It’s fair to say the officials didn’t have their best game on Sunday, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that Celtic were played off the park.
It felt similar to travelling to LASK. Played through far too easily and showed no fight on the pitch. At least the Hoops got on the scoresheet in Austria. Celtic could still be playing now and they still wouldn’t have scored.
But maybe the Hoops should’ve had a golden opportunity to get on the scoresheet.
Kasper Høgh, as ineffective as he was, was hauled down in the box, but was of no interest to the referee or VAR.
The record signing was taken off just after the hour mark, after failing to impress at Ibrox. In fairness, he’s being asked to play a role that he simply doesn’t play well. He’s a penalty-box striker; his record shows that, yet he’s being asked to play as a target man.
The Dane was pushed to the deck by the Ibrox defender inside the box, and it should’ve been a penalty.
Potential Celtic penalty Kasper Hogh: Olwethu Makhanya jumps on Hogh’s back then swings him to the ground inside the box. No penalty given by Nick Walsh – looks a stonewall penalty claim, but not even given a replay with decent definition to check it pic.twitter.com/ZsQhwqNFDw
— The Global Tablet of Jurisprudence (@gtj1247) September 13, 2026
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett agrees that the referee or VAR should’ve had another look and awarded a spot kick.
He said: “Celtic can feel aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty kick when the opposition defender jumped onto the back of the Celtic player and brought him down to the ground. With no penalty awarded, I was surprised to see no VAR intervention to send the referee to the monitor to have a look.”
💥 “Celtic can feel 𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙙” – Ex-PGMOL chief @HACKETTREF: Hoops should’ve been awarded penalty against Rangers. pic.twitter.com/vP95cQyccx
— Football Insider (@footyinsider247) September 13, 2026
It’s hard to tell whether that would’ve sparked Celtic into life and kick-started something, but it would’ve shifted the mood inside Ibrox for sure.
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