A midweek Europa League exit led to heartbreak for Rangers ahead of locking horns with Celtic for an apparent dead rubber Old Firm derby. Despite conquering the league crown already, the Gers had to ensure a result to retain their unbeaten status. The Hoops had a perfect start when Mohamed Elyounoussi found the net, however, the jubilation did not last long for them when Alfredo Morelos equalized late in the first half and earned a 1-1 draw at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.
Below are the Rangers players rated in their 1-1 draw against Celtic.
Allan McGregor: 7
Could have done little to stop Elyounoussi’s header from a close range. But the Scotsman had a busy game between the sticks and was forced to make an array of saves to hold for a point.
Leon Balogun: 6.5
Featured as a right fullback and did extremely well to use his physicality before flicking Barisic’s corner on at the near post for Morelos to find the net. Was not productive enough with his overlapping runs but maintained the composure at the back before making way for Nathan Patterson minutes before the hour mark. Should have done better to stop Odsonne Edouard’s cross which resulted in the Bhoys’ opener.
Connor Goldson: 7
Had some nervy occasions when the hosts were dominating the show. Won the majority of duels though, also made a few crucial blocks and recoveries to nullify the danger.
Filip Helander: 6.5
Could not stop Elyounoussi from finding the target with a diving header. Was spot on with his tackles otherwise along with timely interceptions and no-nonsense clearances from the heart of the backline.
Borna Barisic: 7.5
Whipped in crosses from the left-hand flank with his persistent marauding runs. Made an impact with his set-piece traits once again as his corner was eventually converted by Morelos to avoid the defeat. Tracked back to cover the space left behind while Celtic were staging counter-attacking moves.
Steven Davis: 6.5
Could not control the midfield game completely. But the Northern Irishman used his experience to calm things down and make quick recoveries after losing duels or giving the ball away from his deep-lying midfield role.
Glen Kamara: 6
Got dispossessed once which could have led to serious trouble against the run. Was not effective enough with his link-up play or down the middle runs.
Joe Aribo: 6.5
Was not allowed to utilize the free space and create chances in the attacking third. Struggled to retain possession and was eventually taken off to be replaced by Scott Wright late in the match.
Ianis Hagi: 6
Did not have many touches but looked sharp whenever he had the ball on his feet down the right-hand flank. Tried his best to screen the midfield and win back possession before making way for Scott Arfield midway through the second half.
Ryan Kent: 6.5
Got dispossessed on a couple of occasions and lost a number of duels against Jonjoe Kenny down the wide. Yet he was causing problems in Celtic defence with his pace, dribbling and directness.
Alfredo Morelos: 7.5
Scored the crucial equalizer from a close range to restore parity in an extremely engaging encounter. Did not have much to offer otherwise and was replaced by Kemar Roofe for the final quarter of the contest.
Rangers Substitutes Vs Celtic
Nathan Patterson: 6.5
Was not fit enough to start but was brought on early into the second half to inject pace and flair on the right-hand side.
Scott Arfield: 6.5
Was introduced to take control of the midfield game with experience and game-reading attributes.
Scott Wright: 5.5
Did not offer much since coming on as he is still attuning to new surroundings following a winter move from Aberdeen.
Kemar Roofe: 5.5
Could have grabbed a winner in the closing moments but failed to keep it on target from an extremely close range.
