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Sunday, 11 February, 2001, 21:00 GMT
Thompson seals fate for Rangers
Celtic 1-0 Rangers
Alan Thompson's first-half goal rubber-stamped Celtic dominance over their Old Firm rivals this season and looks to have ensured that his side will lift the Scottish Premier League title.
Rangers at last showed something resembling the performance expected of reigning champions as they battled for their lives with only 10 men after the break.
But Celtic stretched their lead over Rangers to 12 points and over second-top Hibernian to 11.
Rangers paid for a first half in which they were totally outplayed, allowed Thompson to score and had Fernando Ricksen sent off.
Celtic made three changes from the side that beat Rangers 3-1 in the CIS Insurance Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
The cup-tied Robert Douglas and Didier Agathe returned at the expense of Jonathan Gould and the suspended Stilian Petrov, while Bobby Petta replaced the injured Jackie McNamara.
Rangers brought in Kenny Miller and Ricksen as they dug deep into resources stretched by suspension and injury.
But it was Celtic who had the ball in the net as early as the eighth minute.
Nervousness and disarray
From the home side's first corner, Ramon Vega headed home only to be pulled up for a foul.
Larsson then sent an overhead kick a couple of feet over.
Those three incidents were indications of a nervousness and disarray in the Rangers defence that was finally exploited after 16 minutes.
Larsson won a header against Scott Wilson and Chris Sutton played it neatly back into his strike partner's path.
The Swede's attempted shot deflected off Jorg Albertz and into the path of Thompson unmarked 12 yards out.
The English midfielder slotted the ball wide of the exposed Stefan Klos for the crucial goal.
Rangers' only attempt of the first half arrived two minutes later.
But a head flick by Albertz from a Neil McCann corner flew well over.
The nervous moments continued at the back for Rangers and Paul Lambert just could not put enough of a lift on his shot after Konterman forced Klos into a hurried clearance with a bad back-pass.
Ricksen had already lived dangerously with a couple of challenges.
When he floored Tom Boyd with another late tackle, referee Hugh Dallas had no option but to show the Dutch full-back a second yellow card.
Rangers brought on midfielder Tugay for striker Miller at half-time.
The Turk helped set up the champions' best chance yet, a 20-yard drive from Albertz flying a couple of yards over.
Tore Andre Flo broke clear and set up Albertz on the edge of the box and the German's low drive from the edge of the box forced Douglas into his first save of the match.
Rangers came close to equalising after 63 minutes.
Late penalty claim
Douglas flapped at an Albertz corner and Konterman's shot from the edge of the box was first touched by the goalkeeper's outstretched hand then headed off the line by Agathe.
Celtic were sitting back but should have killed Rangers off on the break after 70 minutes.
Larsson found Thompson in the clear, but this time the midfielder powered his 18-yard drive yards over.
Rangers had claims for a late penalty waved aside after Sutton appeared to hold back Flo inside the box.
Celtic: Douglas, Boyd, Mjallby, Vega, Agathe, Thompson, Lambert, Lennon, Petta, Larsson, Sutton.
Subs: Gould, Tebily, Johnson, Healy, Smith.
Rangers: Klos, Konterman, Malcolm, Wilson, Ricksen, Ferguson, Albertz, McCann, Numan, Flo, Miller.
Subs: Christiansen, Tugay, Johnston, Hughes, Carson.
Referee: H Dallas.
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