Celtic Rout Rangers In 399th (And Final?) Old Firm Derby

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United States World Cup captain and Rangers central defender CARLOS BOCANEGRA (18) is pursued by Greece World Cup winger GIORGIOS SAMARAS (9) of Celtic, who still has not scored a goal in what is, perhaps, the globe’s ultimate intra-city rivalry since bagging a brace at Ibrox to start the New Year in 2011, during the 399th Old Firm Derby at the football stadium affectionately known as Parkhead in the capital city of Scotland.
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Three class goals unanswered powered the 2012 Scottish Premier League champions to an easy victory at home in the fourth and final meeting of the season as celebratory CELTIC cruised past seriously-wounded RANGERS 3-0 in the 399th installment of Glasgow’s world-renowned OLD FIRM DERBY.

The financial troubles of 54-times national champion Rangers, who have also won the Scottish F.A. Cup on 33 occasions, overshadowed the contest at Celtic Park, to say the least. Indeed, with the once-proud but now humbled Ibrox club having gone into administration and the desperate search for a buyer still contiuning with no end in sight, it is still quite possible that one of Glasgow’s two great sides might simply disappear after this 2011/12 season. Sad to consider, then, that there may very well be no 400th edition of the Old Firm Derby.

Nevertheless, Celtic celebrate their 43rd national championship this term all the same and kept the punchless Rangers attack off the scoreboard for a second consecutive match at Parkhead this season. The Bhoys have blanked the ‘Gers five times in the last eight Old Firm Derby contests, then.

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The Celtic supporters at Parkhead offered their own rendition of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and sang songs such as “When Will I See You Again?” by Three Degrees in an obvious effort to taunt both the Rangers and their fans in the 399th Old Firm Derby match.
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OLD FIRM DERBY
match record, all competitions
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Rangers 159, Celtic 144 with 95 ties

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399th Old Firm Derby
April 29, 2010
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC : Forster – Matthews, Mulgrew, Loovens, Izaguirre – Commons (McCourt 85), Brown, Wanyama, Ledley, Samaras (Stokes 81′) – Hooper (Watt 89′)

RANGERS : McGregor – Bartley, Goian, Bocanegra, Whittaker – McCabe (Ness 57′), Edu, Wallace, Aluko – Little (Kerkar 72′), McCulloch

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Celtic defender CHARLIE MULGREW, the 26-year-old former Scotland U-21 international who just earned his first senior cap earlier this past February in the 1-1 friendly draw with Slovenia, opened the scoring in the 399th Old Firm Derby match against arch-rival Rangers with a spectacular diving header off a corner kick in the 17th minute at Parkhead.
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Scotland international KRIS COMMONS (15), the 28-year-old winger who scored 11 goals in 14 Scottish Premier League games to close out last season after arriving from English Football League Championship (second division) side Derby County in January of 2011 but had not found the back of the net on 20 appearances in the top flight this term entering the 399th Old Firm Derby, doubled Celtic’s advantage in the 31th minute with a deft finish past Rangers goalkeeper ALLAN MCGREGOR (1) at Parkhead.
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After getting good service from Greece World Cup winger Giorgios Samaras, leading scorer GARY HOOPER (left) hammered a third for Celtic against eternal arch-rival Rangers in the 54th minute at Parkhead; the 24-year-old Englishman has struck 19 times in the Scottish Premier League this season and has now also netted five goals in the Old Firm Derby matches since his purchase from Scunthorpe United in the summer of 2010.
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Rangers Send Celtic Clear Message In 398th Old Firm Derby

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Northern Ireland international midfielder and first team skipper STEVEN DAVIS of Rangers and South Korea World Cup midfielder SUNG-YUENG KI (13), who signed with Celtic after transferring from FC Seoul for a fee of 2.1 million English pounds in August of 2009, race for the ball during the 398th edition of the OLD FIRM DERBY at storied Ibrox Stadium on the banks of the River Clyde in the Scottish capital city of GLASGOW.
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Although it is absolutely certain that the three-time defending Scottish Premier League champion cannot retain its crown again this season, a proud and determined RANGERS side, nevertheless, sent tradtional arch-rival CELTIC a clear and concise message along with the result of the 398th OLD FIRM DERBY that went something like this :

“Attention Celtic : You WILL win the 2012 S.P.L. title … but NOT at Ibrox!”

The match, itself, was really just another, standard garden-variety Glasgow Derby, then. The enthralling stage complete with colorful backdrop and electric atmosphere gave host to yet another magical and memorable performance in Scotland’s fixture of all fixtures. Indeed, three red cards flowing from the match referee’s pocket and four balls bulging the back of the net with roughly quarter of an hour to play did much to uphold this most entertaining as well as wonderful tradition.

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CELTIC supporters, poised to celebrate their first Scottish Premier League title since the end of the 2007-08 campaign, prepared a little sign for the traditional, intra-city adversary Rangers ahead of the 398th Old Firm Derby contested last Sunday at Ibrox …
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RANGERS supporters, who are always quick to point out that the Ibrox club have already won a domestic record 54 league titles in the long history of the Scottish top flight, reply that this particular ground — even if the team have recently gone into administration and the future is very much hanging in the balance — happens to be, if only for the time being, still in their possession!
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South Korea World Cup defender DU-RI CHA of Celtic, the 31-year-old former Bundesliga veteran whose father Bum-Kun Cha was a big star in West German domestic football while earning a UEFA Cup winners’ medal with both Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen during the 1980s, sits in disbelief after being ejected by match referee Calum Murray in the 29th minute of the 398th Old Firm Derby.
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A trio of Rangers in reverse numerical order — Northern Ireland international and club captain STEVEN DAVIS (8), United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU (7) and Scotland international midfielder LEE MCCULLOCH (6) — stare down Celtic midfielder VICTOR WANYAMA (67) as the 20-year-old Kenya international is dismissed for a studs-up, two-footed challenge in the 57th minute of the 398th Old Firm Derby.
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United States World Cup captain CARLOS BOCANEGRA (18), the 32-year-old veteran with 101 senior international caps for the U.S.A. who spent five seasons in England with Fulham Athletic and three years in France with FC Stade Rennes and AS Saint Etienne before transferring to the Glasgwegian giant on the banks of the River Clyde this past summer, receives his marching orders in the 88th minute of the 398th Old Firm Derby.
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Celtic first choice FRASER FORSTER, the 24-year-old English goalkeeper who has been out on loan to the Bhoys in Glasgow the past two seasons from English Premier League side Newcastle United, has conceded seven goals on his last two appearances at Ibrox Stadium in the always-entertaining Old Firm Derby.
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398th Old Firm Derby
March 25, 2012
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

RANGERS : McGregor – Wallace (Kerkar 78′), Goian, Papac, Bocanegra, Whittaker – McCabe (Lafferty 60′), McCulloch, Davis, Edu – Aluko (Little 72′)

CELTIC : Forster – Cha, Mulgrew, Rogne, Matthews – Ledley (Hooper 90′), Wanyama, Brown, Ki (Commons 70′), Samaras – Stokes (Izaguirre 32′)

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Nigeria international SONE ALUKO (19), the 23-year-old, English-born striker who signed for Rangers late last November after having been released in the summer by S.P.L. outfit FC Aberdeen, registered his first career Old Firm Derby goal and fifth strike in the Scottish top flight this term in only the 11th minute opposite arch-rival Celtic last Sunday .
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Second half substitute striker ANDREW LITTLE (34), the 22-year-old Northern Ireland international who had recorded one tally from three appearances for Rangers in the S.P.L. this season prior to the intra-city clash in Glasgow at Ibrox last Sunday, scored with his first touch in the 72nd minute shortly after coming onto the pitch in the 398th installment of the Old Firm Derby; .
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Rangers fullback LEE WALLACE (12), the 24-year-old Scotland international purchased this past summer from S.P.L. side FC Heart of Midlothian for a transfer fee of 1.5 million English pounds, extended the home side’s lead at Ibrox to three-nil in the 77th minute of the 378th Old Firm Derby with his second goal in the top flight for the ‘Gers this season.
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Celtic captain SCOTT BROWN (8), the 26-year-old Scotland international midfielder who set a new domestic record within the Scottish Premier League when transferring to the Parkhead club from FC Hibernian of Edinburgh for a fee of 4.4 million English pounds in August of 2007, nets his second career goal in Glasgow’s Big Game and his seventh of the season in all competitions for the Bhoys from the penalty spot in the 89th minute of the 398th Old Firm Derby.
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Norway international defender THOMAS ROGNE (25), the 21-year-old who joined the Parkhead outfit following a free transfer from Stabaek Football of Baerum in Jaunary of 2010, heads both a first in the Scottish Premier League this season as well as his first-ever Old Firm Derby goal in time added on to the 398th all-time meeting between the two great Glasgow rivals but it is not enough as Celtic fall to Rangers 3-2 at Ibrox Stadium.
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OLD FIRM DERBY, all-time record (all compeitions)
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159 wins – Rangers
144 wins – Celtic
95 drawn matches

Celtic Capture 397th Old Firm, Leapfrog Rangers

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Northern Ireland international midfielder STEVEN DAVIS (8) of Rangers, who leads the Ibrox club with ten assists in the Scottish Premier League this season, races for the ball with Celtic’s Scotland international winger JAMES FORREST (49) during the 397th installment of the always-exciting Old Firm Derby contested at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of Glasgow.
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A solitary goal headed off a set piece seven minutes into the second half insured that it will, indeed, be a Happy New Year for the Hoops, after all, as CELTIC clipped ultimate arch-rival RANGERS in the 397th Old Firm Derby by the minimum scoreline at Parkhead and leapfrogged over their Glasgow intra-city foe to now lead the Scottish Premier League by two points.

A typical Scottish football match, then, with inclement weather in the form of extremely strong winds and plenty of Route One stuff, as well. Scotland international midfielder LEE MCCULLOCH looked to have given the visiting Rangers an early lead in only the seventh minute, but English goalkeeper FRASER FORSTER did enough to convince the entire ball never crossed the goalline although television replays appeared to confirm otherwise. Greece World Cup winger GEORGIOS SAMARAS, who tallied two goals in the Old Firm Derby on New Year’s Day in 2011 but has scored just threee goals in all competitions for Celtic halfway through this current term, got the ball behind Scotland international goalkeeper ALLAN MCGREGOR on a rebound another seven minutes later but was correctly judged offsides.

Croatia international striker NIKICA JELAVIC, for whom the Rangers paid Austrian club SK Rapid Vienna 4.0 million English pounds in August of 2010, put a header on target from a corner kick in the 24th minute. United States World Cup defender CARLOS BOCANEGRA, though, somehow managed to steer the ball over the crossbar from two yards away. English striker GARY HOOPER, the top shot for Celtic with 15 goals in all competitions this season, had a chance before the break but was halted by McGregor.

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Scotland international midfielder LEE MCCULLOCH of Rangers sends Israel international midfielder BIRAM KAYAL (33), who is second on Celtic having started 18 of 21 SPL matches this term, flying in a typically tough-tackling Old Firm Derby match which included harsh weather conditions as well; Kayal was injured on the play and subsequently taken off in favor of South Korea World Cup midfielder SUNG-YUENG KI in the 76th minute.
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The decisive moment of the 397th Old Firm Derby appeared in the 52nd minute after McGregor tipped a blast from Scotland international winger JAMES FORREST over for a corner. Wales international fullback JOE LEDLEY was able to win the aerial duel at the back post and score his fifth goal in all games for Celtic this term. A first career strike in what is, perhaps, the world’s most intense cross-town rivalry, then, for the 24-year-old who arrived at Parkhead at no cost from Welsh club Cardiff City in the summer of 2010.

The record Scottish champions attempted a rally that never did really begin to materialize at Parkhead although Jelavic, who leads the Ibrox club with 14 goals in all competitions this season, did have a couple of quality opportunities. Manager ALLY MCCOIST withdrew 22-year-old, surprise starter SONE ALUKO, the Nigeria international who signed with Rangers in late November after having his contract with FC Aberdeen expire this summer, and used a full allotment of substitutes including World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU, who had started 18 of Rangers’ first 20 league matches heading into the latest intstallment of Glasgow’s Big Game. 32-year-old Northern Ireland international attacker DAVID HEALY appeared for only the fourth time all season in the S.P.L., all as a replacement off the bench for Rangers, but could only get his name written down for a yellow card offense.

And so a resurgent FC Celtic, who have won the domestic league title on 42 occasions, complete their charge to the top of the table while manager NEIL LENNON’s job now seems more safe than ever. Celtic, of course, were nipped late last term for the Scottish Premier League title by their eternal enemies from across town. The sputtering Rangers are badly missing injured Scotland international STEVEN NAISMITH, who had registered nine goals in eleven league matches before going down for the season with a knee injury at the end of October.

OLD FIRM ALL-TIME RECORD — Rangers 158, Celtic 144 with 95 draws

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United States World Cup captain and defender CARLOS BOCANEGRA (left), who departed AS St. Etienne in France to sign with Rangers this summer for a transfer fee believed to be 460,000 Euros, heads the ball over the net from close quarters during the 397th Old Firm Derby at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of Glasgow.
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397th Old Firm Derby
December 28, 2011
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC : Forster – Matthews, Rogne, Mulgrew, Ledley – Forrest, Brown, Kayal (Ki 76′), Wanyama, Samaras – Hooper (Stokes 86′)

RANGERS : MacGregor – Broadfoot, Bartley, Bocanegra, Papac – Aluko (Wylde 66′), McCulloch (Edu 79′), Davis, Wallace (Healy 79′), Lafferty – Jelavic

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Rangers Storm Back, Claim 396th Old Firm Derby With Celtic

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Celtic’s English striker GARY HOOPER (88), who led The Bhoys last season with 20 goals in the Scottish Premier League following a 2.4 million pound transfer from English League Championship (second division) side Scunthorpe United, attempts to hold off United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU of Rangers during the goal-filled 396th OLD FIRM DERBY at Ibrox Stadium on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow.
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Defending Scotting Premier League champions RANGERS FC went to the break behind courtesy a very soft goal conceded to intra-city, arch-rival CELTIC FC but stormed back in the second half with three unanswered strikes to claim a 4-2 victory in the 396th OLD FIRM DERBY at Ibrox on Sunday.

Scotland international wideman SCOTT NAISMITH of Rangers and English striker GARY HOOPER of Celtic had traded first half goals before abysmal goalkeeping from Scottish international ALLAN MACGREGOR between the sticks for Rangers allowed Celtic’s Morocco international defender BADR EL KADDOURI, an Old Firm rookie on loan from Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev, to find the back of the net in the 41st minute with the most routine of shots from long range.

But new trainer ALLY MCCOIST’s men leveled the match with a header from Croatia international striker NIKICA JELAVIC ten minutes in the second stanza. And Northern Ireland international striker KYLE LAFFERTY lifted Rangers to the lead with a second-chance strike in the 72nd minute. After Celtic had former Scotland U-21 international CHARLES MULGREW dismissed for a second yellow card with fifteen minutes remaining, Naismith tacked on his second goal to delight the home side faithful in injury time.

A symbolic result considering Rangers went unbeaten with nine wins in their last ten matches to overtake Celtic by a solitary point and snatch the S.P.L. title last term. With the 4-2 win at Ibrox, Rangers also stretched their record in the magnificent Old Firm Derby to 158 wins, 143 losses and 95 draws. This Old Firm encounter marked the 301st meeting in the Scottish top flight and saw the Rangers win their 118th match while Celtic were denied their 100th career win against their eternal enemy for a second consecutive time.

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Israel international midfielder BIRAM KAYAL (33) of Celtic, who made 21 appearances and scored two goals his first season in Scottish Premier League after signing from FC Maccabi Haifa for a transfer fee of 1.8 million English pounds in July of 2010, lands on top of Scotland international winger STEVEN NAISMITH, the Rangers’ two-goal scorer on the day, during the 396th Old Firm Derby at Ibrox Stadium on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow.
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396th Old Firm Derby
September 18, 2011
Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow

RANGERS : MacGregor – Whittaker, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac – Naismith, Davis, Edu, Wylde – Lafferty (McCulloch 80′), Jelavic (Healy 90′)

CELTIC : Forster – M. Wilson, Loovens, K. Wilson, El Kaddouri (Stokes 63′) – Brown (Forrest 74′), Kayal, Ki, Mulgrew – Samaras (Bangura 83′), Hooper

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Scotland international winger STEVE NAISMITH of Rangers (left) celebrates his first career Old Firm strike by signaling to Celtic supporters after scoring the opening goal of the match while a pair of The Bhoys, South Korea World Cup midfielder SUNG-YUENG KI and Morocco international defender BADR EL KADDOURI (4), discuss what went wrong.
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English striker GARY HOOPER of Celtic adroitly curls the ball around Rangers’ Scotland international goalkeeper ALLAN MACGREGOR (1) and inside the far post to score his fourth goal in the S.P.L. this season.
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Hands on the head for one man as well as the astonished looks on the faces of the younger fans in the stands behind the net say it all as Rangers goalkeeper ALLAN MACGREGOR has a complete nightmare and gifts the not-pictured Morocco international defender BADR EL KADDOURI of Celtic an easy goal.
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Croatia international striker NIKICA JELAVIC (9), who scored 16 goals in 23 Scottish Premier League games for Rangers last term after transferring from Austrian club SK Rapid Vienna in a deal worth 4.0 million English pounds, rises above the Celtic defense to head the ball down and score his third goal of this S.P.L. season with a bounce.
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Northern Ireland international striker KYLE LAFFERTY (11), who scored 15 goals in all competitions for Rangers last season, takes advantage of a second bite at the apple and left-foots the record Scottish champion to the lead against Glasgow intra-city rival Celtic in the 396th Old Firm Derby.
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Scotland international winger STEVEN NAISMITH (14) of Rangers wheels away after scoring his second goal of the game and sixth of the season in the Scottish Premier League as the Celtic pair of English goalkeeper FRASER FORSTER and Ireland international striker ANTHONY STOKES (10) can only look at the ball in the back of the net at Ibrox.

PSV Eindhoven 0 – Glasgow Rangers 0

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PSV Eindhoven winger JEREMAIN LENS (9), the newly-capped Holland international purchased from AZ 67 Alkmaar for 6.25 million Euros this past summer, attempts to pull away from Glasgow Rangers’ United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU (7) at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (Ermindo Armino/AP)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 16, first leg
3/10/2011

0 – PSV Eindhoven (HOL)
0 – Glasgow Rangers (SCT)

For all their possession and overwhelming advantage in attempts-at-goal, Dutch Eredivisie leaders PSV EINDHOVEN were held to a scoreless draw by the stubborn defending of visiting Scottish side GLASGOW RANGERS in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 knockout tie.

Reserve goalkeeper NEIL ALEXANDER, who has earned three caps in his career for Scotland, was given the start between the sticks by Rangers manager WALTER SMITH on his 33rd birthday and did all that was required of him to turn in a clean sheet.

Brazilian defender MARCELO, who netted the third goal in PSV Eindhoven’s decisive 3-1 win over French club OSC Lille in the previous round of the Europa League, had a marvelous opportunity to win the match for the Rood-witten but headed wide at the far post with the goal at his mercy and less than twenty minutes remaining .

Hungary international winger BALAZS DZSUDZSAK, who leads PSV Eindhoven with 21 goals in all competitions this season, was sufficiently held in check by the five-man backline of Glasgow Rangers, who are missing several first-team regulars due to injury.

Sweden international midfielder OLA TOIVONEN, second on the Boeren with 18 goals from all games and currently serving a suspension in the Dutch top flight, was also unable to get his name on the scoresheet for PSV Eindhoven.

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With club captain and 40-year-old Scotland international defender DAVID WEIR (3) caught in between, Glasgow Rangers’ reserve goalkeeper NEIL ALEXANDER (25)punches the ball away from Holland international winger JEREMAIN LENS (9) of PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion. (Ermindo Armino/AP)
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PSV EINDHOVEN : Isaksson – Manolev, Marcelo, Bouma, Pieters – Engelaar, Hutchinson – Lens, Toivonen (Bakkal 84′), Dzsudzsak – Berg (Koevermans 70′)

GLASGOW RANGERS : Alexander – Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Bartley, Foster – Lafferty (Wylde 80′), Edu, Hutton, Davis – Diouf (Weiss 64′)

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Sweden international MARCUS BERG, the striker out on loan from German Bundesliga club SV Hamburg who has scored just two goals in Europe for PSV Eindhoven this term, cannot negotiate Glasgow Rangers reserve goalkeeper NEIL ALEXANDER (25) at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (Ermindo Armino/AP)

FA Cup Replay – Celtic Clip Rangers In Card-Filled, Contentious Affair

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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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Sporting Lisbon 2 – Glasgow Rangers 2

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Algeria World Cup defender MADJID BOUGHERRA of Glasgow Rangers attempts to knock the ball away from Sporting Lisbon’s Chile World Cup midfielder MATIAS FERNANDEZ (14), scorer of the equalizing goal at Ibrox in Scotland last week, during the second leg of the UEFA Europa League elimination tie at the Estadio Jose Alvalarde in the capital city of Portugal. (Armando Franca/AP)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32
2/24/2011

2 – Sporting Lisbon (POR) —————- Mendes 42′, Djalo 83′
2 – Glasgow Rangers (SCT) ————— Diouf 19′, Edu 90+2′

A late goal well into injury time mortally wounded the advancement ambitions of the hosts as visiting Scottish club GLASGOW RANGERS drew 2-2 with Portuguese side SPORTING LISBON in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round of 32 engagement….on the strength of away goals, it is Rangers who will progress to the next stage of the tournament.

Senegal international striker EL HADJI DIOUF, the two-time African Footballer of the Year recently arrived on loan from English Premier League outfit Blackburn Rovers, scored his first career goal for Rangers in the 19th minute by heading the long cross of Northern Ireland midfielder STEVEN DAVIS down and past Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper RUI PATRICIO.

Portugal World Cup midfielder PEDRO MENDES, who made exactly 50 appearances and notched four goals for Rangers in all competitions before being sold to Sporting Lisbon for 1.28 million Euros thirteen months ago, pulled Leoes level with a curling shot from just beyond the penalty arc after Rangers had failed to clear a ball properly three minutes before the halftime whistle.

Portugal international striker YANNICK DJALO looked to have settled the issue in Sporting Lisbon’s favor after arriving at the far post to head home the cross of Portugal international fullback JOAO PEREIRA in the 83rd minute.

But Rangers refused to quit and were rewarded when Northern Ireland international striker DAVID HEALY, sent on to replace Diouf, delivered a low cross for Untied States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU to stab home in the second minute of injury time.

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Sporting Lisbon striker YANNICK DJALO (20), the 24-year-old youth team product who earned his first cap for Portugal this past fall, leaps over the would-be slide tackle of Rangers’ Algeria World Cup defender MADJID BOUGHERRA (24) at the Estadio Jose Alvalarde in the Portuguese capital city. (Rafael Marchante/Reuters)
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SPORTING LISBON : Patricio – Pereira, Torsiglieri, Polga, Evaldo – Mendes (Saleiro 81′) – Fernandez (Coelho 90+1′), Zapater, Abel – Postiga (Santos 87′), Djalo

GLASGOW RANGERS : McGregor – Bartley, Bougherra, Weir (Lafferty 70′), Papac, Foster – Fleck (Weiss 71′), Whittaker, Edu, Davis – Diouf (Healy 82′)

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(Francisco Seco/AP)
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(Armando Franca/AP)
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(Francisco Seco/AP)
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(Keith Campbell/thescottishsun.co.uk)
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(Armando Franca/AP)
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(Rafael Marchante/Reuters)
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(Armando Franca/AP)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Edu Goal Gives Rangers Edge In Europe

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Slovakia World Cup winger VLADIMIR WEISS (20) of Glasgow Rangers gives United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU a hug after the American’s late strike in injury time against Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the capital city of Portugal sent the Scottish club into the UEFA Europa League Round of 16. (Armando Franca/AP)
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United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU scored a last-gasp goal in time added on to give visiting GLASGOW RANGERS a vital 2-2 draw with SPORTING LISBON in the second leg of the Round of 32 knockout tie and ensure the Scottish capital city club advance in the UEFA Europa League on the strength of the “away goals” tie-breaker.

With the final whistle rapidly approaching, the American Edu stabbed home the cross of Northern Ireland international striker DAVID HEALY to score his second goal of the season for Rangers in Europe.

The 24-year-old Edu, who was purchased by the Glasgow club from Major League Soccer for 2.6 million English pounds in August of 2008, is enjoying his best campaign yet in Scotland after transferring from FC Toronto and has scored five goals for Rangers in all competitions this term.

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United Staes World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU (7) of Glasgow Rangers, a former All-American at the University of Maryland, controls the ball as Sporting Lisbon’s Chile World Cup midfielder MATIAS FERNANDEZ loses his balance during the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round of 32 match at Ibrox Stadium on the south bank of the River Clyde in the capital city of Scotland. (Graham Stuart/AFP/Getty Images)

392nd Old Firm Derby – Celtic Give Rangers Critical Clubbing

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South Korea World Cup midfielder SUNG-YUENG KI (18) of Glasgow Celtic, who was signed from FC Seoul in December of 2009 for 2.1 million English pounds, distributes a pass ahead of Glasgow Rangers’ Northern Ireland international midfielder STEVEN DAVIS (8) during the 392nd Old Firm Derby at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of Glasgow. (David Moir/Reuters)
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Two goals from English striker GARY HOOPER inside the first half hour sent table-toppers CELTIC on the way to a decisive 3-0 Scottish Premier League victory over RANGERS in the 392nd installment of the always-riveting OLD FIRM DERBY.

The purchase of 2.4 million English pounds from Scunthorpe United this past July gave Celtic the lead in the 17th minute with a smart shot through the legs of Rangers’ Scotland international goalkeeper ALAN MACGREGOR. The 23-year-old striker, whose shirt number indicates his year of birth, doubled the home side’s advantage with a sliding finish to a handsome ball from Honduras international fullback EMILIO IZAGUIRRE. With the brace against Rangers, Hoover boosted himself into the Celtic club lead with 13 league goals this season.

Newly-arrived winger KRIS COMMONS, who set up Hoover for the first goal of the game, achieved a unique hat trick of his own in the match.

After his acquisition from English Football League Championship (old second division) side Derby County for 300,000 English pounds at the end of January, the Scotland international needed just six minutes to score his first Celtic goal on his official club debut against FC Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup. The 27-year-old followed that up with a strike against Rangers to celebrate his Old Firm Derby debut during the 2-2 FA Cup draw a couple of weeks ago. A 70th minute goal against Rangers in the Scottish Premier League on his first-ever appearance at Parkhead capped a noteworthy triple play for Commons.

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Greece World Cup winger GEORGIOS SAMARAS (9) of Celtic, who scored both goals for the Bhoys in the Old Firm Derby just after the New Year, has the ball tackled away by Rangers’ sliding Algeria World Cup defender MADJID BOUGHERRA during the latest intra-city clash at Celtic Park in the Parkhead district of the Scottish capital city, Glasgow. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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It should be noted that, while Commons’ shot did swerve a bit at the end, the ball was far from unstoppable. It was, however, quite indicative of the Rangers performance. Scotland international goalkeeper ALLAN MCGREGOR and his Glasgow club constituents, coming off the 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon of Portugal in the UEFA Europa League, certainly had a below-par match against their eternal nemesis, Celtic.

The convincing 3-0 win over Rangers was critical in that Celtic stretched their lead at the top of the table to eight points. This renders the two games Rangers have in hand incapable of making up the margin between the two arch-rivals. The Bhoys, managed by former Northern Ireland international midfielder NEIL LENNON, do have one Old Firm Derby in the league yet to be played this season.

The one-sided result also marked Celtic’s 99th all-time triumph in the Scottish top flight for the great, historical intra-city fixture with Rangers.

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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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CELTIC : Forster – Wilson, Majstorovic, Mulgrew, Izaguirre – Brown, Kayal (Ki 60′), Ledley, Commons (Forrest 82′) – Samaras, Hooper (Stokes 85)

RANGERS : McGregor – Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac – Bartley – Naismith (Lafferty 46′), Davis, Edu, Diouf (Healy 67′) – Jelavic

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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(David Moir/Reuters)
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(Russell Cheyne/Reuters)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Glasgow Rangers 1 – Sporting Lisbon 1

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Senegal international attacker EL HADJI DIOUF of Glasgow Rangers, out on loan from English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers and fashioning a new hair color, seeks to pull away from Sporting Lisbon’s former Spain U-21 international midfielder ALBERTO ZAPATER (21), who was acquired along with a reported 6.5 million Euros from Italian Serie A side FC Genoa in exchange for Portugal World Cup midfielder Miguel Veloso this past summer, during the UEFA Europa League match at Ibrox Stadium in the capital city of Scotland. (Scott Heppell/AP)
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UEFA Europa League
Round of 32
2/17/2010

1 – Glasgow Rangers (SCT) ————– Whittaker 66′
1 – Sporting Lisbon (POR) ————— Fernandez 89′

A very late goal scored in the second-last minute of regulation radically changed the complexion of the tie as visiting Portuguese side SPORTING LISBON pulled level to draw 1-1 with GLASGOW RANGERS in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round of 32.

Scotland international STEVEN WHITTAKER, playing on the left side of midfield in Rangers manager WALTER SMITH’s adjusted European formation, had scored a big goal for the Glasgow club in Portugal back in April of 2008 when Rangers knocked Sporting Lisbon out of the old UEFA Cup at the quarterfinal stage.

The versatile 26-year-old struck again by outjumping Sporting Lisbon’s Portugal World Cup midfielder PEDRO MENDES — bought by Rangers from Premier League club FC Portsmouth for 3.0 million English pounds in the summer of 2008 but sold to the Leoes (Lions) for just 1.28 million Euros in January of 2010 — to head home the corner kick of Slovakia World Cup midfielder VLADIMIR WEISS and give the Ibrox side a 1-0 advantage in the 66th minute.

Rangers critically failed to widen their lead, however, thanks in part to the fine work of Sporting Lisbon’s Portugal international goalkeeper RUI PATRICIO. One particularly relevant statistic showed the shots-at-goal to be even for the match but the Glasgow club got twice as many efforts on target. The 23-year-old Patricio was credited with seven saves in all.

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(Scott Heppell/AP)
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Many questioned the selection of Northern Ireland international KYLE LAFFERTY as the lead striker in Smith’s 4-4-1-1 formation. The 26-year-old attacker, purchased from FC Burnley south of the border for 3.25 million English pounds in June of 2008, has scored just two goals in 18 Scottish Premier League games (12 starts) this season. The experience of 31-year-old DAVID HEALY, who has scored 35 goals in 84 international games for Northern Ireland, might have been a better option against the Portuguese visitors.

In direct contrast to Rangers, Sporting Lisbon made three substitutions in the later stages of the match. The fresh legs had an impact as the Glasgow club grew more and more conservative about going forward. The tactical changes bore fruit when Chile World Cup attacking midfielder MATIAS FERNANDEZ found himself all alone in the penalty area.

The 24-year-old, who originally transferred from traditional powerhouse CSD Colo Colo of Santiago to Spanish La Liga club CF Villareal for 8.7 million Euros in December of 2006 before signing with Sporting Lisbon for a fee of 3.635 million Euros in the summer of 2009, made no mistake with the cross of Portugal international defender JOAO PEREIRA and placed his header low far post.

Although the Leoes did pick up a vital away goal in the match, Sporting Lisbon’s 22-year-old captain and centerback DANIEL CARRICO was shown a yellow card and will miss the decisive return second leg against Rangers in Portugal.

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Sporting Lisbon’s striker YANNICK DJALO, the 24-year-old youth team product who earned his first cap for Portugal this past fall, attempts to split the Glasgow Rangers pair of United States World Cup midfielder MAURICE EDU and Bosnia / Herzegovina international defender SASA PAPAC (5) at Ibrox Stadium on the south bank of the River Clyde in the capital city of Scotland. (Scott Heppell/AP)
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GLASGOW RANGERS : MacGregor – Foster, Bougherra, Weir, Papac – Whittaker, Edu, Davis, Weiss – Diouf – Lafferty

SPORTING LISBON : Patricio – Pereira, Carrico, Polga, Evaldo – Mendes – Maniche (Fernandez 77′), Zapater – Cristiano (Salerio 74′) – Postiga (Solomao 85′), Djalo

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(Scott Heppell/AP)
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(PA/thescottishsun.co.uk)
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(Scott Heppell/AP)
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(Reuters/dailymail.co.uk)