Celtic missed the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 19 points as they hosted city rivals Rangers at Parkhead on Sunday.
The Hoops suffered a 3-2 defeat to Rangers at home, narrowing the gap between the two sides to 13 points. Hamza Igamane secured the victory for the visitors with a stunning 88th-minute strike, sealing a crucial win.
Rangers needed that late goal after Brendan Rodgers’ side showed resilience, coming back from a 2-0 deficit with goals from Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate to level the score.
Despite the fightback, Celtic delivered a disappointing performance in front of their home fans, with one of the struggling players being Crystal Palace loanee Jeffrey Schlupp.
Celtic’s Full-Backs Struggled
Schlupp was chosen over Scottish defender Greg Taylor, who remained on the bench, but failed to justify Rodgers’ decision.
His troubles began early, as he was caught out just four minutes in, allowing Nicolas Raskin to capitalize on James Tavernier’s corner and put Rangers ahead.
The Ghanaian defender won only three of his seven duels, was dribbled past once, and failed to register a single tackle, though he did manage three interceptions.
However, Schlupp was not the weakest link in Celtic’s lineup, as Alistair Johnston endured an even tougher afternoon at right-back.
Johnston’s Worst Display in a Celtic Shirt
The Canadian international had an uncharacteristically poor performance, struggling both defensively and in possession. Typically reliable—boasting an 86% pass completion rate and winning 56% of his duels in the Premiership this season—Johnston fell short against Rangers.
He was partly responsible for two of the three goals conceded, including a costly slip while attempting to clear a long ball from Jack Butland. That error gifted Igamane possession, and Johnston’s failed recovery attempt only set up the forward for a half-volley finish.
Statistically, it was Johnston’s worst performance of the season. He lost possession 27 times—his highest tally in a single Premiership match—and failed to create any chances, while also missing a crucial late opportunity to equalize. Racing in at the far post, he mishit his shot high and wide, wasting a golden chance to salvage a point.
Given his defensive lapses and struggles with ball retention, this was arguably Johnston’s poorest display in a Celtic jersey this season. Rodgers will hope the international break allows him to reset and return to form ahead of their upcoming clash against Hearts.
