Rangers got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory away to Dundee United on Sunday, which saw them climb to third in the Scottish Premiership.

Philippe Clement's side are now five points behind second-placed Aberdeen and league leaders Celtic, who inflicted their first defeat of the season last time out.

The match itself was one of few chances, with forward Tom Lawrence scoring the winning goal after just seven minutes.

The goal capped a flowing, attacking move from Rangers that saw Lawrence get on the end of some one-touch passing before carrying the ball through the penalty area and beyond the goalkeeper.

Dundee United were unable to offer much in the way of a comeback, with five off-target shots the sum total of their threat throughout the match.

The match did see 10 yellow cards shown, with Dundee United's Emmanuel Adegboyega's booking for a forceful challenge reviewed by VAR towards the end of the first half. The on-field decision stood, though the defender was substituted at the break.

Data Debrief: Rangers end away day woes

Goalscorer Lawrence had five shots in the match, which is a season-high in the league for any Rangers player.

The visitors will be pleased to get three points, having won just one of their previous seven away games prior to this - their worst run since 2016.

It also means they close some of the gap to Old Firm rivals Celtic, who had opened an eight-point buffer following a 2-0 home win over Hearts on Saturday.

The hosts, meanwhile, failed to register a single effort on target for the first time in a league game since 8 May 2022. Their opponents on that day? Rangers.

Brendan Rodgers was encouraged by Arne Engels' debut after he scored from the penalty spot to continue Celtic's perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season with a 2-0 victory over Hearts. 

After dominating the opening exchanges, the hosts were offered the chance to take the lead from 12 yards early in the second half. 

Nicolas Kuhn's cross was blocked by the hand of James Penrice, with Engels making no mistake from the spot to net his first Celtic goal since his switch from Augsburg. 

Luke McCowan confirmed the triumph in the 89th minute, also scoring his first goal for the club, with Rodgers pleased with the pair, but showering particular praise on Engels.

"He's here playing in the eight position," Rodgers said. "He's here with legs and energy and power, he should be able to score goals for us. A good performance from him."

But the encounter could have taken on a much different complexion after the visitors were awarded a penalty of their own in the first half. 

Lawrence Shankland's header came off Liam Scales' arm, only for VAR to overturn the decision, and Rodgers believed the right call was eventually made.

"When the referee gives it, it’s always going to be looked at," Rodgers said.

"The ball hits Liam Scales up towards the shoulder on that sleeve part and that’s not a penalty. By the rule, the officials were correct."

Rodgers' side are top of the table with 15 points, ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference, and return to Champions League action on Wednesday when they welcome Slovan Bratislava to Celtic Park in their opening match of the competition. 

Callum McGregor scored late on to seal Celtic's 3-0 victory over rivals Rangers in the Old Firm Derby at Celtic Park on Sunday.

Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi had put the Bhoys in control in the first half, with Rangers unable to mount a comeback.

Rangers' best chance came inside 10 minutes, with James Tavernier picking out Rabbi Matondo, who thumped his header wide from the edge of the six-yard box.

Kyogo thought he had broken the deadlock just one minute later, but his clinical finish was disallowed as Nicolas Kuhn had just drifted offside before teeing him up.

Maeda's close-range effort did count in the 17th minute, with Alistair Johnson drifting in behind Rangers' defence to set him up for a tap-in.

And Kyogo would get on the scoresheet just before the break, driving a low shot through the crowded area and in from 30 yards out to put Celtic in control.

McGregor added the gloss in the 75th minute, netting in a third straight game as his long-range strike deflected past Butland. 

Data Debrief: Clement's derby woes go on

Celtic maintained their perfect start to the season, with the Bhoys yet to concede in their four games so far. Kasper Schmeichel only had three saves to make, staying alert to deny Tavernier and protect his clean sheet late on. 

But it was more misery for Gers boss Philippe Clement, who has now failed to win an Old Firm Derby in five attempts in all competitions (one draw, four losses); only Graeme Murty (also five) and William Wilton (eight) also failed to win any of their first five games against Celtic in charge of Rangers.

As a whole, Rangers have not enjoyed their recent trips to Celtic Park - since the start of 2022-23, they have lost all five of their away games against Celtic. The last time that happened was in April 1980. 

Celtic maintained their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season with an emphatic 3-0 victory over St Mirren on Sunday.

Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate struck in the first half to put the Bhoys in control, with Alistair Johnston scoring in the second to ensure they would leave with all three points.

Celtic got off to a superb start, with captain McGregor latching onto James Forrest's lay-off to pick out the bottom-right corner inside the opening three minutes.

The visitors' dominance was rewarded with a second goal just after the half-hour mark, with Hatate coolly slotting in via the inside of the far post.

St Mirren started the second half on the front foot, though only Jaden Brown tested Kasper Schmeichel, who got down well to hold onto his low shot.

Celtic soon took control once more, with Johnston darting into the box to meet Nicolas Kuhn's low cross and rifle in a third goal in the 71st minute to settle the game.

Data Debrief: Leading from the front

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could not have asked for a better start to their title defence, with nine points on the board after three games, having scored nine and conceded none.

McGregor has proven invaluable already, and he netted his second goal in as many games, already matching his tally from last season. 

Celtic have now won each of their last nine Scottish Premiership games, a good run of form with Old Firm rivals Rangers next up.

Philippe Clement concedes Rabbi Matondo could still leave Rangers before deadline day despite a star turn in the 6-0 Scottish Premiership hammering of Ross County.

The Wales winger has attracted reported interest from Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers in recent weeks but a move has yet to materialise.

If he is to depart the Glasgow giants, he does so on a high having scored twice and assisted two more at Hampden Park – where the Gers have been playing home games while Ibrox undergoes redevelopment work.

Speaking about Matondo's future before the transfer window shuts on Friday, Gers boss Clement said in quotes reported by BBC Sport: "There are a lot of rumours [linking him away]. We cannot say no to everything, we'll see this week. 

"For the moment, Rabbi will be here with us next week. That's what I want also. But if someone comes with enough money, the club will always be open for talks."

Cyriel Dessers was also on target twice against Ross, while Tom Lawrence and Danilo registered as Rangers warmed up for next week's Old Firm derby against Celtic in fine fashion.

Dessers has often been a much-maligned figure at the club but Clement thinks the Nigeria international is currently playing the best football of his career.

In quotes reported by the club's official website, he said: "He deserves it, he is doing a very good job.

"This is the best Cyriel that I have seen in his career until now and he is somebody who is hungry to play for his shirt and someone who is also hungry to learn to become better.

"He is not 20 years old anymore but he stays hungry to learn all the details and you see in several details he is becoming better and better by doing it and by watching the videos and to talk about it."

The resounding victory saw Rangers move top of the Premiership having played three games, albeit Celtic and Aberdeen can leapfrog them as they play St Mirren and Kilmarnock respectively on Sunday.

Callum McGregor scored a stunner to help Celtic to a 2-0 victory over Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Nicolas Kuhn had opened the scoring early on, though Kieron Bowie almost forced a nervy ending only to be denied by the woodwork.

Celtic wasted no time in asserting their dominance, as Kyogo Furuhashi's saved shot was kept in by James Forrest, who set Kuhn up to tap into the empty net after just three minutes.

McGregor soon stole the headlines though as he got the ball out of his feet before sending a swerving long-range effort over Josef Bursik.

He almost got a second just after half-time too, as he tried his luck from the edge of the box once more, but his deflected strike struck the post.

Hibs mustered some late fight to try and claw themselves back into it. Bowie fought his way through Celtic's backline before whipping a pacy shot over Kasper Schmeichel and off the top of the crossbar. 

Data Debrief: Bhoys ease through again

While they did not quite show the same dominance as in their Scottish Premiership opener against Kilmarnock, it was another big win for Brendan Rodgers' side. 

It could have been a different story as Celtic had won just four of their last 15 league games at Easter Road before this match (eight draws, three losses), but they did not slip up here.

Kuhn netted his second goal in as many games, while Schmeichel kept his second consecutive clean sheet as he settles into life in Glasgow. 

Vaclav Cerny struck the winner as Rangers ground out a 2-1 win over Motherwell at Hampden Park on Saturday to pick up their first victory of the Scottish Premiership campaign.

The Gers, held 0-0 by Hearts in their opening match of the season last week, survived an early scare when Lennon Miller fired wide from a glorious position in the opening minutes.

However, after Scott Wright had an effort stopped on the line, Cyriel Dessers - who rescued a late European draw against Dynamo Kyiv in midweek - found the net from close range with 13 minutes on the clock.

Motherwell responded instantly as John Souttar failed to cut out a deep delivery and Robin Propper turned into his own net, but fellow new signing Cerny cut inside and curled in a delightful goal seven minutes later.

Aston Oxborough made some smart stops to frustrate Rangers, while Jack Butland was equal to a Zach Robinson effort in the second half as the hosts - playing at Hampden due to ongoing renovation work at Ibrox - saw out a rather flat win.

Data Debrief: 'Home' comforts for Rangers at Hampden

Rangers have now won their opening home league game in each of the past seven seasons by an aggregate score of 22-2, albeit this match was at Hampden rather than Ibrox.

Last week's draw with Hearts was underwhelming, but the Light Blues avoided going back-to-back league games without a win to begin a season for the first time since 1989-90 with this victory.

Brendan Rodgers knows no Scottish Premiership title is secured after the first game, but says Celtic managed a "critical" step after thrashing Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Reo Hatate, Liam Scales, Nicolas Kuhn and Anthony Ralston were all on target as the Scottish champions hammered their visitors 4-0 at Celtic Park.

Celtic have won their league opener in 16 of the last 17 seasons, losing the other 2-1 away to Hearts in 2021, though Rodgers acknowledged this is just the start for the Hoops.

"I thought we were very connected, some of our passing and the speed of our game was very good," the Celtic manager told BBC Scotland.

"Defensively we were very strong, the first goal came from that counter press. I have to be so pleased for the first game of the season.

"Being at the top of the league at the end of the season is what's important but the first steps are critical and we made a really good step today."

Matt O'Riley continues to draw attention from Premier League clubs, as well as Serie A's Atalanta, as the Celtic midfielder's future remains uncertain.

The Denmark international assisted Scales' header in the first half against Kilmarnock, reminding potential suitors of his quality with transfer speculation continuing.

Rodgers is focused on adding to his Celtic squad, though, as he aims to build a side capable of competing in the Champions League and Scotland's top division.

"Currently our focus is very much the players that are here but naturally we want to improve the squad," Rodgers added.

"It's our duty to do that for the players and we'll speak about that. I will never say anything that I've not spoken to my bosses about.

"We want to take the club forward, we know the challenges that we have on every front and for that we want to improve the squad. Hopefully, we can get in the players that can help us kick on this season.

"I'd love to have more tools to have a go at the Champions League, that's one of our big goals this season. We want to get into the play-off phases and for that, we want to improve the squad."

Celtic kicked off their Scottish Premiership title defence with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Reo Hatate opened the scoring after just 17 minutes, making no mistake from the edge of the area to lift the spirits of an expectant Celtic Park crowd.

Further jubilation followed as Liam Scales doubled the lead five minutes before the break, heading Matt O'Riley's corner past the helpless Robby McCrorie, who had twice denied Nicolas Kuhn moments earlier.

Scales almost added to his own account, and extended Celtic's lead, in the second half, only for Oliver Bainbridge to clear off the line after McCrorie was again beaten from a corner.

Yet Bainbridge was left wanting soon after as his deflection helped Kuhn find the back of the net following a weaving run inside from the touchline just before the hour.

Substitute Anthony Ralston then added a late fourth in the third minute of stoppage-time as Brendan Rodgers' side started their search for a 13th top-flight title in 14 seasons with ease.

Data Debrief: Business as usual for Hoops

Reigning Scottish champions have now won their first match in each of the last 13 seasons, with Rangers the last such team to fail when drawing 1-1 with Hearts back in the 2011-12 campaign.

Celtic have also won their league opener in 16 of the last 17 seasons, losing the other 2-1 away to Hearts in the 2021-22 season.

This victory came as no surprise, though, as when at home for their domestic curtain-raiser, the Hoops are unbeaten in 35 such games (W31 D4) since a 4-3 defeat to Morton in 1950-51.

Sunday also continued an impressive head-to-head record, with Celtic only losing one of the 12 previous occasions that they have faced Kilmarnock on the first matchday of a league season (W9 D2).

Philippe Clement was pleased with the improved second-half performance of his Rangers side but suggested the bar was low during the 0-0 draw with Hearts.

Rangers started the encounter poorly, but Clement took encouragement from the improved display in the second 45 minutes, with Cyriel Dessers going closest as his header crashed against both crossbar and post.

Hearts had the better of the Scottish Premiership opener, having 18 shots to Rangers' nine, and 0.78 of the hosts' 1.28 expected goals (xG) was mustered in the first half.

Clement said: "We showed the right images in half-time, we talked, we discussed, to do the right things – and then you see that we play better football and we create more and we have much more control of the game.

"We need to continue that way – like we played in the second half."

Despite the uplift in performance, Clement underlined how poorly he felt his players performed in the first half, most notably when they were without the ball.

He said: "In the first half, I could have changed, maybe eight. They need to understand that it's not only with the ball – you need first to win the duels and we lacked that in the first half.”

"In the second half we were much braver with the ball, with the right positioning also."

Clement's observations were backed up by the match statistics, with Rangers winning just 38.5% of their duels in the first half.

Rangers' manager was pleased enough with the performances of his debutants Connor Barron and Vaclav Cerny but hinted at more reinforcements before the end of the summer transfer window.

He added: "Connor played a good game, but not at the level that he played in the pre-season, but also it's his first competitive game. He will be a big asset for the future.

"You saw Vaclav's qualities to be calm on the ball and to make the right decisions. He's an experienced player with a lot of quality.

"We need to get a few more of those types in to help our young players to grow."

It is a quick turnaround for Rangers before their next match, as they face Dynamo Kyiv in a crucial first-leg Champions League play-off on Tuesday.

Rangers made a disappointing start to their Scottish Premiership campaign as they drew 0-0 with Hearts at Tynecastle.

This poor result rather compounded a lacklustre pre-season, despite manager Philippe Clement signing a contract extension on Friday.

Hearts made a quick start, with debutant James Penrice going close as he burst into the box and forced Gers goalkeeper Jack Butland into a fine stop at his near post.

The hosts continued piling on the pressure as Yan Dhanda struck the crossbar with a stylish effort.

Rangers looked more assured after the break with Cyriel Dessers heading against the corner of the crossbar and post early on after a delicious left-footed cross from Tom Lawrence, who then went close himself with a dipping volley from outside the box, which Zander Clark had to acrobatically save.

Laurence Shankland drove into the area with twenty minutes to go, but he was thwarted by an onrushing Butland, though Rangers could not any inroads going the other way.

Data debrief: Dessers dangerous but Rangers struggle

Cyriel Dessers contributed 0.65 of Rangers' 0.83 xG, having the most shots for the away side with four, as well as having the joint most touches in the opposition box of any player with seven, alongside Hearts' Shankland.

However, it was a meek attacking display overall from Rangers, who had nine shots to Hearts 18, with the home team creating 1.28 xG.

They are now unbeaten in 12 home league games, which matches their best Scottish Premiership run since November 17 to April 2018. Indeed, the last team to beat Hearts in the league at Tynecastle were Rangers, back in December last year.

Trinidad and Tobago's Andre Raymond knows all too well that opportunities in football often come with their fair share of challenges and setbacks. Though those setbacks are sometimes harrowing, much like his jail-time experience in Portugal, Raymond, like the professional he is, has learned to smile in the face of adversity.

In fact, it is Raymond's resilience and determination that ensured a bad situation took a positive turn and brought him back on track to pursue his professional dreams, as he recently signed with St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, where he had an encouraging start in a 2-0 win over Morton on Saturday.

“I was very happy with my debut. I needed to get some minutes in the tank and build a bond with the team and the intensity was really high—it was really good,” said Raymond, whose last competitive outing was a friendly international against Guyana in May.

“I didn’t know the coach [Craig Levein] had asked Dan [Phillips] about me. Then, in March, I got a phone call saying he was interested. He’d done some research and liked what he saw, so things started moving then. I made my mind up straight away; I wanted to join St Johnstone because the Scottish league is a top league,” he told The Courier.

Prior to his move to Scotland, Raymond, whose speed, defensive acumen, and ability to contribute offensively made him a sought-after player, caught the eye of scouts from various clubs, including SC Braga, one of Portugal’s top football teams.

The opportunity to sign with Braga seemed like the perfect next step in Raymond’s burgeoning career. However, his aspirations were abruptly halted by an unexpected turn of events.

During his trip to finalize the deal with SC Braga, Raymond was detained by Portuguese authorities for overstaying on a previous visit. This oversight resulted in him being thrown into prison for two days.

“I was at university in America and did one semester. While I was at home, my friend was going with an academy team to Spain. I was dropping him off at the airport, and the coach of his team asked me what I was doing and why I wasn’t playing football and going with them,” Raymond recalled.

“He wanted me to go with them, so he spoke to my dad about it, but my mom was saying, ‘No way, you have to go back to school,” he shared.

In the end, Raymond managed to persuade his parents, and a few days later, he joined the Academy team in Spain for the tournament.

“After that, we went to Portugal, and I ended up with Braga, but then some stuff happened—I got arrested because we’d been away from home for so long, and I ended up staying for four months instead of three. I went back home to get my documents and then back to Portugal for pre-season with Braga, but they didn’t let me in and threw me in jail,” Raymond explained.

“I was in there for two days; it was horrible. I was allowed a 15-minute phone call and locked in a cell. I know it was only two days, but that was enough. It was a new experience, that’s for sure, and I wouldn’t want anyone to go through it,” he added.

The detention not only affected Raymond personally but also jeopardized his professional prospects. The deal with SC Braga fell through as the club, wary of the legal complications, decided not to proceed.

For Raymond, it was a devastating blow, as the young defender was on the brink of a significant career milestone.

“They sent me back to Trinidad, and I had to spend three months out of Europe before I could go back. But, because of the length of time it was, Braga had moved on and signed another left-back, and that left me without a club.

“I felt like giving up football again, to be honest, but I got the chance to sign for Vilar De Perdizes, so I decided to do that. My mom wanted me to go back to school, but my dad said I should push on and keep going,” Raymond revealed.

Through resilience and his father’s unwavering support, the now 23-year-old continued to push and inevitably caught the attention of St Johnstone through a timely referral from his Soca Warriors teammate Dan Phillips.

Now a part of the St Johnstone squad, Raymond is eager to leverage his skills and experiences to help the Perth-based club succeed while continuing to develop as a player.

“I spent the last few months of the season watching the team play, looking at the players, the style of play, and the atmosphere in the stadium. All the time I was speaking to the manager and hoping they would stay in the Premiership, and I was very happy that they did,” Raymond said.

“I wanted Dan to stay, but he has goals and aspirations of his own. We still speak a lot. He told me to come here because it’s a good club and I would fit in here. He said that my style of play would match up with Scottish football, and I’m feeling that too because I like to defend, but I also like to get forward,” he ended.

Manchester United claimed their first victory of pre-season with a 2-0 win over Rangers at Murrayfield.

Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill were on target for Erik ten Hag's side, who bounced back from their 1-0 defeat by Rosenborg last time out.

The Red Devils, whose starting XI included new signing Leny Yoro and the returning Jadon Sancho, went close with young striker Ethan Wheatley calling Jack Butland into action, while Diallo was narrowly off target from a free-kick.

The latter broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time, cutting inside from the right wing before flashing a shot into Butland's bottom-right corner.

Sancho shot over from close range before United doubled their lead 19 minutes from time. Maxi Oyedele provided a neat throughball for fellow substitute Hugill, who brilliantly fired home first time off the underside of the crossbar.

Andre Onana denied Ridvan Yilmaz's acrobatic effort later on to preserve a clean sheet for Ten Hag's side, who will travel to Los Angeles to face Arsenal next week.

Kasper Schmeichel has signed a one-year deal with Celtic, while reuniting with former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers.

The Denmark goalkeeper joins the reigning Scottish Premiership champions as a free agent after his departure from Belgian side Anderlecht, where he spent a single season.

Schmeichel, who also spent a year with Ligue 1 outfit Nice in 2022-23, brings plenty of experience to Celtic Park, following his 11-year stint with Leicester.

The 37-year-old helped the Foxes to their fairy-tale Premier League triumph in 2016, along with their FA Cup success five years later.

Rodgers was Schmeichel's coach in his final three years at the King Power Stadium, and both are excited to renew that working relationship.

"I am absolutely delighted to join Celtic and can't wait to get started," Schmeichel told the club's official website.

"Celtic is one of the world's proper football clubs, a massive name and a place of real passion and success. Celtic is what football is all about. 

"I know Brendan very well, too. He is a top manager and someone I can't wait to work with again. 

"I'm really looking forward to meeting up with the boys [on their pre-season tour] in America and starting our work and then, of course, meeting our fans who bring so much to Celtic.

"I will be doing all I can to keep Celtic on top and bring these brilliant supporters more and more success."

"I am really pleased to bring Kasper to Celtic," Rodgers added. "He is a real quality keeper and someone with the ability and personality to be great for us.

"He is a guy I trust and someone who knows how to win. He lives for football, and he is coming to a club where he will feel the same passion that he has for the game.

"I know he will feel right at home at Celtic, and we look forward to working with him as we all aim for more success."

Luis Palma struck a late winner as champions Celtic twice came from behind to see off St Mirren 3-2 on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season.

It was a day of celebrations at Celtic Park for Brendan Rodgers' side, who wrapped up their third successive domestic title in midweek.

However, St Mirren threatened to spoil the party when Mark O'Hara fired them in front after just seven minutes.

Top scorer Matt O'Riley equalised for the hosts in the 21st minute, but they fell behind again just five minutes later when O'Hara doubled his tally from the penalty spot after Stephen Welsh fouled Toyosi Olusanya.

Kyogo Furuhashi levelled for Celtic before half-time, and the Hoops completed the turnaround with Palma scored the winner with four minutes remaining.

Rodgers' side finished eight points clear of second-place Rangers, who were held to a 3-3 draw by Hearts.

Despite falling behind to Lawrence Shankland's strike, goals from Ross McCausland, Todd Cantwell and Fabio Silva seemingly had the visitors on course for a comfortable win at Tynecastle.

However, there was to be a late twist with Dexter Lembikisa pulling a goal back in the 82nd minute, before Kyosuke Tagawa struck deep into stoppage time to rescue a point for the hosts.

There was also nothing to separate Dundee and Kilmarnock, who drew 1-1 in the other match on the final day.

Luke McCowan cancelled out Gary Mackay-Steven's earlier effort, though the Dundee captain squandered a glorious opportunity to complete the turnaround when he missed a penalty two minutes from time.