Celtic 0-0 Rangers
- Published
Scott Sinclair and Alfredo Morelos missed clear chances in each half as the final Old Firm game of 2017 ended in a stalemate.
Celtic created the better opportunities in a first half that ended with Sinclair hitting wide from close range.
Rangers were on top after the break, and Morelos' point-blank header bounced off goalkeeper Craig Gordon's knee.
The draw keeps Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic 11 points clear of their Glasgow rivals.
It was a game of rushed passes and missed chances; frenetic and hugely flawed. Amid the mayhem you might have expected Celtic to bring some composure, but they rarely found it. This was the first time since March 2016 that Celtic had failed to score at home.
Celtic attacker Scott Sinclair skewed his side's best chance wide in the first half
In their battle to survive, you thought that Rangers might offer some belligerence. They did. They got lucky at times, but there was a bite, if not a quality to their play, that shook Celtic out of their rhythm.
Rangers created the first chance of the day, with a little help from their high-press and some assistance from harried opponents. Scott Brown was hustled, Mikael Lustig was harassed. The Swede, as was the case so often throughout the derby, dithered and lost possession and Gordon was required to bail him out with a save from Morelos.
The visitors forced multiple errors from the champions, but Celtic still managed to get a dominant hold on the game. They played well only in pockets of the match, but should have put the encounter to bed during those mini-spells.
Moussa Dembele had the first chance, but was weak with his finish at the near post. The Frenchman, once again, looked a pale imitation of this multi-million pound striker we keep hearing about.
Rangers captain Bruno Alves lasted only 18 minutes after injuring himself in a heavy landing
Next, James Forrest had a pop and was only denied by a fine finger-tip save from Wes Foderingham. Soon after, Sinclair had the first of two great opportunities. Dembele's looping header was parried away by Foderingham to Sinclair, who had two stabs at goal and couldn't get the job done.
Rangers' task wasn't made any easier by Bruno Alves limping off after 18 minutes, and the Portuguese centre-back later left Celtic Park on crutches. David Bates replaced him. They were stymied, also, by Niko Kranjcar, who was out there in name only; the Croat was a bystander for much of it.
Celtic blew a huge chance before the break when terrific build-up play from Stuart Armstrong presented Sinclair with a golden opportunity, which he spurned. It was a sitter.
The feeling was that it was only a matter of time before Celtic ditched their profligacy and capitalised on all their possession. This fixture has a reputation for the bizarre - and here was another contribution. Rangers, instead of weakening, grew stronger. Celtic, instead of driving home their advantage, quickly found themselves on the back foot.
Rangers defender James Tavernier's hitch-kick volley was tipped over by Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon
If the home side failed to make the most of their moments in the opening half, now it was Rangers' turn. The midfield battle that was such a one-sided affair early on now became a contest that Rangers started to win.
They carved out two outstanding chances. Sinclair was robbed of the ball and away the visitors went. If it wasn't for Gordon making a wonderful save from a close-range James Tavernier volley then the underdogs would have gone ahead.
That was a big moment, but there was an even bigger one to come. Tavernier went belting down the right and whipped in a gloriously inviting ball to Morelos, whose point-blank header was saved by Gordon. The goalkeeper was outstanding in frustrating the striker, but Morelos had to score there.
Dembele had taken his leave by then, a painfully slow retreat from the field from a player who has lost his way over the last year. Leigh Griffiths replaced him, but when the next opportunity arrived it was for Rangers again.
Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos had a header saved brilliantly by Craig Gordon
Once more, it was Tavernier's sumptuous delivery from out wide that created it. Morelos got himself between Celtic's centre-halves, and into space, with only Gordon to beat. His glancing header went wide.
Celtic, spooked and out-fought, looked highly vulnerable. Rangers had grown hugely. Defensively, they were sharp and aggressive in blocking everything that Celtic threw at them. In the closing minutes, Rangers manager Graeme Murty brought off Morelos and replaced him with Eduardo Herrera in an attempt to turn a fine result into a sensational one, but it wasn't to be.
Not many saw a draw in the offing. This was a day when Murty's stock rose after some awful recent defeats. He needed this boost to his credibility. He has now taken his side to Pittodrie, Easter Road, Murrayfield (for the Hearts game) and now Celtic Park and has claimed 10 points from a possible 12.
It might have been 12 out of 12 had Morelos been more accurate, but Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will have similar cause to ponder his own side's missed chances in a derby they endured rather than enjoyed. Rangers, though, will get a lot more out of this than the champions.
Celtic striker Moussa Dembele made a slow departure from the field when he was replaced by Leigh Griffiths