Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has suggested his players took their foot off the gas in the 3-0 loss to Rangers due to the big points gap in the Scottish Premiership.
The game at Ibrox was dominated by the hosts, with the Bhoys looking far from their best.
Goals from Ianis Hagi, Robin Propper and Danilo capped off a perfect start to 2025 for Rangers, who moved to within 11 points of the league leaders.
It was also Celtic’s first loss of the campaign, with those in blue getting revenge on Celtic after losing to them on penalties in the League Cup final last month.
Speaking after the game, Rodgers reflected on the match, saying: “It was not a very good performance. We made too many mistakes, especially in the first half on the ball. That invited pressure. We trapped ourselves in too many areas.
“From that, 1-0, it gives the stadium a lift. Rangers were the better team today. It was very unlike us. We were not aggressive enough without the ball. Too many duels [lost] and moments where they could then break out of pressure. On the ball, it was far too slow.
Three goals, three points! 🎉
Rangers come out on top at Ibrox against bitter rivals Celtic in the first Old Firm of 2025! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/1CtXVYzC6P
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 2, 2025
“The game is a disappointment. I’m not sure if the 14-point gap took the edge off, it shouldn’t, but maybe subconsciously it can do. We did not play well and Rangers deserved to win.
“It was one of those days. They are not robots. The energy in the stadium, they wanted to prove a point, they hadn’t beaten us and they are so far behind in the league, so there are many reasons why.”
