Rangers 1-1 Celtic: Dessers hits 25 as Balogun returns in Old Firm draw

Nigerian forward Cyriel Dessers netted his 25th goal of the season and compatriot Leon Balogun made a welcome return from injury as Rangers and Celtic shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Sunday, Footynaija.com reports.

The fiercely contested Old Firm derby saw Rangers edge ahead late in the first half through Dessers, who clinically finished after VAR had earlier chalked off a goal from Nicolas Raskin.

It was Dessers’ second goal in as many games, having scored against St. Mirren in midweek – though that effort came in a 2-2 draw that handed Celtic their fourth straight Scottish Premiership title.

Celtic, who bossed much of the first half, equalised just before the hour mark when Adam Idah’s deflected shot wrong-footed goalkeeper Liam Kelly to level the tie.

The match marked Balogun’s return to the starting XI following a two-week layoff after sustaining a head injury in Rangers’ Europa League exit to Athletic Bilbao. The 35-year-old Nigerian centre-back impressed with a commanding display, helping nullify Celtic’s late pressure.

Despite the spirited showing, the result extends Rangers’ winless run to four Premiership matches – their longest since February 2017. Celtic, meanwhile, maintain a 17-point cushion at the top with three fixtures remaining.

Rangers host Aberdeen on Sunday, 11 May, as they look to finish the campaign strongly. Celtic face Hibernian at home next, aiming to preserve their unbeaten post-title run.