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  • Kick-off: 12:30
  • Venue: Celtic Park
  • Attendance: 58595
  • Referee: McDonald, D

Live Commentary

90mins

The ref has blown his whistle for full time.

90mins

Goal!! Celtic have scored with Shunsuke Nakamura putting it in the back of the net.

84mins

Mark Wilson is replaced by Ben Hutchinson.

79mins

Goal!! Rangers have scored with Kenny Miller putting it in the back of the net.

78mins

Charlie Adam is being taken off, Nacho Novo has come on in his place.

77mins

The referee has booked Kirk Broadfoot.

76mins

It's red. He's off. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink has been sent off.

75mins

It's red. He's off. Daniel Cousin has been sent off.

74mins

Allan McGregor is booked for dissent.

72mins

Paul Hartley is replaced by Barry Robson.

72mins

Georgios Samaras is replaced by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

69mins

Charlie Adam is booked for unsporting behaviour.

64mins

The referee has booked Georgios Samaras.

62mins

Goal!! Miguel Pedro Mendes scores for Rangers.

57mins

The referee has booked Daniel Cousin.

52mins

Goal!! Kenny Miller scores for Rangers.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 1.

45mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

39mins

Goal!! Celtic have scored with Georgios Samaras putting it in the back of the net.

37mins

Goal!! Daniel Cousin scores for Rangers.

15mins

Stephen McManus is booked for dissent.

9mins

Kevin Thomson goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour.

0mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Rangers laid down the gauntlet to champions Celtic with a handsome victory in a thrill-a-minute Old Firm encounter which saw two red cards and eight bookings.

Kenny Miller scored twice on his return to Celtic Park and the excellent Pedro Mendes put his hallmark on the game with a third goal that will live long in the memory.

Daniel Cousin was also on the scoresheet for Rangers in what could be his last game for the club.

Cousin was sent off 15 minutes from time for two bookings and Celtic substitute Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink followed him a minute later for violent conduct.

Rangers showed their hand first and Cousin sent a header into the side-netting from a Steven Davis corner.

Celtic were quick to respond and came close themselves when Stephen McManus managed to get his head to a Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick but could not make clean contact and the ball drifted wide.

It was a pulsating start and Miller also had a look at goal for Rangers but sent his header high and wide.

Georgios Samaras had Celtic's first attempt on target after he met a Nakamura cross with his head but Allan McGregor made a comfortable save.

Aiden McGeady then tried his luck with a crisply-struck 30 yard shot which skidded narrowly wide as Celtic enjoyed a spell in the ascendancy.

McGregor made a reaction save to keep out a header from his defender David Weir under pressure from Shaun Maloney after an Andreas Hinkel cross had caused confusion.

But it was Rangers who took the lead eight minutes from half-time. Cousin beat Mark Wilson for pace and then defeated Artur Boruc with a shot low inside his near post.

Celtic responded within two minutes. Sasa Papac failed to deal with McGeady's cross and the ball broke to Samaras, who reacted swiftly to fire past McGregor.

The second half followed a similar pattern with chances early on for both sides. Charlie Adam squandered a free-kick from a good position and Maloney then curled a shot inches wide of McGregor's post.

But Miller then stunned Celtic Park when he put Rangers back in front. Kevin Thomson crossed for the striker to steer a controlled volley past Boruc from the angle of the six-yard box.

Mendes then struck a memorable Old Firm goal as Celtic failed to close him down at a corner and he cracked a thunderous shot beyond Boruc from fully 30 yards.

The game then boiled over when Cousin picked up his second booking for a foul on McManus and then Vennegoor of Hesselink was shown a straight red card for lashing out at Kirk Broadfoot just four minutes after coming on.

Boruc then spilled a cross from Broadfoot 11 minutes from time to present Miller with an easy fourth goal.

Nakamura pulled a goal back for Celtic in injury-time direct from a 25-yard free-kick.

Celtic

Rangers

Corners

78

Fouls

1218

Goal attempts

1112

Shots off target

55

Offsides

21

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