Celtic 1-0 Rangers
Match Report
Celtic continued there 100% record at home and Rangers could not stop Celtic’s record. Celtic went into the Tennent’s Scottish Cup semi-final after a yet another win over the Old Firm rivals Rangers.
Rangers could only manage one shot at Rab Douglas and Ranger’s overworked defence succumbed on the 53rd minute as Larsson slammed home from close range.
Ranger’s attempted to respond to the Larsson’s 53rd minute but it took 90 minutes for Rangers to hit the target. Craig Moore prevented Celtic to beat Ranger’s by a bigger margin. A typical Old Firm bought many tussles and in the early stages of the game saw more rough and tumbles than any goalmouth action. Fernando Ricksen and Alan Thompson set a tone when they both got involved in a spat over a throw-in.
Celtic were starting to assert themselves as the game wore on, during the game saw a departure of the Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta due to an injury. Larsson came close to break the 0-0 deadlock on three separate occasions.
Larsson blazed over from a 12 yards and heading wide when it was well placed. Larsson’s third chance was the best of the lot, when his header from a corner shaved the post.
A danger to Ranger’s was the set pieces when Bobo Balde went agonisingly close as the visitors looked all at sea defensively. It always appeared as if the set-pieces would see Ranger’s loosing the game, as it proved as a scramble in the Ranger’s box on the 53rd minute saw the ball fall into the path of Henrik Larsson as he slammed home from only six yards with Stefan Klos away from his line. Klos showed very solid handling of the ball to keep out an Alan Thompson free-kick and later on during the game Klos made a fine save from Craig Beattie, Celtic proved to be too strong for the weak Ranger’s team. Celtic were proving that they were simply too strong for their Glasgow rivals and it would seem to appear a domestic double is within Celtic’s grasp.
