MX23RW : Monday, December 23 09:08:34| >> :600:179503:179503:
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Attendance: 58,320
Celtic logo
Scottish Premiership
Apr 29, 2018 at 12pm UK
 
Rangers logo

5-0

Edouard (14', 42'), Forrest (45'), Rogic (47'), McGregor (53')
FT(HT: 3-0)

Celtic thrash Rangers to secure seventh successive Scottish Premiership title

Celtic are confirmed as Scottish Premiership champions with a 5-0 win over Old Firm rivals Rangers at Parkhead.

Celtic have inflicted a 5-0 defeat on Old Firm rivals Rangers to earn the tag of Scottish Premiership champions for the seventh successive season.

The Hoops ripped apart their opponents at Parkhead with a five-star display, scoring three times in the first half and adding two more early in the second.

For the first time in 19 years the title was decided in the Glasgow derby, with Celtic's dominant display ensuring that none of Aberdeen, Rangers or Hibernian can now catch them in top spot with three games to go.

Aiming to extend his unbeaten run against the Gers, which stood at eight wins and two draws heading into this match, Brendan Rodgers sent out his players fired up and in the mood for some goals.

Olivier Ntcham twice tested Old Firm debutant Jak Alnwick inside the opening seven minutes - one a belter from close range and the other a curler from further back.

Celtic were creating chances galore, next coming close through Mikael Lustig's near-post flick, and the opening goal was well deserved when it eventually arrived 14 minutes in.

Some fine play from Kieran Tierney down the left opened up space for the full-back to pick out Odsonne Edouard, who rewarded his manager's faith for a derby day start by sticking out a leg to divert the ball past Alnwick.

Rangers managed to grow into the game between the hosts' first two goals, with Craig Gordon doing well to get down to his left and push aside Jamie Murphy's low shot, while Josh Windass was played in behind but failed to pick out a teammate.

The Bhoys put the game - and indeed the title - beyond reach in the space of three minutes at the end of the first half, though, as Edouard charged at the opposition defence and swept the ball across Alnwick, before James Forrest did likewise after jinking past a couple of opposition men inside the box.

Three goals became four within two minutes of the second-half restart, as Tom Rogic joined the party with his 20-yard shot into a largely unguarded net following a couple of blocked shots in the build-up.

Exactly a year to the day since beating their closest rivals 5-1 at Ibrox, Celtic surpassed that margin of victory by notching a fifth when Edouard turned provider down the left by beating James Tavernier and setting up Callum McGregor for a close-range goal.

Windass clipped the post with his last involvement in the match before being replaced by Alfredo Morelos, seeing the visitors go with a 4-4-2 formation for the final half-hour.

Despite shipping five goals, Alnwick was doing well to keep the score down as he produced saves to deny Ntcham, Forrest and Rogic in the space of five minutes.

A relentless Celtic side would go on to rack up 24 goal attempts, 13 of which were on target, with Forrest and Leigh Griffiths wasting the best of the remaining chances on a day to remember for the Hoops.

CELTIC (4-2-3-1): Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Lustig (Hendry 71'), Tierney; Brown, Ntcham; Forrest, Rogic (Sinclair 67'), McGregor; Edouard (Griffiths 75')

RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Alnwick; Tavernier, McCrorie, Martin, Halliday; Holt, Dorrans (Docherty 71'); Candeias, Windass (Morelos 57'), Murphy; Cummings

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Daniel Lewis
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Brendan Rodgers watches on during the Champions League game between Manchester City and Celtic on December 6, 2016
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic1614204444044
2RangersRangers1611232891935
3Aberdeen17104331211034
4Motherwell178272327-426
5Dundee UnitedDundee Utd176742519625
6St Mirren187382429-524
7Dundee175482730-319
8Hibernian184682430-618
9Kilmarnock184681935-1618
10Hearts1844102027-716
11Ross County183691435-2115
12St Johnstone1842122134-1314


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