Celtic racked up their fourth Old Firm victory of the season and their fifth
in a row to inflict more misery on last season's Treble winners.
Henrik Larsson headed the opener to give the Hoops faithful another memorable
leaving present before he departs in the summer.
And Alan Thompson celebrated his long-awaited England call-up, which arrived
at last yesterday, with a clinching second not long after the break.
His Rangers substitute namesake Steven headed a late consolation to ensure
Alex McLeish's side did not go a full campaign without an Old Firm goal.
The side which had defied the odds to knock Barcelona out of the UEFA Cup in
midweek showed few signs of tiredness. And the Celtic fans, who had taunted
their rivals by throwing almost a hundred inflatable beach balls as a symbol of
their European exploits in warmer climes, were the ones singing at the final
whistle.
The game extended Celtic's lead at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier
League to 19 points and in many ways represented Rangers' entire season in a
90-minute capsule.
They started strongly without creating anything too memorable, but then
allowed themselves to fall behind, a position they have been familiar with in
the league since October, from Celtic's first meaningful attack.
McLeish had spoken at length before the game of the Hoops' threat from
set-pieces and the opener duly arrived from a free-kick conceded by Gavin Rae in
the 19th minute on the left.
Thompson floated it in to find the head of Larsson, who had lost his marker
all too easily in the penalty-box melee.
It was the softest of goals to concede and once again the Rangers back line,
which had seen captain Craig Moore return alongside Zura Khizanishvili in place
of the injured Frank de Boer, had been shown to possess a soft centre.
Rangers now had to play a game of desperate catch-up and the rest of the half
saw the visiting defence soak up a succession of corners with ease before
teenage goalkeeper David Marshall, the hero of the Nou Camp, was finally called
into action.
He had been required to repel Barcelona attackers from the very first minute
on Thursday, but had been able to spectate for more than half an hour before
making a stunning double save.
The first was to prevent Stanislav Varga from putting through his own goal
after Michael Ball had beaten two challengers on the left to fire the ball into
the box.
Marshall made the stop at the foot of his right-hand post and within seconds
had dived to claw away a header from Allan Hutton, Rangers' own teenager Old
Firm debutant, at the other upright.
The half ended with a fine passing move involving Rae, Ronald de Boer and
Michael Mols presented Peter Lovenkrands with a clear chance, but the Dane fired
into the side-netting with all the goal to aim at.
The home fans howled their displeasure and Lovenkrands' frustration manifested
itself in a foul on Larsson which earned him the game's first yellow card.
Hutton was proving to be his side's most potent goal threat, and saw an effort
from the edge of the box deflected just wide straight after the restart.
But Celtic's reply was a second goal in the 53rd minute and Rangers'
performance, like their season, duly collapsed.
Khizanishvili was the fall guy, allowing Larsson to steal possession to set up
Stephen Pearson in front of goal, but although Klos made the parry, Thompson was
first to the loose ball and, having taken a touch, slotted past the man on the
line via a deflection off Bob Malcolm.
Moore was booked for an indisciplined hack at Sutton and two narrow escapes
soon followed for Rangers, with Varga hitting the underside of the bar after
re-routing Sutton's header and Klos pulling off a close-range save from Larsson
he should never have been allowed to make.
Sutton had set him up in front of goal with the Rangers backline posted
elsewhere and the Swede really should have slotted home in front of the
jubilant, sombrero-wearing away fans.
McLeish opted to make changes and Chris Burke and Steven Thompson replaced
Khizanishvili and Lovenkrands in the 59th and 66th minutes.
Mols forced a parry from Marshall with a shot on the turn before Scotland
striker Thompson headed his side a potential lifeline when he headed in a Burke
corner with seven minutes remaining.
It gave the home side a lift and their most threatening passage of play
followed but, like last week's thrashings of Dundee and Dunfermline, it turned
out to too little, too late.
Teams:
Rangers Klos, Hutton, Khizanishvili (Burke 59), Moore, Ball,
Rae, Malcolm (Ricksen 80), Hughes, Lovenkrands (Thompson 66),
Mols, Ronald de Boer.
Subs Not Used: McGregor, Berg.
Booked: Lovenkrands, Moore.
Goals: Thompson 82.
Celtic Marshall, Balde, Kennedy, Varga, Agathe, Petrov,
Lennon, Pearson (Miller 77), Thompson, Larsson, Sutton.
Subs Not Used: McGovern, Sylla, Lambert, Mjallby.
Goals: Larsson 20, Thompson 52.
Att: 49,909
Ref: K Clark (Scotland).
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