Naderi's goal hands Rangers a second Old Firm win in eight days as pressure mounts on O'Neill

Ryan Naderi scored the only goal as Rangers beat Celtic 1-0 at Celtic Park on Saturday, completing a remarkable double over their Old Firm rivals inside eight days and leaving manager Martin O’Neill under mounting pressure heading into the international break.

The result followed a 3-0 Scottish League Cup defeat for Celtic at Ibrox last Sunday, and the home supporters made their feelings clear at full-time, booing their side off the pitch. It was Celtic’s first Scottish Premiership defeat of the season, and their lead at the top of the table has been cut to just two points over Derek McInnes’s side.

Naderi’s winner arrived in the 33rd minute from a corner worked short on the left by James Penrice. Kim Min-su collected the clearance and drove a shot from 20 yards that Viljami Sinisalo could only parry, leaving the Rangers striker to finish smartly from close range.

The goal came against the run of play in a first half that Celtic had begun to dominate through corners and set-pieces. Kieran Tierney had earlier clipped the crossbar with a powerful drive, and Auston Trusty had the ball in the net from a Liam Scales header only for offside to be given against Scales.

Rangers might have extended their lead before the interval when Djeidi Gassama chipped the ball against the woodwork from a tight angle, and Kevin Kelsy’s follow-up was desperately blocked by Cameron Carter-Vickers as the home crowd grew increasingly anxious.

O’Neill introduced striker Kasper Hogh at half-time in place of Luke McCowan, and Celtic pushed for an equaliser in the second period. Ivor Pandur produced a fine save from a Colby Donovan header at the back post early in the half, while Naderi wasted a gilt-edged chance by heading wide from close range at the other end.

The ticket allocation dispute between the two clubs — which prompted authorities to intervene and resulted in single-supporter stadiums for both fixtures — meant Celtic Park was an all-green affair, making the silence and eventual boos at the final whistle all the more pointed for O’Neill, whose position will be scrutinised further during the coming fortnight.