There was debate when Hyunjun Yang’s Celtic equaliser first went in against Rangers, but the controversy quickly faded once the replay angles were properly examined.
Even Mark Clattenburg, who initially questioned whether Jack Butland’s vision had been affected, ultimately concluded the officials got the decision right.
The goal set Celtic on the road to a brilliant win over Rangers but there were murmurings that it should not have stood. But Clattenburg shut those grumbles down instantly.
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Replay angles changed the entire argument over Celtic’s equaliser vs Rangers
The biggest talking point around Celtic’s equaliser was the presence of two attackers standing in offside positions near Butland.
Clattenburg admitted his first reaction was concern that the players may have impacted the goalkeeper’s line of vision or ability to react.
The former FIFA referee told Rangers News, “Celtic’s equalising goal has a hint of controversy as there are two players in offside positions near and close to the Rangers goalkeeper.
“My first impression was that the impact of these two players could have impacted the Rangers goalkeeper’s ability to play the ball or affected his line of vision.
“However, an angle from behind the goal scorer shows that the Rangers goalkeeper would not have saved the ball and the attackers did not impact him.
“Therefore, the goal was correctly given.”
That matters because it reflects exactly why VAR allowed the goal to stand in the first place.
Initial freeze-frame images created uncertainty, but fuller replay angles showed Butland still had a clear enough sight of the shot and was unlikely to stop it regardless.
IFAB guidance backs the officials’ Celtic decision
The reaction after the match ignored one important detail within the interpretation of the offside law.
According to IFAB guidance, simply standing in an offside position is not enough for a goal to be disallowed.
The attacking player must actively interfere with an opponent, obstruct vision, challenge for the ball, or clearly impact the goalkeeper’s ability to make a save.
That simply did not happen here.
The officials clearly judged that Butland was not prevented from reacting to the shot, and Clattenburg eventually arrived at the same conclusion after reviewing the better angle.
The fixation on the incident also ignored the wider picture from Celtic’s 3-1 win.
Celtic recovered from 1-0 down, produced the stronger football across most of the match, and now sit one point behind Hearts while Rangers remain seven points behind Celtic in third.
That tells the bigger story far more than an offside debate that replay footage and the laws of the game ultimately settled.
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