Celtic have put their defeat to Rangers behind them with an emphatic victory over Hearts, maintaining their commanding 13-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership after Barry Ferguson’s Rangers struggled to overcome Dundee.
Rangers were riding high after their rare win at Celtic Park before the international break, but their narrow victory in Tayside did little to convince former Hoops striker Chris Sutton. Commentating on the match, Sutton watched as Rangers fell two goals behind for the third time under Ferguson before staging a dramatic 4-3 comeback at Dens Park.
Analyzing Rangers’ performance, Sutton admitted he still has “massive doubts” about Ferguson’s side and delivered a message that most Celtic fans would echo. He warned that Rangers’ defensive vulnerabilities could prove costly in the Europa League, where they face Athletic Bilbao. Speaking to Sky Sports, Sutton said: “If they defend like they have in the last six games, they’ll be crucified by Bilbao. Barry knows they need to improve. I was puzzled by some of his comments—he seemed convinced they would have lost that game a few weeks ago. I’m not sure how he can be so certain. Just because they beat Celtic doesn’t mean they’ve turned a corner. That was a one-off. Yes, they did well to beat Fenerbahce, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Sutton also criticized Ferguson’s optimism, stating that it’s too soon to suggest Rangers have solved their problems. He emphasized that Rangers remain far from being able to challenge Celtic consistently over a full season.
How Celtic Maintained Their Lead Despite Derby Defeats
Despite losing the last two Glasgow derbies, Celtic remain comfortably ahead of Rangers, thanks to Brendan Rodgers’ ability to keep his squad focused on every match, not just the high-profile clashes. This consistency has kept the Hoops clear at the top, even after dropping six points in the derbies.
Celtic’s and Rangers’ Results After Key Derby Fixtures:
Following Celtic’s September Derby Win:
Celtic 2-0 Hearts
St Johnstone 0-6 Celtic
Ross County 1-2 Celtic
Dundee United 0-1 Rangers
Rangers 3-0 Dundee
Rangers 1-0 Hibs
Following Celtic’s January Derby Defeat:
Celtic 3-0 St Mirren
Celtic 2-0 Dundee United
Ross County 1-4 Celtic
Hibs 3-3 Rangers
Dundee 1-1 Rangers
Rangers 3-1 St Johnstone
Celtic’s relentless consistency across the season has kept them far ahead of Rangers. As Sutton pointed out, while Rangers have shown flashes of promise, they still have significant ground to cover to match Celtic’s consistency over the course of a full campaign.
