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40-year-old Rangers centerback and club captain DAVID WEIR, who spent eight years with FC Everton in the English Premier League and has earned 69 caps for Scotland in his career, settles the ball ahead of Celtic’s English striker GARY HOOPER, the two-goal hero of the previous intra-city encounter, during the Scottish F.A. Cup fifth round replay and 393rd edition of the Old Firm Derby at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of Glasgow. (Hooper, Wier(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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An expulsion ten minutes before the halftime whistle and a solitary goal shortly after the restart highlighted a contentious and card-filled affair as CELTIC clipped shorthanded RANGERS 1-0 in the Scottish Football Association Cup fifth round replay, also known as the 393rd installment of the distinct OLD FIRM DERBY from Glasgow.
Celtic were forced to field Poland international goalkeeper LUKASZ ZALUSKA, who has made just two appearances in the top flight all season long, in between the sticks against their traditional cross-town rivals. Normal first choice FRASER FORSTER, the 22-year-old Englishman on loan from Newcastle United, had seen red against Rangers in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox and was, thus, suspended. The 28-year-old Zaluska, however, would have little to do on this occasion.
Croatia international striker NIKICA JELAVIC, the late August acquisition costing 4.0 million English pounds from Austrian side Rapid Vienna who has scored 10 goals on 15 appearances in all competitions for Rangers when healthy this season, missed the match after injuring his knee yet again over the weekend against St. Johnstone.
To compund Rangers woes, Scotland international STEVEN WHITTAKER was shown a second yellow card in only the 36th minute which reduced manager WALTER SMITH’s side to ten men against the current Scottish Premier League leader and eternal enemy, Celtic, for the remainder of the contest.
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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Celtic scored the goal it needed to take control of the match once and for all just three minutes into the second half. A cross from Honduras international fullback EMILIO IZAGUIRRE on the left was allowed to reach fellow fullback MARK WILSON way over on the right in the box. The recently-capped Scotland international fired a rocket that was headed off the line by Rangers’ Bosnia / Herzegovina international defender SASA PAPAC, who was knocked out by the blow and would not return.
But the ball riccocheted back to Wilson, who had entered the New Year having gone five and a half seasons without a goal in the Scottish Premier League; in the midst of an unusual purple patch, the 26-year-old used a deft chip to handcuff Rangers’ Scotland international goalkeeper ALLAN MCGREGOR to net his third goal in his last six games.
Greece World Cup winger GEORGIOS SAMARAS might have added a second for Celtic in the 63rd minute, but the two-goal hero of the Old Firm Derby played just after the New Year smashed his shot off the post.
The game grew increasingly more aggressive and Rangers, who had seven different players booked, finished the match with nine men after Algeria World Cup defender MADJID BOUGHERRA was shown his second yellow card during time added on. Just after the final whistle, the turbulence continued as Senegal international striker EL HADJI DIOUF of Rangers was also issued a red card by match referee CALUM MURRAY. Meanwhile, at the touchline, Celtic boss NEIL LENNON clashed with Rangers assistant manager ALLY MCCOIST…
…and 34 people were taken into custody after the match, according to German reports.
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Senegal international EL HADJI DIOUF (17) of Rangers, the striker on loan from English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers, is sent flying by the sliding tackle of Celtic’s Sweden international defender DANIEL MAJSTOROVIC, a signing this past summer on a free transfer from Greek club AEK Athens, during the hotly-contested 393rd Old Firm Derby / Scottish FA Cup fifth round replay at Parkhead in the capital city of Scotland. (Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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CELTIC : Zaluska – Wilson, Majsotrovic, Mulgrew, Izaguirre – Ki, Brown, Kayal, Commons – Samaras, Hooper
RANGERS : McGregor – Bartley, Bougherra, Weir, Papac (Wylde 51′), Foster – Fleck (Hutton 46′), Whittaker, Edu, Davis – Diouf
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(SNS Group/dailymail.co.uk)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(SNS Group/dailymail.co.uk)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(SNS Group/dailymail.co.uk)
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(PA/dailymail.co.uk)
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