Rangers vs Celtic: Philippe Clement claims 'moral' victory after sensational comeback earns Old Firm draw

7 April 2024, 14:13 | Updated: 8 April 2024, 09:34

Philippe Clement hailed Rangers as "moral winners" of their Old Firm game with Celtic after they twice came from behind to keep the title race in their own hands.

Rangers found themselves 2-0 down at the interval after an abject opening 45 minutes, leaving Clement to deliver a half-time team talk he later told Sky Sports was better not repeated outside of the home dressing room.

A much-improved showing after the break finally looked to have earned a point when Abdallah Sima netted an 86th-minute equaliser, only for Adam Idah to restore Celtic's lead just 71 seconds later.

Substitute Rabbi Matondo would go on to have the final say, however, when his stunning curler from a tight angle rounded off the scoring to leave Rangers a point behind their title rivals with a game in hand.

Clement looked past his side's poor start and praised their ability to dig deep as a sign of winners, and said they now had to use that mentality in the coming weeks of the season as they look to lift the Premiership for the first time in three years.

• Rangers 3-3 Celtic - Match report
• How the teams lined up | Match stats

He told Sky Sports: "I'm happy about the reaction, they showed personality and at the end, we are the moral winners of this fight, of this game... with a lot of passion, everything these supporters want, everything this club wants.

"Everything this club is about, they showed in the second half.

"They need to show it in the next couple of weeks, too, in every challenge we have.

"There's a big evolution in that. They showed something special today. I always believed they had the quality to do it, and they showed it in the second half.

"It doesn't give guarantees, but if you keep pushing like we did in the second half, you can turn things even against a good team like Celtic."

Rangers thought they had pulled level earlier in the second half when Cyriel Dessers saw a goal ruled out by VAR for an earlier foul on the half-way line by Tom Lawrence.

The hosts continued to press despite the mental setback, leaving Clement all the more impressed by their reaction to the disappointment.

"It's the big step forward we didn't let negative emotions take over when the goal was disallowed," he added. "It's not a big foul, but you can give it as a foul. Nothing to say about that, but we continue now.

"In a team of real winners, they never give up. The dressing room showed that today."

Rodgers: Comeback penalty was Silva simulation

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was equally positive in his assessment of his team's performance but was less impressed by the manner in which Fabio Silva won a penalty for Rangers' first of their comeback goals after half-time.

The home side had come out the stronger from the break but had not seriously tested Joe Hart until Silva went down under Alistair Johnston's challenge in the box.

Initially referee John Beaton booked Silva for simulation, but awarded a penalty instead after visiting the VAR review monitor.

"The penalty changed the momentum. I thought it was a good decision on the pitch and watching it back on the replays it's good recovery defending from Johnston," Rodgers told Sky Sports.

"He gets a nick on the ball, and the player has gone down looking to simulate the penalty.

• Scottish Premiership table | Fixtures | Results
• Stream the Scottish Premiership & more with NOW

"That gave them a little lift in the game, then we're unlucky with the deflection for 2-2. Then you're looking at the response, and being here with no support to help us, the players got themselves back in front brilliantly.

"It's a great finish from Adam, and it looked like we'd go on to win it - then Matondo scores a very, very good goal.

"But to come here, play with that courage and mentality, have the heart and fight to get a result, to come away with it still in our hands, I'm very, very pleased."

The final Old Firm league meeting of the season will come at Celtic Park following the Premiership split after the final round of games next weekend, with that game potentially pivotal in deciding who goes on to lift the league trophy.

With that in mind, Rodgers said the manner of Celtic's performance would bode well for the next meeting between the two sides - and in turn, their title hopes.

He said: "We came here to win the game, but when I saw how we played today, and knowing in a few weeks' time we're going to be even better with a few of the guys getting extra fitness.

"We still have a job to do in the other games, but we play Rangers at home, and with our own crowd, our own backing, playing our own football, we're pleased today and hopefully we can use that going forward."

McFadden: Credit to Clement for turning game around

Former Scotland striker James McFadden had called out Celtic for failing to produce full 90-minute performances when dropping points earlier in the campaign.

But speaking on Sky Sports after the game, he said although the league leaders would feel they had let victory twice slip from their grasp, credit was due to Clement for leading Rangers' second-half comeback.

"The position Celtic found themselves in at half-time, they'll feel like they let this one slip, but you have to credit Philippe Clement, his change in approach," he said.

"They pressed much better in the second half, stopped Celtic having the same control they had before half-time.

"It became such an open game towards the end. It was such a brilliant game to watch because of the drama and how it's ended, it is a chance missed but it keeps Rangers in a nice position.

"It's one of them where you say it wasn't great, but you're still there, you're still fighting. It was a great game.

"It wasn't a 90-minute performance from Celtic, it's happened so many times this season but Rangers adjusted at half-time.

"They were braver in their pressure, they went high up, man for man, they stopped Celtic playing through them.

"There was an opportunity at restarts with Joe Hart to cut it into Kyogo and beat the press, but they didn't, they kept trying to play.

"That just invited more Rangers pressure, but you have to give them credit. They recognised they couldn't allow Celtic to keep playing, and they got their rewards."

Clement could have changed any number of his charges at the break after a dismal opening period but chose only to replace Scott Wright with Sima, with the 22-year-old Brighton loanee on target in an impressive cameo from the bench.

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon told Sky Sports Clement's decision had been the perfect catalyst for their second-half come back.

He said: "The introduction of Sima was pivotal in Rangers getting back into the game. They willed themselves into it. I'm not convinced it was a penalty that they got, but it turned the game.

"It was a compelling game, and it's a magnificent finish from Matondo.

"I'm disappointed because Celtic were in such a position of ascendency. I'm a bit old school as well, I don't like this celebrating a 3-3 draw!"

(c) Sky Sports 2024: Rangers vs Celtic: Philippe Clement claims 'moral' victory after sensational comeback earns Old Firm draw