Fortune favours the brave and, at Ibrox yesterday, Derek McInnes won the battle in the dugout as his side came out on top on the pitch.
This was a dominant display in a game that was played on his side's terms.
After such disjointed performances early in August, McInnes' team were cohesive, combative and in control, forcing Celtic to play in uncomfortable areas and taking the necessary risks to "take the crowd with the team" and serve up a performance reminiscent of brighter days at Ibrox. It was fast, energetic and dominant for all 90 minutes.
This was an example of the type of proactive, fast football Rangers envisioned when appointing McInnes in the summer. The type of football club heirarchy believe reasonates with supporters, backed by tactical solutions to enable no time for Celtic to settle on the ball and quick routes forward for the hosts on it.
McInnes offered a hint of the approach he would opt for when speaking at his pre-match press conference, projecting a performance that had to energise and engage the crowd. That translated into a direct 4-4-2, with two strikers in Ryan Naderi and Kevin Kelsy starting to facilitate direct routes forward, their complementary runs pivotal to creating the millimetres of space that got Naderi behind Carter-Vickers for the first of the day.
To seize the initiative and set the terms of engagement, Rangers needed to stop Celtic from controlling the match with the ball and gaining territory. Their play had to energise the home crowd rather than fill it with anxiety. With 50,000 home fans inside Ibrox and McInnes already a manager who favours direct progression, the numbers high up the park lent themselves to an approach that consistently sucked the ball towards the Celtic box.
But lining up with two strikers left Rangers theoretically a man down in midfield. As a workaround, to enable his favoured man-for-man press off the ball, James Penrice was tasked with following Benjamin Nygren into midfield to ensure that, all over the pitch, McInnes' team were matched up individually, a task the left-back carried out to the letter.
McInnes explained: "I thought we asked a lot of the players today, particularly out of possession, to make sure they did their work well. We had to play with a bit of risk and exposed them to a lot of one-v-ones in certain areas. But I just felt that, for us to get 50,000 and tap into the crowd, we had to go and play the way we did today."
The benefits of the bold team selection were obvious in an opening half that Rangers dominated. Kevin Kelsy passed up what could almost qualify as an open goal after Sam Johnstone was forced into an error by Rangers' aggressive press, a tactic that denied Celtic territorial control and created quick routes forward. Minsu Kim had another effort cleared off the line too.
It was all very well playing in dangerous areas, but a finishing touch has often betrayed Rangers in recent weeks. Not yesterday. Dan Neil, imperious on the day, got things going with the first of two excellent finishes, setting the ball with his first touch and stroking it into the net with his second. Fashioned by an angled pass forward that saw Rangers' front two outfox Celtic's centre-backs, the all-important first goal belonged to the hosts.
The battle between Callum McGregor and Ryan Naderi was a useful barometer for how the game played out. It was never slowed down enough for the Celtic captain to win that particular contest and Naderi forced him to think backwards instead of forwards. As a result, Celtic's extra man in midfield was often trying to support his two struggling centre-backs.
🎙️ “Ibrox erupts as Dan Neil finds the net.”
🔵 Rangers strike first in the Old Firm through their skipper. pic.twitter.com/rUbv9bkdv1— The Rangers Review (@RangersReview55) September 13, 2026
The potential downside, as any bold approach will carry, was the space Celtic could've exploited had they broken the press. It was not so much that Rangers were outnumbered in midfield; unless teams match up in the same shape, there will normally be an imbalance somewhere on the pitch, but rather that their approach off the ball had to be perfect. One lost duel and, with no extra man at the back, Celtic would have been through on goal. It was a high-wire act.
Olwethu Makhanya had to split his time between holding the centre of defence and scuttling out to stop Camilo Duran and Haissem Hassan on the right wing. It was no problem for the South African defender, whom his manager branded "sensational" after the game.
That tension, obvious at points when Penrice was jumping into midfield, or Rangers were sliding back into a block instead of locking on to each opponent individually, was navigated brilliantly by the 22-year-old. The last time Rangers beat Celtic consistently with this type of man-to-man press, they could rely on the recovery pace of Calvin Bassey. In a different way, Makhanya's control of space allowed them to take that risk in the back line. Dujon Sterling, as is so often the case, defended without blemish too.
As McInnes admitted post-match, the best game plans need to be carried out by players. All 11, and substitutes, did just that.
A mention for Penrice too, who, as well as being everywhere off the ball, still made it back to left-back to play his part in all three goals. The first originated from a clipped ball over the top, while the second and third arrived from his crosses into the box.
There were shades of the 2-2 draw between these two sides in March at one point. Rangers were, on that day, wondering just how many goals they could score until a direct approach started to surrender control and invite pressure. Yesterday, though, the momentum never truly came close to swinging. Rangers' aggression was not a flash in the pan confined to the opening minutes. McInnes was right to stick with two strikers approaching the second half, with the man-for-man press earning a goal that Kelsy rifled into the corner as Rangers outnumbered Celtic in the box. That came before a switch to a more conventional back four for the final 25 minutes, when a third goal was added on the break by Neil.
Rangers had identified the top of the box as an area where they could hurt Celtic, with the visiting defence sucked backwards to deal with two strikers and, in doing so, surrendering space further forward. Neil's second of the day, even cleaner than the first, capitalised on that for a second time. From there, the only question was whether a fourth or fifth would follow as progression to Hampden was secured.
McInnes and his side came into this tie knowing it was something of a sliding-doors moment. Victory would not only secure a fifth consecutive win in response to a difficult start to the season, but also deliver the all-important first Old Firm victory under McInnes. It was Rangers' first win in this first fixture of a season since Steven Gerrard, who was watching from the stands. It is by no means a guarantee of silverware, but it is a significant step towards lifting the first trophy of the season. They needed to seize this chance and they did.
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As the players walked around the pitch at full-time, it was notable to see Neil turn and tell some of his younger teammates to keep calm and not overegg the celebrations. There is still a job to do next week, one that may well require a different approach. Can you, after all, replicate this same pressing intensity away from home? Will Celtic adapt their own plan to combat it?
Those are questions for McInnes and co to ponder this week. For now, though, they can reflect on a job well done and a plan carried out to near perfection.
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