Rangers and their supporters are still rejoicing following a resounding 3-0 victory over Celtic in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals at Ibrox.
A sensational brace from captain Dan Neil alongside a second-half strike from Kevin Kelsy sealed the deal for the Light Blues, taking their winning streak across all competitions to five games.
It also allowed manager Derek McInnes to maintain his flawless 100 per cent record in Old Firm matches across his career as both a player and a manager.
Mark Clattenburg weighs in on ‘reckless’ Mika Baur foul on Ryan Naderi in Rangers win vs Celtic
Despite the emphatic nature of the derby performance, some Rangers fans have expressed lingering concerns over refereeing decisions made by match official Nick Walsh.
The key talking point arrived just after the one-hour mark when Light Blues forward Ryan Naderi collided with Celtic’s Mika Baur on the pitch.
As Naderi slipped, he made contact with Baur, but replay footage clearly showed that Baur made initial contact with his studs up directly onto the Gers attacker’s ankle.
To the shock of the home support, Walsh awarded a free kick to Celtic instead of penalising the visitor, prompting intense debate among fans who argued that Baur should have been shown a red card for the dangerous challenge.
Speaking exclusively to Rangers News, former Premier League and FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg gave his expert verdict on the incident, confirming that the match official made a significant error in judgment.
Although the veteran referee claimed that Baur’s foul did not warrant a straight red card, he admitted that it deserved a ‘minimum of a yellow card’.
He said: “This was a poor judgment to award Celtic a free kick when the foul was actually committed by Mika Baur.
“His challenge on Rangers Ryan Naderi was late and reckless, which lacked some degree of speed, force and malice needed to meet the criteria for a red card.
“Slow motion can always look worse when looking at tackles, but I believe the referee got this challenge wrong, and a minimum of a yellow card should have been shown to Baur.”
While the refereeing error did not ultimately impact the final outcome on a glorious afternoon for McInnes‘ squad, Clattenburg’s assessment validates the frustration felt in the stands over Walsh’s controversial call.
Meanwhile, Rangers have been drawn against Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-finals after claiming their place in the last four of the competition.
