You always need a talking point of some kind after Celtic and Rangers lock horns.
Even though, on paper, nothing was riding on this match because Celtic are already champions of Scotland, it was still going to be a spicy event at Ibrox.
In truth, there was some needle in the match, here and there, but in the end, Celtic and Rangers shared the points, with Adam Idah and Cyriel Dessers the goal scorers.
Idah’s goal needed a VAR check because it was adjudged to have been initially offside, but VAR checked that incident and cleared it.
Later on in that second half, Rangers were crying for a penalty, when there were suggestions that Callum McGregor fouled Ianis Hagi as he was going to shoot right in front of goal.
And those two incidents were discussed by Dermot Gallagher on the latest edition of Ref Watch.
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A cross was put into the far post and into the path of Nico Raskin, who, after controlling the ball, began to lose his balance and footing.
He still managed to get his shot away at close-blank range, that was blocked and it fell right into the path of Hagi, but he was denied by an alert McGregor, who did brilliantly to put himself between man and ball.
Ex-Premier League referee, Dermot Gallagher, told Sky Sports News (05/05/25) that it was a simple case of ‘two players reaching for the ball’, as he dismissed suggestions that it should have been a penalty.
Rob Wotton asked: “A check for a Rangers penalty, after this from Callum McGregor, this was quickly checked and cleared. Should it have been cleared, Dermot?”
Gallagher reacted: “I just think it’s a reaction of two players reaching for the ball. Not a penalty, for me.”
Ex-Arsenal and Cardiff player Jay Bothroyd stated: “That is very similar to what happened with Tonali (for Newcastle against Brighton). It looks very similar. Consistency (points at Dermot Gallagher).”
Why was Adam Idah’s goal allowed?
As soon as Idah put the ball into the back of the net, it was ruled out for offside, but the Irishman was insistent that it wasn’t the case.
That’s because his instincts were correct; not only was Maeda onside as the ball was played over the top, but so was the man who scored.
And, as Gallagher explained, the linesman did very well to initially keep his flag down and then call for offside after the ball had gone into the back of the net because it allowed ‘VAR to come to the right conclusion’.
“Yes (a good use of VAR) because the goal is disallowed on the field,” said Gallagher. “Firstly, the winger (Maeda) isn’t offside, he is just onside.
“Secondly, Idah doesn’t come back from an offside position, as many people thought, because the fullback is on the line.
“Thirdly, the Celtic player (Maeda) is out of the goalkeeper’s eye line (as Idah shoots). What he has done by doing that (the linesman not flagging straight away) is that he has allowed VAR to come to the right conclusion.”
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