Matches › 2023/24

Celtic 2–1 Rangers

Saturday 30 December 2023, 12:30 · Celtic Park · Round 21 · Half-time 1–0 · Referee Nick Walsh · Attendance 59,664

Celtic Bernardo 25', Furuhashi 47'

Rangers Tavernier 88' · Balogun sent off 71'

Post-match

Result and Expected Points

Measure	Celtic	Rangers
Goals	2	1
xG	0.64	0.97
Expected Points	1.04	1.59

Celtic 22%Draw 37%Rangers 41%

Most likely score 0–0, 20%. Final score 2–1, 4%.

Own goals have no xG.

xG race

Each side's xG added up shot by shot through the match. Stoppage time is shaded as far as the last shot or event recorded in it. Triangles along the foot mark each side's substitutions.

Match stats

CelticRangers

0.64 −2.23xG0.97 −1.46

1.01 −1.82xG on target0.59 −1.61

12 −10Shots14 −7

5 −2.9Shots on target3 −4.1

1 −3.2Big chances0 −3.7

22 −27Touches in the opposition box23 −13

56% −14Possession44% −20

478 −192Passes371 −186

80% −6Pass accuracy71% −12

71% −9Field tilt29% −45

63 −13Final-third entries33 −27

13 −12Box entries15 −4

10.7 0Passes per defensive action11.1 0

4 −6.6Corners2 −4.6

17 +2Tackles23 +8

7 +1.8Interceptions15 +7.5

18 +3Clearances20 +5

2 +0.4Saves3 +1.1

18 +8.8Fouls14 +3.2

3 +0.9Offsides1 −1.1

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

Celtic

Rangers

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

CelticRangers

0.48 9 shots, 1 goalOpen play0.81 10 shots, 0 goals

0.05 1 shot, 0 goalsCounter-attacks0.05 1 shot, 0 goals

0.11 2 shots, 1 goalSet pieces0.10 3 shots, 1 goal

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

Game state

0–01–02–02–1

Level: 25 min (25%) · Celtic 0.29, Rangers 0.33 xG
Celtic ahead: 74 min (75%) · Celtic 0.36, Rangers 0.64 xG

Line-ups

Celtic substitutes

35' Nawrocki for Welsh · yellow card 87'
71' Turnbull for Bernardo · yellow card 80'
82' Oh for Furuhashi · yellow card 90+9'
83' Abada for Palma
83' M. Johnston for Maeda

Rangers substitutes

69' Dowell for Cantwell
70' Wright for Sima
77' Souttar for Lundstram · yellow card 90+9'

Players

Celtic

Player	Pos	Min	G	A	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Hart	GK	90			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	0	1
A. Johnston	RB	90			0.00	0.07	1	0.18	14	6
Welsh	CB	35			0.00	0.00	0	0.01	1	1
Scales	CB	90			0.00	0.01	0	0.14	13	6
Taylor	LB	90			0.03	0.12	1	0.10	4	4
O'Riley	CM	90		1	0.00	0.07	1	0.03	4	2
McGregor	CM	90			0.06	0.03	2	0.06	6	7
Bernardo	CM	71	1		0.21	0.02	0	0.00	1	3
Maeda	RW	83			0.00	0.01	0	−0.08	0	1
Furuhashi	ST	82	1		0.20	0.01	0	0.02	2	3
Palma	LW	83			0.03	0.23	3	0.30	7	0
Nawrocki	DF	55			0.00	0.00	0	0.08	9	11
Turnbull	MF	19			0.04	0.07	1	0.07	6	1
Oh	FW	8			0.00	0.00	1	0.01	1	1
Abada	FW	7			0.08	0.01	0	0.04	3	0
M. Johnston	FW	7			0.00	0.00	0	0.02	2	0

Rangers

Player	Pos	Min	G	xG	xA	KP	xT	Prog	Def
Butland	GK	90		0.00	0.01	1	0.05	3	1
Tavernier	RB	90	1	0.09	0.10	2	0.20	13	15
Goldson	CB	90		0.00	0.00	0	0.01	2	5
Balogun	CB	71		0.00	0.00	0	0.02	3	4
Yilmaz	LB	90		0.00	0.02	0	0.05	3	7
Sterling	DM	90		0.00	0.05	0	0.15	9	10
Lundstram	DM	77		0.01	0.04	2	0.09	7	11
McCausland	RW	90		0.17	0.04	2	0.10	6	4
Cantwell	AM	69		0.33	0.01	0	−0.01	1	1
Sima	LW	70		0.07	0.02	0	0.02	0	2
Dessers	ST	90		0.10	0.18	3	0.17	3	0
Dowell	FW	21		0.03	0.01	0	0.02	1	1
Wright	FW	20		0.15	0.00	0	0.01	0	0
Souttar	DF	13		0.00	0.01	0	0.03	2	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

Celtic

Rangers

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

Celtic

From	To	Passes
Hart	Scales	17
Taylor	Palma	15
McGregor	A. Johnston	13
O'Riley	A. Johnston	12
A. Johnston	O'Riley	11

Rangers

From	To	Passes
Goldson	Tavernier	12
Tavernier	Sterling	9
Lundstram	Yilmaz	9
Tavernier	Goldson	8
Tavernier	McCausland	8

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

Defensive actions

Celtic

Against its average of 20 matches

Rangers

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

Celtic

Rangers

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
Celtic
Title	53%	68%	+15
Rangers
Title	47%	32%	−15

From the forecast before the match (30 December 2023): 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	Celtic	Rangers
Expected goals	1.49	1.15
Win	44%	29%
Expected Points	1.60	1.13
Clean sheet	32%	23%

Celtic 44%Draw 27%Rangers 29%

Most likely score 1–1, 13%. Both sides score 54%.

From the forecast as it stood on 30 December 2023: each side's attack and defence ratings in a Dixon–Coles score model, as on the Forecasts page.

League probabilities by result

Chance	Now	Celtic win	Draw	Rangers win
Celtic
Title	53%	68%	50%	31%
Rangers
Title	47%	32%	50%	69%

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

Celtic

Rangers

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

Season to date

Measure	Celtic	Rangers
Position	1st	2nd
Played	20	18
Won, drawn, lost	15–⁠3–⁠2	14–⁠1–⁠3
Points	48 (2.40 per game)	43 (2.39 per game)
Expected Points per game	2.43	2.48
Goals	48–⁠14	37–⁠8
xG per game	2.87–⁠0.87	2.43–⁠0.54
Home: points, xG per game	2.30, 3.33–⁠0.69	2.33, 2.39–⁠0.61
Away: points, xG per game	2.50, 2.41–⁠1.04	2.44, 2.48–⁠0.47
Manager	Brendan Rodgers (20)	Philippe Clement (10)

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	Celtic		Rangers
Chances	Created	Conceded	Created	Conceded
Open play	+126%	−20%	+85%	−60%
Counter-attacks	+196%	−67%	+43%	−60%
Set pieces	+41%	−38%	+34%	−43%
Penalties	+158%	−100%	+187%	−100%
Headers	+41%	−26%	+52%	−56%
Left side	+119%	−16%	+56%	−40%
Centre	+92%	−26%	+65%	−65%
Right side	+127%	−48%	+85%	−52%

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

Celtic attacking

Celtic createdRangers concededLeft side+119%−52%Centre+92%−65%Right side+127%−40%Open play+126%−60%Counter-attacks+196%−60%Set pieces+41%−43%Headers+41%−56%

Rangers attacking

Rangers createdCeltic concededLeft side+56%−48%Centre+65%−26%Right side+85%−16%Open play+85%−20%Counter-attacks+43%−67%Set pieces+34%−38%Headers+52%−26%

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

CelticRangers

2.87xG2.43

0.87xG against0.54

70%Possession64%

21.9Shots21.0

7.3Shots against6.8

7.9Shots on target7.1

4.2Big chances3.7

48.9Touches in the opposition box35.8

670Passes557

85%Pass accuracy82%

10.6Corners6.6

81%Field tilt73%

76.4Final-third entries60.4

25.4Box entries18.7

10.4Passes per defensive action11.3

Per league match this season before kick-off.

Game state this season

Celtic

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	43	2.76	0.65
Ahead	41	3.11	1.19
Behind	6	1.94	0.16

Rangers

State	Minutes per game	xG per 90	xG against per 90
Level	24	2.25	0.79
Ahead	49	2.33	0.40
Behind	17	3.00	0.59

xG by period

Celtic

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.37	0.10	5–2
16–30	0.52	0.08	7–2
31–45	0.31	0.17	6–1
46–60	0.54	0.11	8–1
61–75	0.32	0.18	4–4
76–90	0.80	0.22	18–4

Rangers

Minutes	xG per game	xG against	Goals
1–15	0.24	0.12	3–3
16–30	0.42	0.08	11–0
31–45	0.41	0.06	4–2
46–60	0.34	0.10	1–0
61–75	0.42	0.09	6–2
76–90	0.61	0.10	12–1

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

Most used players by position

Celtic

Rangers

Formations: 4-2-3-1 (11), 4-3-3 (5), 4-3-1-2 (2)

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
3 September 2023	Rangers	0–1	Celtic	xG 1.80–0.95
13 May 2023	Rangers	3–0	Celtic	xG 1.57–1.34
8 April 2023	Celtic	3–2	Rangers	xG 1.09–0.69
2 January 2023	Rangers	2–2	Celtic	xG 2.00–1.17
3 September 2022	Celtic	4–0	Rangers	xG 1.88–0.79
1 May 2022	Celtic	1–1	Rangers	xG 1.20–1.43

13 league meetings since 2020/21: Celtic won 5, Rangers won 5, and 3 were drawn. Goals 18–18 and xG 1.27–1.14 per game.

Key players

Celtic

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Turnbull	9	656	7	0	0.73	0.40
Oh	3	573	5	0	0.95	0.05
Palma	12	953	5	9	0.45	0.52
Furuhashi	17	1,362	7	3	0.70	0.13

Rangers

Player	Starts	Min	G	A	xG per 90	xA per 90
Danilo	5	529	4	1	0.98	0.09
Tavernier	18	1,611	9	5	0.47	0.31
Dessers	12	961	6	1	0.65	0.10
Sima	13	1,226	9	2	0.48	0.16

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