IT’S a match up which has always been box office – and very soon it could be coming back to a stadium near you.
Rangers vs Celtic usually tends to be an eye-catching occasion – the most recent goalless snooze-fest excepted.
And there was something extra special in the air when Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers were in the respective Glasgow hot seats – even though they met in Old Firm battle just TWICE.
Of those matches, there was one win apiece, although Gerrard is actually unbeaten in his last three encounters against Rodgers.
That’s when you throw in a 2-1 win and goalless draw in their only two meetings south of the border when Gerrard was with Aston Villa and Rodgers was with Leicester respectively.
While the relationship between the two men has always been respectful, they tended to keep their distance whilst in Glasgow.
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So close to achieving greatness together whilst at Liverpool, it was Rodgers who took the decision to start using the England legend more sparingly whilst at Liverpool – and it’s a message Gerrard may not have been particularly keen to hear.
Whatever the backstory, Gerrard managed to transform the personal head to head between these two Glasgow giants during his time at the club.
That’s because – form the penalty kick victory Mark Warburton‘s side achieved in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers back in April 16, the Ibrox men had gone ELEVEN Old Firm matches without a win when Gerrard arrived in Glasgow.
The last two Ibrox defeats had come in particularly wounding fashion, 4-0 and 5-0.
And while he lost his first Old Firm match to a solitary Olivier Ntcham goal in September 18, Gerrard successfully managed to turn that record on its head – winning EIGHT of his 13 Old Firm matches in all.
with the eighth against an early Ange Postecoglou side courtesy of a thumping Filip Helander header.
It’s a record his predecessors would be unable to recreate – with the Gers winning just FOUR of the 16 matches since.
Here’s SunSport’s complete run down of Gerrard’s Old Firm meetings to date.
He could be back in a dugout at the Glasgow grudge match as soon as the start of next month in a Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
vs Brendan Rodgers
Sep 2, 2018 – Celtic 1 (Ntcham 62) Rangers 0
Tight game settled by the Frenchman’s goal just after the hour mark. Rangers felt Ryan Jack was fouled in the lead-up to the goal.
Dec 29, 2018 – Rangers 1 (Jack 30) Celtic 0
Revenge for the former Aberdeen man who steers in the opener to give the Gers their first Old Firm win in years in front of a raucous crowd.
vs Neil Lennon
March 31, 2019 – Celtic 2 (Edouard 27, Forrest 87) Rangers 1 (Kent 63) – Morelos and Halliday sent off
Lennon takes over with the title in the balance and a lively encounter is settled when Celtic Park sees Forrest capitalise after a James Tavernier error. Morelos is sent off during the match, Halliday goes off later while Ryan Kent is handed a two-match ban for a ‘punch’ on Scott Brown.
Rangers 2 (Tavernier 2, Arfield 63), Celtic 0
The league was gone already but a Tavernier free kick and fine Arfield strike gave the Gers back-to-back home wins over Celtic for the first time in seven years
Rangers 0 Celtic 2 (Eduard 32, Hayes 90) – Jordan Jones sent off
Lennon’s Hoops get the first Old Firm win under their belt in the 2019-20 campaign, with Jordan Jones sent off for a shocker on Moritz Bauer late on.
**League Cup final** Rangers 0 Celtic 1 (Jullien 60) – Frimpong sent off 63
A massive match in Gerrard’s Gers career as the Ibrox side boss this one for most of the day, but Morelos misses a hatful of chances, including from the penalty spot as Fraser Forster saves. Jullien converts a free kick from a suspiciously offside position and ten-man Hoops win the trophy.
Celtic 1 (Edouard 41) Rangers 2 (Kent 36, Katic 56) – Morelos sent off 90
Another bonkers one, as Gerrard goes wild in front of the cameras as the Ibrox men win at Parkhead for the first time in aeons. Kent does a machine gun celebration, Morelos does a ‘slit throat’ gesture to the crowd and Michael Beale and John Kennedy have to be separated on the touchline. But Covid would quickly intervene and cut this campaign short.
Celtic 0 Rangers 2 (Goldson 9, 54)
Eerie empty stadiums but a BIG win for the Ibrox side at the home of their rivals as Goldson scores two and Shane Duffy endures a particularly uncomfortable afternoon.
Rangers 1 (McGregor og 70) Celtic 0 – Bitton sent off 82
A huge turning point as the Ibrox side win title No 55 as Aribo contests a corner and it flicks into the net off the luckless McGregor. Bitton’s straight red for hauling down Morelos put paid to Hoops’ hopes.
vs John Kennedy
Celtic 1 (Elyounoussi 23) Rangers 1 (Morelos 38)
John Kennedy has relieved Neil Lennon in charge of Celtic and he at least managed a fighting draw at Parkhead. The match was memorable for a touching gesture between Scott Brown and Glen Kamara after the Rangers star was on the wrong end of racism from Slavia Prague players.
**Scottish Cup fourth round** Rangers 2 (Davis 10, Kenny 34 og) Celtic 0
Gerrard’s side were coasting by now and they knocked the Hoops out of a delayed Scottish Cup with a comfortable Ibrox win, with Steven Davis opening the scoring.
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Rangers 4 (Roofe 26, 57, Morelos 33, Defoe 90) Celtic 1 (Edouard 32) – McGregor sent off 32
The Ibrox men round off the season with a thumping Ibrox win, as McGregor sees red and the Gers score four goals against their city rivals for the first time since 2011.
vs Ange Postecoglou
Rangers 1 (Helander 66) Celtic 0
Gerrard’s only joust with Postecoglou prior to his departure to Aston Villa, it was actually coaches Gary McAllister and Michael Beale who take charge, with rookie goalkeeper Robby McCrorie thrust into the heat of Old Firm battle after a Covid outbreak in camp.
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