Ibrox View: Stunning redemption for MOTM but 3/10 ace terrible - Rangers player ratings vs Celtic

Rangers came back from a goal down to record a stunning 3-1 victory over Celtic thanks to a brace from Youssef Chermiti.

Celtic broke the deadlock after a breathless opening in the 20th minute when Yang Hyun-Jun picked the ball up on the right and drove into the area away from a number of Rangers players and smashed a shot high beyond Jack Butland, who might have done better moments after a crucial save from Johnny Kenny.

Rangers found the perfect response after an increasingly-dreadful first half when the much-maligned Chermiti found the equaliser five minutes after the restart, as he turned it high into the top corner from Nico Raskin‘s cut-back after the Belgian excellently worked his way towards the byline inside the right of the Celtic box.

Chermiti then scored a superb solo goal to turn the game on its head and double his tally just inside the hour, winning the ball on the left flank then driving forward into space and finishing past Kasper Schmeichel.

Mikey Moore then fired in a third on 71 minutes from Djeidi Gassama’s lovely slipped pass, amid major question marks over Schmeichel, to heap pressure on Wilfried Nancy at Celtic.

Youssef Chermiti revives Rangers career in incredible turnaround

Rangers were ready to let Chermiti leave this month but the Portuguese striker saved his redemption for the big occasion and may have secured his place in club folklore with a performance which could have finally turned the season round.

The former Everton forward has been a major disappointment for his £8million-plus fee this year, but against the Gers’ biggest rivals he delivered exactly the sort of showing that money was supposed to buy.

Chermiti was putting himself about with purpose early while his teammates were somewhat capitulating under pressure, but crucially he was there in the right position to apply the finishing touches to Raskin’s work and catch Celtic cold early in the second half.

His second seemed to shock the Hoops into submission given how unexpected it was in the context of Chermiti’s season, and while he benefited from Auston Trusty bizarrely not covering across he certainly took full advantage in decisive fashion.

If the first goal gave him some extra confidence the second transformed him as a player as he was soon spraying cross-field passes into the path of onrushing teammates and nutmegging opponents like a superstar.

Unlikely as it seemed heading into the game this was genuinely the sort of outing that could belatedly kickstart an Ibrox career that looked dead and buried and, unbelievably, send Rangers on a title charge.

• Read More: Kieran Dowell exit route emerges for Rangers as challenge detailed

Thelo Aasgaard continues Old Firm nightmare

If Chermiti saved his best for the big occasion it seems Aasgaard is saving his worst for the same days as he had a miserable 45 minutes and his removal saw his teammates, mostly, transform.

The Norwegian may have scored the winner against Motherwell and again as Rangers beat St Mirren heading into this game but he looked so far off the pace that he was always going to be a liability in an Old Firm derby whatever state each team came into in.

Picking up a booking inside the first 10 minutes for a cynical pull-back is hardly the way to start this sort of fixture, and he was then aimless and unhelpful for most of the opening half as Celtic were made to look like the Ange Postecoglou vintage rather than the struggling Nancy version.

Having been sent off in the previous meeting with Celtic Aasgard certainly didn’t make amends, leaving passes short and failing to take command when winnable balls were near him.

One instance half an hour into the game saw him float a baffling pass across the edge of his own box from the right-back position towards left-back Jayden Meghoma, which was unsurprisingly attacked to put Rangers in trouble when they were struggling.

It was emblematic of his performance and made it no surprise at all that Danny Rohl took him off at the break.

Rangers player ratings vs Celtic

Jack Butland – 7

Dujon Sterling – 6

John Souttar – 6

Emmanuel Fernandez – 6

Jayden Meghoma – 5

Connor Barron – 5

Nico Raskin – 7

Thelo Aasgaard (off for Diomande ’46) – 3

Djeidi Gassama (off for Tavernier ’87) – 7

Mikey Moore – 6

Youssef Chermiti (off for Miovski ’91) – 9 – Man of the Match

Substitutions

Mohamed Diomande (on for Aasgaard ’46) – 6

James Tavernier (on for Gassama ’87) – 6

Bojan Miovski (on for Chermiti ’91) – 4

Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Rangers news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account –@ibroxnews247

The post Ibrox View: Stunning redemption for MOTM but 3/10 ace terrible - Rangers player ratings vs Celtic appeared first on Ibrox News.