In an unexpected twist this week in the Scottish Premiership, both Rangers and Celtic found themselves reeling from surprise defeats. Rangers, suffering a 2-0 loss to St Mirren at Ibrox, has seen their season edge deeper into disappointment. Despite staying 13 points ahead in the league, Celtic was handed a 2-1 defeat by Hibernian, adding to a week of setbacks for both teams.
Rangers' Struggles Continue
The defeat to St Mirren was a bitter pill for Rangers fans to swallow, marking their first league loss since Boxing Day, a match which also ended unfavorably against St Mirren. What’s more, the match was clouded with VAR controversies that only added fuel to the fans' frustrations. Mikael Mandron struck St Mirren's opening goal in the 51st minute, a point initially marred by a disallowed status due to an apparent foul on Rangers' Clinton Nsiala. However, after a thorough VAR review, it was shown that Nsiala had, in fact, tripped himself, leading to the goal being reinstated.
As the game progressed, Cyriel Dessers squandered a promising chance to draw level in the 65th minute for Rangers, before substitute Toyosi Olusanya by St Mirren netted a stunning curling finish with 20 minutes left on the clock, sealing the defeat for Rangers. The chants from the stands turned to boos as the final whistle blew, reflecting the deep sentiments of discontent among the Rangers supporters.
St Mirren’s impressive performance propelled them into the top six, while Rangers' loss left them staring at a 13-point gap behind fierce rivals Celtic.
Celtic's Rough Week
The atmosphere was hardly brighter on Celtic’s side, as their defeat came closely after an exit from the Champions League following a clash with Bayern Munich. The match against Hibernian saw Celtic struggling to find their rhythm, succumbing to a first-half double from Hibs’ midfielder Josh Campbell. Striking within the first two minutes and then again, heading in Martin Boyle's cross, Campbell put Celtic on the back foot before halftime.
Even as Daizen Maeda pulled one back after the 68th-minute mark, reducing the deficit, Celtic couldn’t break Hibernian’s defensive resilience during the extended stoppage time. It marks Hibs’ second joyful victory over Celtic this season at home, placing them fifth in the standings with tight competition for higher placings. Celtic’s loss further underscores their recent struggles with maintaining momentum across both domestic and international competitions.
This series of events reminds us that in football, surprises lurk around every corner, and even the giants of Scottish football aren’t invulnerable to unexpected turns.
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