Rangers struck first in the Old Firm derby, with Moore scoring after 13 minutes to put Danny Röhl’s side ahead at Celtic Park in the 12pm BST Scottish Premiership kick-off. Chermiti’s shot was blocked by Scales before the ball dropped to Moore for the opener.
The goal landed in a match Celtic had not won from any of their three Premiership meetings with Rangers in 2025-26, a run that had already produced a 0-0 draw at Rangers, a 1-3 Celtic defeat away, and a 2-2 draw at Ibrox. Before kick-off, Röhl had said Rangers needed to “play the perfect game” to make it three wins from their last three visits to Parkhead, while Martin O’Neill warned Celtic to be wary because Rangers would come “with freedom.”
That warning mattered because this derby sat inside a title race that has been tight all season. Rangers had already beaten Celtic 2-0 on penalties in a Scottish Cup quarter-final after a 0-0 draw, while Celtic had won the League Cup semi-final 3-1, and O’Neill said the campaign had been “a big, big change” for his side because they are also contending with Hearts.
The tension is that Celtic’s domestic grip has not looked as firm in this fixture, even with a cup win in the mix. Rangers arrived needing more than energy and ambition; they needed a result that would back up the idea that they can travel to Parkhead and take control of the derby on their terms. The Green Brigade’s message before the game — “We’ll fight it out until the end,” — fit the mood around a match that still felt open, but the early goal gave Rangers the cleaner start.
What happens next is whether Celtic can answer quickly enough to stop the match from turning into another Rangers result that reshapes the title picture. If they cannot, the gap between the promise of their season and the reality of these derbies will only grow sharper.
