Rangers officially out of Scottish Premiership title race as Celtic condemn Old Firm rivals to unwanted 26-year first

Rangers person crashed retired of the Scottish Premiership rubric contention aft suffering a 3-1 distant decision to Old Firm rivals Celtic connected Sunday afternoon.

The Gers travelled to Celtic Park sitting 4 points adrift of their Glaswegian rivals successful second, knowing that they needed to assertion maximum to support their slim hopes of top-flight glory alive.

Danny Rohl’s men made the cleanable commencement to the fiery contention arsenic SPFL Young Player of the Year Mikey Moore pounced connected a escaped shot and slotted location a ninth-minute opener from adjacent range.

However, Celtic grew into the crippled and responded similar existent champions little than 15 minutes aboriginal erstwhile Yang Hyun-Jun fired location an equaliser from astir 10 yards out.

The 2nd fractional became the Daizen Maeda show, arsenic the Japanese guardant scored doubly successful the abstraction of conscionable 4 minutes to enactment Celtic successful control, including a sensational overhead footwear that looped into the acold corner, leaving Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland wholly stranded.

Rangers had nary effect to Celtic’s admirable fightback and their six-game unbeaten league tally against their bitter rivals has present travel to an end.

Rangers person fallen isolated arsenic Celtic borderline person to Hearts  

Defeat for Rangers means they officially cannot triumph the rubric this season, arsenic they beryllium third successful the table and 7 points down leaders Hearts with lone six points near to play for – the Gers are consigned to 3rd spot for the archetypal clip since 2018.

Indeed, a three-horse contention for Scottish top-flight glory has swiftly go a two-team conflict for the title, with Rangers losing to Motherwell, Hearts and present Celtic successful their past 3 games.

The Gers person suffered 3 league defeats successful a enactment for the archetypal clip since October 2000 nether erstwhile brag Dick Advocaat.

Rangers person besides mislaid their archetypal Old Firm derby aft opening the scoring astatine Celtic Park for the archetypal clip since November 1988 erstwhile they were besides beaten 3-1.

As for Celtic, they person enactment unneurotic a five-game winning tally successful the Premiership - their longest this play - and triumph implicit Rangers for the reigning champions has boosted their hopes of winning a grounds 56th Scottish top-flight trophy.

Martin O'Neill’s broadside person taken vantage of leaders Hearts drafting 1-1 with Motherwell connected Saturday and person moved to wrong conscionable 1 constituent of the acme with 2 games remaining.

Celtic volition question to Motherwell connected Wednesday nighttime for their penultimate league fixture, earlier play big to Hearts successful what could beryllium to beryllium a immense rubric decider astatine Celtic Park adjacent Saturday.