Brendan Rodgers just knows how to win on derby day as Celtic manager.
Rangers headed into this afternoon’s clash at Parkhead as the form side under Philippe Clement having gone unbeaten since the Belgian boss arrived in the dugout for the Light Blues. But stunning goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo were enough to see off the old rivals in the east end of Glasgow despite a late James Tavernier free-kick which silenced the stadium.
There was the small issue of a Leon Balogun red card for a last-man challenge on Daizen Maeda and there were plenty of controversial incidents inside what ultimately ended with a whopping 12 minutes of stoppage time.
Football Scotland has your VAR watch from an afternoon that certainly kept Willie Collum in the tech truck and referee Nick Walsh busy.
AJ handball
It’s clear it hit his hand, let’s clear it up before we start. The debate rages on about whether or not the Canadian’s arm was in an unnatural position. Most pundits reckoned it should’ve been a spot-kick after he punched the ball out of play, essentially. That was compounded, for Gers fans, by the fact that he’d already been booked and would’ve been shown a red.
The fact that not even a corner was given was telling but it was later pointed out that Abdallah Sima was offside in the build-up which would’ve made it a moot point in the end.
Them’s the rules! Celtic were incredibly lucky, it must be said, when Paulo Bernardo wasn’t booked for a foul on Connor Goldson. He’d already been shown a yellow earlier in the game and the fact that Nick Walsh didn’t flash another for a second foul meant VAR couldn’t have a closer look and tell the ref he should’ve. The Portuguese was subbed shortly after.
Elbow debate?
Alistair Johnston, another who was already on a booking, clocked Sima with an elbow as he jumped for a header. Walsh seemingly felt it was for leverage and not with malice which saved the full-back. Again, he could’ve been booked for it in an isolated incident but when the ref refused, that was that.
Balogun red
This was clear-cut. The Nigerian got caught for pace and wiped out Daizen Maeda, and as the last man he had no chance. Walsh got it spot on himself and needed no interventions.
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