Gerrard still has work to do: Five things learned as Celtic beat Rangers in Old Firm derby

Steven Gerrard lost for the first time as Rangers manager, as his side were beaten 1-0 by Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

Celtic dominated the game and it finally paid off after an hour as Olivier Ntcham capped off a quick break.

And that would be all it required for Celtic to see off their rivals and move back to second in the Scottish Premiership.

Here are five things we learned from the first Old Firm derby of the season.

1. Celtic extend league dominance over Rangers to 10

It was a tough win, but Celtic once again got the better of their bitter rivals, extending their unbeaten run against Rangers to 10 in the Scottish Premiership.

@OlivierNtcham's second-half strike seals a deserved Glasgow Derby victory for the Bhoys!

Come on! #CELRAN pic.twitter.com/7MVTbPN56h

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 2, 2018

After controlling the match without reward for the opening 60 minutes, Ntcham gave Celtic the lead and the Bhoys did not look like succumbing despite Rangers pressing after.

Celtic’s win also extends manager Brendan Rodgers’ own unbeaten run over Rangers to 12 since taking over at Celtic Park in 2016.

The last time Celtic were beaten by Rangers in the league came in March 2012 when Gers won 3-2 thanks to goals from Sone Aluko, Andy Little and Lee Wallace in a hotly contested tie which also saw three red cards.

2. Olivier Ntcham is Celtic’s midfield star

If there was one player who fully deserved to get a goal on Sunday afternoon in the Old Firm derby, it was Olivier Ntcham.

As Celtic dominated from the start, Ntcham, alongside Scott Brown, heavily dictated how his side played, moving the ball well through the pitch and testing Rangers’ midfielders.

Sitting back defensively, Ntcham was never far from the ball on the rare occasions Rangers did attack, and was quick to get Celtic back in control winning the battle in midfield.

And after an hour, it was Ntcham who capped off a fast break from Celtic, tapping in from close range after good work from Tom Rogic, Odisonne Edouard and James Forrest – though Rangers fans will feel hard done by, believing there was a foul on Ryan Jack in the build up.

3. Rangers still have a way to go to reach Celtic’s level

Rangers have started life reasonably well under Steven Gerrard, reaching the Europa League group stages and remaining unbeaten in their opening 12 matches across all competitions.

But Rangers looked second rate from the start against their first big test of the season, rivals Celtic. Rodgers’ side were able to take control from the start without much resistance and would have felt unlucky not to have gone in at half-time at least two goals ahead.

Even when Celtic took the lead and Rangers pushed more, Gerrard’s men hardly looked like troubling their opposition defence with simple passes in attack not working out.

Gerrard was never going to transform Rangers into title winners in his first season as a manager, but the project may take a little longer than first imagined with the side still a long way off the top of Scottish football.

4. Dedryck Boyata steers closer to Celtic redemption

Up until the Scottish transfer window’s close on Friday, Dedryck Boyata’s future at Celtic was in doubt.

The Belgian defender had endured the rage of Celtic fans for reportedly refusing to play in their Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens, with the official line citing injury problems.

But in the Old Firm derby, Boyata was solid in defence when called upon to gave Alfredo Morelos very little room to hurt Celtic’s back line.

Though Celtic fans may still harbour bad feelings for the centre-back for his part in the club’s Champions League exit, Boyata has edged a little closer to redemption by keeping a clean sheet against their bitter rivals.

5. Gerrard needs to work on his side’s temper

Though Gerrard’s arrival in the summer has brought many positive changes to Rangers, the Glasgow side have one thing they still need to work on.

Before Sunday’s game at Celtic Park, Rangers had played 12 games in all competitions, amassing 28 yellow cards and four red cards. Two of those reds have come in the Scottish Premiership, though Alfredo Morelos’ sending off on the opening weekend was overturned.

Against Celtic, Rangers were fortunate not to be down to 10 men at half-time when Allan McGregor unnecessarily kicked out at Kristoffer Ajer following a save which, had it been seen by officials, would have undoubtedly resulted in a red card.

Then there was the playing style of Morelos, who toes the line dangerously, sometimes allowing it to get the better of him – with four yellow cards and two reds already this season (though again, one was rescinded).

Gerrard can’t help Rangers push for a return to the top of the Scottish Premiership if they keep putting themselves in tough positions on the pitch.

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