Celtic and Rangers settle for derby stalemate at Ibrox

Russell Martin was handed some much-needed respite as Rangers fought out a goalless draw against Celtic at Ibrox.

The Gers boss was under mounting pressure after a 6-0 defeat by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off on Wednesday night which saw them exit 9-1 aggregate.

The ramifications of defeat against their oldest rivals could have been dire for Martin but his side were worth a point in a dreadful encounter, albeit they remain six points behind the Parkhead outfit after four William Hill Premiership fixtures.

In the 32nd minute of a first half low on quality but high on adrenaline, Gers defender John Souttar had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.

The second half was much of the same with few clear-cut chances or goalmouth incidents, with even the energy and passion failing to mask the poor fare served up for the lunchtime kick-off, which was bulging with subplots.

Both clubs went into the game on the back of embarrassing Champions League play-off exits in midweek.

Celtic lost in a penalty shootout to unfancied Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan while the hosts returned from their 6-0 second-leg drubbing by Club Brugge in Belgium with fans gunning for Martin following just three wins in 10 games.

Celtic fans, for their part, had been hitting out at their club's board for not bolstering the squad with appropriate quality before the Kairat games.

There was the strangest atmosphere inside Ibrox where Gers chairman Andrew Cavanagh and representatives of the club's new US-based owners 49ers Enterprises, including vice-chairman Paraag Marathe, were in the directors' box and the whole party could not have been impressed.

Rangers head coach Russell Martin was under pressure going into the derby

Former Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski - signed from La Liga side Girona on Saturday - was handed his Rangers debut as club captain James Tavernier returned at right-back, with places for midfielders Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron and attacker Mikey Moore.

As widely expected, fan favourite and arguably Rangers' best player last season, Nicolas Raskin, was absent amid speculation about his future.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha, the 24-year-old Belgian winger signed from Royal Antwerp, was handed his Celtic debut, while 27-year-old Uruguayan left-back Marcelo Saracchi, who joined this week from Boca Juniors on a season-long loan, was on the bench. Swansea target, Republic of Ireland striker Adam Idah was missing from the squad, as was Johnny Kenny.

There was just short of 2,500 Celtic fans inside Ibrox and it was noisy, colourful and nervy.

In the seventh minutes there was a Rangers penalty claim when Miovski and Celtic and Ireland defender Liam Scales clashed inside the Hoops box but referee Don Robertson was having none of it.

Chants for Raskin rang round the blue-covered sections of the stadium before the half-hour mark as a poor first-half unfolded.

And the cheers that followed Souttar heading in a free-kick from skipper James Tavernier soon ended when VAR confirmed an offside.

There was little improvement at the start of the second half, with Rangers still playing more direct football than previously this season.

In the 53rd minute Gers winger Djeidi Gassama left Parkhead defender Kieran Tierney trailing the right flank but his cross was snuffed out, ending in the hands of Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Gers keeper Jack Butland made his first real save on the hour mark and it was a comfortable one from Reo Hatate's long-distance drive before he kept out an overhead kick from Tierney.

In the 65th minute James Forrest and Shin Yamada replaced Arne Engels and Balikwisha, with Tierney off for Sarrachi.

Cyriel Dessers and Oliver Antman came on for Miovski and Moore, then Nedim Bajrami took over from Thelo Aasgaard, as Martin looked to re-energise his flagging side.

But the match ended goalless, with neither side deserving the win.

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