Alistair Johnston slammed over ‘really dangerous’ Rangers v Celtic incident
Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston made a “really dangerous” challenge that left Ianis Hagi on the ground, according to Leanne Crichton.
Rangers took an early lead, with Hagi opening the scoring in the seventh minute, but the goalscorer required treatment following Johnston’s challenge after the half-hour.
The Gers dominated the reigning Scottish champions in the Old Firm Derby and doubled their lead in the second half through Robin Propper, before Danilo added a late third.
Celtic players, including Johnston, appeared determined to assert their physicality, but his challenge on Hagi drew criticism from former Scotland international Crichton when the pair went up for a header and the Romanian took an elbow to the back of the head.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound, via the BBC Sport live-blog (3.36pm, 2 January), she said: “That’s a really dangerous challenge from Johnston”. Rangers manager Philippe Clement gestured to the referee, suggesting an elbow was used in the tackle, but no further action was taken.
Celtic can’t be complacent in title race
Football Insider opinion
Despite the defeat to their fiercest rivals, Brendan Rodgers, a seasoned winner of the Scottish Premiership, is unlikely to let this setback derail Celtic’s campaign.
It’s undoubtedly a painful loss, but Rodgers’ side recently triumphed over their rivals in the Scottish League Cup final, despite controversies surrounding refereeing decisions.
For Clement, however, the stakes were far higher. Before the match, his team sat 14 points adrift of the leaders, and a defeat could have put his position under serious scrutiny.
However the statistics were firmly in Rangers’ favour after scoring. Since August 2023, they have won 33 out of 34 league matches after scoring first.
The Bhoys have faced criticism before for similar lacklustre performances. Their display against Dundee United on 22 December drew ridicule after it was revealed the team held a Christmas party before the match.
There will be no celebrations following this performance, but Celtic’s 11-point cushion at the top of the table should provide more confidence than doubt about their prospects of lifting the title this season.
In other news, Celtic are battling sides for a Manchester City player.
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