Matches › 2020/21

Rangers 1–0 Celtic

Saturday 2 January 2021, 12:30 · Ibrox Stadium · Round 22 · Half-time 0–0

Rangers McGregor 70' (og)

Celtic Bitton sent off 62'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Rangers	Celtic
Goals	1	0
xG	0.58	0.61
Expected Points	1.24	1.31

Rangers 26%Draw 45%Celtic 29%

Most likely score 0–0, 31%. Final score 1–0, 17%.

Own goals have no xG.

xG race

Each side's xG added up shot by shot through the match. Triangles along the foot mark each side's substitutions.

Match stats

RangersCeltic

0.58 −1.80xG0.61 −1.61

0.00 −2.26xG on target0.59 −1.88

10 −8Shots13 −6

0 −6.4Shots on target3 −4.4

0 −3.2Big chances0 −3.1

13 −18Touches in the opposition box21 −10

51% −16Possession49% −19

436 −183Passes412 −187

74% −11Pass accuracy74% −12

51% −29Field tilt49% −26

41 −18Final-third entries44 −26

5 −13Box entries12 −6

10.7 0Passes per defensive action7.7 −2

2 −5.2Corners6 −0.6

28 +14Tackles18 +6

24 +15.3Interceptions22 +13.1

18 +7Clearances5 −9

3 +1.6Saves0 −1.3

15 +4Fouls19 +8

0 −1.6Offsides3 +1.8

The small figure beside each value is its difference from the side's average per league match this season before this one. Field tilt is each side's share of the open-play passes completed in the final third; entries are completed open-play passes and carries into the final third and the box; passes per defensive action (PPDA) counts the opponent's passes in its own 60% of the pitch for each tackle, interception, challenge, or foul there.

Chance locations

Zones Shots

Rangers

Celtic

Each area's share of the side's xG from open play and set pieces, with the xG in it. The two wide areas of the box count together, as on the club pages. Shots shows each of those shots instead, sized by its xG, with goals filled in.

Chance types

RangersCeltic

0.42 7 shots, 0 goalsOpen play0.45 10 shots, 0 goals

0.16 3 shots, 0 goalsSet pieces0.17 3 shots, 0 goals

xG by type of chance, with each side's shots and goals beside it.

Game state

0–01–0

Level: 70 min (78%) · Rangers 0.45, Celtic 0.56 xG
Rangers ahead: 20 min (22%) · Rangers 0.13, Celtic 0.06 xG

Line-ups

Rangers substitutes

46' Hagi for Roofe
77' Itten for Morelos
87' Zungu for Kent
90' Barker for Aribo

Celtic substitutes

65' Duffy for Griffiths · yellow card 75'
65' Elyounoussi for Turnbull
72' Brown for Soro
73' Elhamed for Christie
84' Rogic for McGregor

Players

Rangers

Player	Pos	Min	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
McGregor	GK	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.02	3	1
Tavernier	RB	90	0.00	0.12	1	0.10	11	6
Goldson	CB	90	0.06	0.02	1	−0.02	5	10
Balogun	CB	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	8
Barisic	LB	90	0.05	0.10	1	0.04	6	12
Aribo	CM	90	0.09	0.38	2	0.26	5	8
Davis	CM	90	0.00	0.02	0	0.05	4	11
Kamara	CM	90	0.00	0.04	0	0.09	9	6
Roofe	RW	46	0.00	0.01	0	0.00	2	1
Morelos	ST	77	0.23	0.02	0	−0.03	0	2
Kent	LW	87	0.05	0.04	1	0.03	6	0
Hagi	FW	44	0.04	0.02	2	0.03	2	4
Itten	FW	13	0.04	0.00	0	0.00	0	3
Zungu	MF	3	0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	1
Barker	FW	0	0.00	0.00	0	–	–	0

Celtic

Player	Pos	Min	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Barkas	GK	90	0.00	0.00	0	0.03	3	0
Frimpong	RB	90	0.00	0.04	0	0.16	15	1
Ajer	CB	90	0.00	0.01	0	0.06	3	7
Bitton	CB	62	0.10	0.01	0	0.05	4	6
Laxalt	LB	90	0.00	0.03	0	0.11	7	8
Soro	DM	72	0.00	0.00	0	0.02	1	3
Christie	CM	73	0.07	0.05	1	0.02	6	5
Turnbull	AM	65	0.00	0.13	2	−0.01	1	1
McGregor	CM	84	0.05	0.03	2	−0.01	10	4
Griffiths	ST	65	0.18	0.04	3	−0.03	2	0
Edouard	ST	90	0.16	0.01	2	0.21	1	2
Duffy	DF	25	0.00	0.00	0	0.00	1	6
Elyounoussi	FW	25	0.03	0.02	0	0.03	1	3
Brown	MF	18	0.00	0.00	0	0.00	1	2
Elhamed	DF	17	0.00	0.00	0	0.02	0	4
Rogic	FW	6	0.03	0.00	0	0.01	0	0

Starters, then substitutes in the order they came on. KP is chances created and Def defensive actions (tackles, blocks, clearances, and interceptions). xT is the expected threat added by the player's completed open-play passes and carries, and Prog counts progressive passes and carries.

Pass networks

Rangers

Celtic

Each starter at the average position of their passes and receptions until the side's first substitution or red card, sized by completed passes. Lines join pairs who passed to each other often, thicker for more passes.

Passing combinations

Rangers

From	To	Passes
Barisic	Kent	11
Goldson	Tavernier	11
Kamara	Barisic	11
Kent	Kamara	10
Kamara	Kent	9

Celtic

From	To	Passes
Ajer	Frimpong	18
Ajer	Bitton	16
Bitton	Ajer	13
Bitton	Laxalt	12
Frimpong	Christie	11

The five pairs with the most completed passes from one to the other over the whole match.

Defensive actions

Rangers

Against its average of 21 matches

Celtic

Against its average of 18 matches

Where each side made its tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks, recoveries, challenges, and fouls, attacking up the page. Areas are shaded by the difference from the side's average per match this season before this one: amber for more, blue for fewer.

Threat

Rangers

Celtic

Expected threat added by completed open-play passes and carries, by where the move started, attacking up the page. Expected threat is the chance that possession in an area leads to a goal; a move adds the difference between where it ends and where it starts.

Ratings

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday (ring) and after it (dot); a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs after the matchday, spread up and down only so they don't overlap. The change takes in the whole matchday.

League probabilities

Chance	Before	With this result	Change
Rangers
Title	94%	98%	+4
Celtic
Title	6%	2%	−4

From the forecast before the match (2 January 2021): each chance then, and across the simulations in which the match ended this way. The change is in percentage points.

Pre-match

As things stood before kick-off.

Forecast

Measure	Rangers	Celtic
Expected goals	1.46	1.11
Win	45%	28%
Expected Points	1.61	1.11
Clean sheet	33%	23%

Rangers 45%Draw 27%Celtic 28%

Most likely score 1–1, 13%. Both sides score 52%.

From the forecast as it stood on 2 January 2021: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	Rangers win	Draw	Celtic win
Rangers
Title	94%	98%	94%	87%
Celtic
Title	6%	2%	6%	13%

Each chance before the match and across the simulations ending in each result. Other teams are listed where a chance moves by at least 3 percentage points.

Form

Rangers

Celtic

The last six league matches, newest first, with xG for and against.

Season to date

Measure	Rangers	Celtic
Position	1st	2nd
Played	21	18
Won, drawn, lost	19–⁠2–⁠0	13–⁠4–⁠1
Points	59 (2.81 per game)	43 (2.39 per game)
Expected Points per game	2.48	2.07
Goals	56–⁠5	45–⁠14
xG per game	2.38–⁠0.50	2.22–⁠0.97
Home: points, xG per game	3.00, 2.64–⁠0.55	2.44, 2.05–⁠0.83
Away: points, xG per game	2.64, 2.14–⁠0.45	2.33, 2.38–⁠1.11
Manager	Steven Gerrard (21)	Neil Lennon (18)

League matches this season before kick-off. The manager's number is league matches in charge since 2020/21.

Ratings

This season

The goals each side would score (attack) and concede (defence) per game against an average team, from the forecast ratings before this matchday, with their rank among the league's clubs; a lower defence number is better. Grey dots are the other clubs, spread up and down only so they don't overlap.

Strengths and weaknesses

Chances	Rangers		Celtic
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	+110%	−57%	+81%	−44%
Counter-attacks	+98%	−25%	+250%	−42%
Set pieces	+29%	−61%	+31%	−14%
Penalties	+48%	−100%	+44%	+44%
Headers	+51%	−55%	+15%	−49%
Left side	+43%	−43%	+75%	−32%
Centre	+100%	−61%	+78%	−27%
Right side	+101%	−63%	+60%	−55%

xG created and conceded per game against the league average this season: +24% is 24% more than an average side. Left and right are each side's own, so chances conceded on its left come from opponents attacking down their right. Green favours the side and amber doesn't.

Matchups

Rangers attacking

Rangers createdCeltic concededLeft side+43%−55%Centre+100%−27%Right side+101%−32%Open play+110%−44%Counter-attacks+98%−42%Set pieces+29%−14%Headers+51%−49%

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdRangers concededLeft side+75%−63%Centre+78%−61%Right side+60%−43%Open play+81%−57%Counter-attacks+250%−25%Set pieces+31%−61%Headers+15%−55%

Each side's xG created per game down each side of the pitch, through the centre, and from each type of chance, against what its opponent concedes there, both relative to the league average.

Season averages

RangersCeltic

2.38xG2.22

0.50xG against0.97

68%Possession68%

17.9Shots19.3

5.2Shots against7.6

6.4Shots on target7.4

3.2Big chances3.1

31.3Touches in the opposition box30.5

619Passes599

85%Pass accuracy86%

7.2Corners6.6

80%Field tilt74%

59.5Final-third entries70.1

18.4Box entries17.7

10.6Passes per defensive action10.1

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Rangers

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	26	2.74	0.49
Ahead	60	2.20	0.53
Behind	4	2.75	0.10

Celtic

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	40	2.17	1.01
Ahead	41	2.37	0.98
Behind	9	1.75	0.76

xG by period

Rangers

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.31	0.13	6–1
16–30	0.45	0.07	16–1
31–45	0.30	0.05	9–1
46–60	0.49	0.05	9–0
61–75	0.41	0.09	9–1
76–90	0.42	0.10	7–1

Celtic

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.27	0.15	4–2
16–30	0.31	0.15	8–2
31–45	0.37	0.09	5–2
46–60	0.39	0.22	8–3
61–75	0.43	0.19	6–2
76–90	0.45	0.17	14–3

Per game this season, with stoppage time counted in its half; goals are totals for and against.

Most used players by position

Rangers

Formations: 4-3-3 (15), 4-2-3-1 (6)

Celtic

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (8), 3-5-2 (4), 4-1-3-2 (2), 3-4-2-1 (1), 3-5-1-1 (1), 3-4-1-2 (1), 3-1-4-2 (1)

This season's most used formation, with up to three players who started most often in each position and their league starts there. Underneath, when a side has used more than one, every formation with its starts.

Head to head

Date	Home	Score	Away	xG
17 October 2020	Celtic	0–2	Rangers	xG 0.55–1.50

1 league meeting since 2020/21: Rangers won 1, Celtic won 0, and 0 were drawn. Goals 2–0 and xG 1.50–0.55 per game.

Key players

Rangers

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Roofe	11	985	10	2	0.71	0.11
Tavernier	21	1,885	11	8	0.44	0.27
Morelos	13	1,097	4	1	0.50	0.14
Kent	20	1,638	5	4	0.28	0.30

Celtic

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Edouard	11	965	7	2	0.88	0.19
Turnbull	5	460	3	2	0.35	0.54
Elyounoussi	11	847	6	1	0.60	0.11
Christie	14	1,252	3	6	0.32	0.30

Up to four players a side with the most xG plus xA per 90 minutes, from those with at least 450 league minutes.