Wilfried Nancy’s first Glasgow Derby showdown with Rangers did not go as planned.
Rangers erased an early first-half deficit to defeat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead on Saturday, furthering pressure on the former Columbus Crew head coach. Saturday’s result drew Rangers level with Celtic on 38 points apiece in the Scottish Premiership table and handed Nancy his sixth defeat out of eight matches in charge.
Hyun-Jun Yang propelled the reigning champions in front after 20 minutes, giving Celtic a 1-0 lead that it would take into halftime. Yang raced upfield in possession before unleashing a powerful shot that snuck into the roof of the net.
However, Danny Rohl’s squad would rally in the second half and take advantage of some poor Celtic defending.
Youssef Chermiti equalized for the visitors in the 50th minute, finishing off Nicolas Raskin’s pass into the back of the net.
Chermiti dialed his own number for Rangers’ go-ahead goal in the 59th minute, racing down the left flank before drilling a shot past Kasper Schmeichel.
Mikey Moore added a third and final goal for Rangers with 20 minutes to play, slicing a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner.
Rangers held on for a vital three points against its local rivals, handing Celtic its third defeat out of the past five matches. Despite beating Rangers 3-1 in the League Cup semifinals earlier this season, Celtic has failed to claim a league win over them since September 2024.
U.S. men’s national team centerback Auston Trusty played the full 90 minutes in the match, but overall endured a rough day with the rest of the Celtic backline.
Celtic will seek to rebound quickly when Dundee United comes to town on January 10, however, there could be a new manager at the helm following Nancy’s poor start in Glasgow.