There’s only player that Rangers would be happier to see the back off than Joey Barton – Moussa Dembélé.
Whereas their banished midfielder Barton is unlikely to have any more of a negative effect on the club, on the pitch at least, Dembélé has just scored his fourth goal in two games against Celtic’s bitter rivals.
And in some style too.
The 20-year-old French striker, signed from Fulham in the summer, scored a hat-trick in Celtic’s 5-1 destruction of Rangers last month at Parkhead, Barton’s last game for the blue half of Glasgow.
It was a tighter game on Sunday at Hampden Park, in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup, but, once again, Dembélé made a telling difference.
With the game ticking towards extra-time, Celtic played a long ball forward and Rangers’ defenders failed to deal with it. Leigh Griffith’s latched onto the ball, and played a low cross for Dembélé, who timed his run to perfection, and scored with a cheeky back-heel finish that went through the legs of ‘keeper Matthew Gilks.
The goal sparked delirious celebrations among Celtic fans in the home of Scottish football, and secured their place in the club’s place final against Aberdeen next month.
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