What we learned from first Old Firm clash of season

It was victory for Rangers manager Derek McInnes in his first Old Firm clash with Celtic; they will now face Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-finals; Celtic host Rangers in the first Premiership meeting of season on September 20, live on Sky Sports

Rangers dominated Celtic in the first Old Firm clash of the season - of that there is no doubt.

Dan Neil's two perfectly precise strikes from the edge of the area and Kevin Kelsy's back-post volley were symptomatic of the level of control that Derek McInnes' side enjoyed in the game.

Aggressive, front-footed, confident - they were everything that Martin O'Neill's side were not.

Ahead of the second meeting between the two sides in the space of a week - live on Sky Sports - here is what we learned from the first clash of the new season.

The Rangers boss humbly shrugged off any suggestion of a tactical masterplan in his post-match news conference - but he was just being modest.

McInnes got his game plan spot on, and Celtic couldn't live with his team.

He used left-back James Penrice as an auxiliary midfielder to flood the middle of the pitch - allowing Rangers to press Celtic man-for-man.

Djeidi Gassama and Minsu Kim provided width and energy as wing-backs with Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez and Olwethu Makhanya defending three-vs-three against Celtic's front line.

It was a bold decision that paid dividends as Celtic folded under the pressure.

Dan Neil snatched the starring role of midfield general from his Celtic counterpart Callum McGregor, who was left isolated without a defensive-minded midfield partner.

The former Sunderland man would probably have still been named Player of the Match even if he had not netted two famous derby goals.

After Rangers scored their third, Celtic's usually imperious captain McGregor ordered his own defence "no more goals".

A sobering submission from a figurehead who has been the heartbeat of so many Old Firm victories - but perhaps a signal of a deeper-rooted problem.