Carl Starfelt blocked Fashion Sakala’s follow-up.

There were half-chances just before the break for Morleos, both from corners and both with his head, but as the whistle blew for the break, it was Celtic with the lead.

Kyogo strikes late at Ibrox as honours even in Glasgow derby