Celtic 0-1 Rangers: Derek McInnes equals Graeme Souness record after claiming “worthy win” in Scottish Premiership

By Oliver Thomas | 20 Sep 2026 15:15, Last updated: 20 Sep 2026 15:26

Derek McInnes has equalled a grounds acceptable by Graeme Souness aft steering Rangers to a 1-0 distant triumph implicit Old Firm rivals Celtic successful the Scottish Premiership connected Sunday.

The Gers entered this contention down force lines - without immoderate distant supporters - connected the backmost of their convincing 3-0 location triumph implicit the Hoops successful the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals past weekend.

After Auston Trusty's opener was ruled retired for offside, Rangers broke the deadlock conscionable aft the half-hour people erstwhile Ryan Naderi fired successful connected the rebound aft Viljami Sinisalo parried Kim Min-su’s long-range effort.

Over 60,000 location fans astatine Celtic Park grew frustrated arsenic the Hoops struggled to carve retired meaningful opportunities, portion Rangers posed a regular menace astatine the different extremity and were unfortunate not to summation their lead.

Rangers thought they netted a 2nd 12 minutes from clip erstwhile Olwethu Makhanya fired a superb volley from the borderline of the punishment country into the apical corner. However, VAR disallowed the extremity aft the midfielder utilized his limb to power the shot earlier getting his changeable away.

Celtic’s cleanable top-flight grounds this play has present travel to an end, portion they person present won conscionable 1 of their past 11 games against Rangers successful mean clip crossed each competitions

McInnes celebrates 2nd successive Old Firm triumph arsenic Rangers boss

McInnes, meanwhile, has present go lone the 2nd Rangers manager successful past to triumph some of his archetypal 2 Old Firm derbies, aft Graeme Souness backmost successful 1986.

The 55-year-old besides boasts a beardown head-to-head grounds implicit Celtic since the commencement of past season, winning 4 and drafting 1 of his past six meetings successful each competitions (L1), with 2 of those wins recorded arsenic Hearts boss.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match: McInnes said: "Really pleased, we had to present a large show and we did precisely that. It's not casual coming here, the circumstances you're nether and what you face.

"We knew we'd person to flooded a wounded Celtic team. We played with a batch of confidence. I'm disappointed we didn't adhd to the extremity we did score, due to the fact that we were deserving of that.

"At 1-0, you inactive deliberation they'll get a accidental and we're kicking ourselves a wee spot that we didn't instrumentality different chance. It was a worthy win, aft what was a disappointing commencement successful the league.

"They came successful with a backmost five, filled the mediate of the pitch. In the main, we got it right. In the archetypal 15-20 minutes, our strikers weren't giving america capable but erstwhile they started linking the play, everything looked rather calm.

"With idiosyncratic similar Duran up top, we ever had to beryllium connected our toes. But it was a beardown performance. We're a youthful team, truthful we're truly acceptable and winning astatine places similar this helps with each of that."

Rangers person present won each of their past six matches successful each tournaments, keeping 5 cleanable sheets successful the process, since crashing retired of Europe successful disappointing manner astatine the extremity of August.

As for Celtic, it is present 3 consecutive defeats successful the abstraction of a week for Martin O’Neill side, who person seen their lead astatine the Premiership acme reduced to conscionable 2 points by the Gers successful 2nd spot.

What adjacent for Rangers and Celtic?

Players from some sides volition present displacement their attraction to the two-week planetary interruption crossed September and October.

Rangers are backmost successful enactment connected October 10 erstwhile they invited basement nine Kilmarnock to Ibrox successful the Premiership, portion Celtic question to Motherwell for their adjacent top-flight fixture a time later.