DANNY ROHL’S FIRST home game as Rangers head coach saw the Light Blues take a step in the right direction with a 3-1 William Hill Premiership win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
Centre-back Derek Cornelius scored his first Gers goal with a header in the 15th minute, only for Killie’s George Stanger to level – seven minutes before the break – after a mistake by home goalkeeper Jack Butland from a corner.
Rangers striker Bojan Miovski had the ball in the opposition net but was ruled offside.
But Brazil forward Danilo’s header five minutes after the restart counted as did the drive in the 72nd minute from substitute Youssef Chermiti, who notched his first Gers goal since his move from Everton in the summer for a reported fee of £8.5million.
Rohl was installed as Russell Martin’s successor last Monday and on Thursday watched his new charges slump to a 3-0 Europa League defeat to Brann in Bergen, but the 36-year-old German would have been encouraged by some of the stuff his side produced against Killie.
Rangers moved into fifth place in the table to sit 13 points off leaders Hearts and five points behind Celtic, ahead of the trip to Hibernian in midweek and their Premier Sports Cup semi-final against the Hoops at Hampden Park next Sunday.
As expected following their dismal performance in Norway, Rohl made changes, bringing in strikers Danilo and Miovski and midfielder Mohamed Diomande for Joe Rothwell, Chermiti and Oliver Antman, while changing to three at the back.
Killie had a couple of attempts from striker Marcus Dackers and attacker Greg Kiltie comfortably saved by Butland before the home side took the lead with a simple goal.
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Rangers captain James Tavernier clipped a free-kick from 30 yards into the visitors’ box and Cornelius escaped the Ayrshire defence to head past helpless goalkeeper Eddie Beach.
Dominic Thompson had Butland in his sights following another Kilmarnock attack but failed to hit the target, although when Kiltie floated a corner in from the left, the Gers stopper came out and missed the ball completely, leaving Stanger to tap in at the back post.
Three minutes later, Beach bizarrely kicked the ball off Cornelius and it fell kindly for Miovski, who headed into the net but VAR revealed him to be offside to the relief of the Kilmarnock keeper and the small band of travelling supporters.
Mikey Moore replaced Miovski for the start of the second half with the away side making a double change with wing-back James Brown and defender Zac Williams on for Jamie Brandon and Lewis Mayo.
Within five minutes, Danilo had headed Jayden Meghoma’s deep cross from the left in off the post, with Beach looking slow to react.
Kilmarnock continued to threaten and in the 57th minute, midfielder David Watson floated a cross to Bruce Anderson, whose powerful header was brilliantly clawed away to safety by Butland down at his right-hand post.
Danilo was then replaced by 21-year-old Chermiti and within a couple of minutes, he came up with a strike from 20 yards that Beach could only redirect into the net.
The third goal allowed some breathing space for the home side, who had a Nicolas Raskin strike disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Youssef Chermiti celebrates after scoring for Rangers. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Meanwhile, Hearts’ dream start to the season continued with an exhilarating 3-1 win over beleaguered champions Celtic that launched them eight points clear at the top of the William Hill Premiership.
All eyes were on Derek McInnes’ Jambos to see if they could handle the growing expectations and pressure of having the opportunity to open up the type of lead never previously enjoyed by any side outside Glasgow during the past four decades of Old Firm dominance.
And Hearts – with minority investor Tony Bloom watching from the stand – duly delivered with a statement victory over Brendan Rodgers’ injury-hit, misfiring Hoops side.
The hosts took the lead through an early Dane Murray own goal and then overcame the swift concession of an equaliser, scored by Callum McGregor, to claim a jubilantly celebrated victory through goals from Alexandros Kyziridis and Lawrence Shankland early in the second half.
Hearts – buoyed by a five-game winning streak – sent out the same starting XI for a fifth game running.
Celtic were forced into three changes from Thursday’s Europa League win over Sturm Graz. Injured trio Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kelechi Iheanacho were replaced by the relatively unproven trio of Colby Donovan, Murray and Johnny Kenny, who had made just 10 previous starts for the Hoops first-team between them.
McInnes had urged the Hearts support to make Tynecastle as “hostile and noisy as possible” and he would have been delighted with the way his side started amid a pumped-up atmosphere.
With Celtic looking rattled in the opening exchanges, the hosts made their early superiority count in the eighth minute.
Stephen Kingsley’s cross from the left was nodded back in by Shankland for Claudio Braga, whose header was clawed on to the post by Kasper Schmeichel.
The ball broke to Shankland on the right of the six-yard box and the Hearts captain drove it across goal where Murray, just a yard out, sliced his attempted clearance into his own net.
The hosts were unable to turn the screw, however, and Celtic levelled with a well-worked goal four minutes later. Kieran Tierney overlapped Sebastian Tounekti in the box and and his low delivery was guided into the bottom corner by McGregor from just outside the six-yard box.
Having stemmed the early flow, the champions started to enjoy a period of control, although they were fortunate to avoid falling behind again just after the half hour when Murray’s clearance ricocheted off team-mate Donovan and ran just wide of Schmeichel’s left-hand post.
Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow had to make a big save in the 38th minute to deny Benjamin Nygren from close range.
But the hosts regained the initiative in the 52nd minute when Kyziridis cut in from the left, evaded Nygren and drilled a low right-footed shot from the edge of the box beyond Schmeichel, who was furious at the lack of pressure on the ball.
Just two minutes later, Hearts were presented with a chance to stretch their lead when they were awarded a penalty after Braga ran on to a Shankland pass and was bundled over in the box by Murray.
Shankland kept his cool to score as buoyant Hearts closed out victory in impressive fashion, fuelling belief that the long-running Glasgow stranglehold on the Scottish title could be nearing an end.
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Rangers move up to fifth as Hearts keep dream start on track with win over Celtic
LAST UPDATE | 26 Oct 2025
Results:
Hearts 3-1 Celtic
Rangers 3-1 Kilmarnock
****
DANNY ROHL’S FIRST home game as Rangers head coach saw the Light Blues take a step in the right direction with a 3-1 William Hill Premiership win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
Centre-back Derek Cornelius scored his first Gers goal with a header in the 15th minute, only for Killie’s George Stanger to level – seven minutes before the break – after a mistake by home goalkeeper Jack Butland from a corner.
Rangers striker Bojan Miovski had the ball in the opposition net but was ruled offside.
But Brazil forward Danilo’s header five minutes after the restart counted as did the drive in the 72nd minute from substitute Youssef Chermiti, who notched his first Gers goal since his move from Everton in the summer for a reported fee of £8.5million.
Rohl was installed as Russell Martin’s successor last Monday and on Thursday watched his new charges slump to a 3-0 Europa League defeat to Brann in Bergen, but the 36-year-old German would have been encouraged by some of the stuff his side produced against Killie.
Rangers moved into fifth place in the table to sit 13 points off leaders Hearts and five points behind Celtic, ahead of the trip to Hibernian in midweek and their Premier Sports Cup semi-final against the Hoops at Hampden Park next Sunday.
As expected following their dismal performance in Norway, Rohl made changes, bringing in strikers Danilo and Miovski and midfielder Mohamed Diomande for Joe Rothwell, Chermiti and Oliver Antman, while changing to three at the back.
Killie had a couple of attempts from striker Marcus Dackers and attacker Greg Kiltie comfortably saved by Butland before the home side took the lead with a simple goal.
Rangers captain James Tavernier clipped a free-kick from 30 yards into the visitors’ box and Cornelius escaped the Ayrshire defence to head past helpless goalkeeper Eddie Beach.
Dominic Thompson had Butland in his sights following another Kilmarnock attack but failed to hit the target, although when Kiltie floated a corner in from the left, the Gers stopper came out and missed the ball completely, leaving Stanger to tap in at the back post.
Three minutes later, Beach bizarrely kicked the ball off Cornelius and it fell kindly for Miovski, who headed into the net but VAR revealed him to be offside to the relief of the Kilmarnock keeper and the small band of travelling supporters.
Mikey Moore replaced Miovski for the start of the second half with the away side making a double change with wing-back James Brown and defender Zac Williams on for Jamie Brandon and Lewis Mayo.
Within five minutes, Danilo had headed Jayden Meghoma’s deep cross from the left in off the post, with Beach looking slow to react.
Kilmarnock continued to threaten and in the 57th minute, midfielder David Watson floated a cross to Bruce Anderson, whose powerful header was brilliantly clawed away to safety by Butland down at his right-hand post.
Danilo was then replaced by 21-year-old Chermiti and within a couple of minutes, he came up with a strike from 20 yards that Beach could only redirect into the net.
The third goal allowed some breathing space for the home side, who had a Nicolas Raskin strike disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Meanwhile, Hearts’ dream start to the season continued with an exhilarating 3-1 win over beleaguered champions Celtic that launched them eight points clear at the top of the William Hill Premiership.
All eyes were on Derek McInnes’ Jambos to see if they could handle the growing expectations and pressure of having the opportunity to open up the type of lead never previously enjoyed by any side outside Glasgow during the past four decades of Old Firm dominance.
And Hearts – with minority investor Tony Bloom watching from the stand – duly delivered with a statement victory over Brendan Rodgers’ injury-hit, misfiring Hoops side.
The hosts took the lead through an early Dane Murray own goal and then overcame the swift concession of an equaliser, scored by Callum McGregor, to claim a jubilantly celebrated victory through goals from Alexandros Kyziridis and Lawrence Shankland early in the second half.
Hearts – buoyed by a five-game winning streak – sent out the same starting XI for a fifth game running.
Celtic were forced into three changes from Thursday’s Europa League win over Sturm Graz. Injured trio Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kelechi Iheanacho were replaced by the relatively unproven trio of Colby Donovan, Murray and Johnny Kenny, who had made just 10 previous starts for the Hoops first-team between them.
McInnes had urged the Hearts support to make Tynecastle as “hostile and noisy as possible” and he would have been delighted with the way his side started amid a pumped-up atmosphere.
With Celtic looking rattled in the opening exchanges, the hosts made their early superiority count in the eighth minute.
Stephen Kingsley’s cross from the left was nodded back in by Shankland for Claudio Braga, whose header was clawed on to the post by Kasper Schmeichel.
The ball broke to Shankland on the right of the six-yard box and the Hearts captain drove it across goal where Murray, just a yard out, sliced his attempted clearance into his own net.
The hosts were unable to turn the screw, however, and Celtic levelled with a well-worked goal four minutes later. Kieran Tierney overlapped Sebastian Tounekti in the box and and his low delivery was guided into the bottom corner by McGregor from just outside the six-yard box.
Having stemmed the early flow, the champions started to enjoy a period of control, although they were fortunate to avoid falling behind again just after the half hour when Murray’s clearance ricocheted off team-mate Donovan and ran just wide of Schmeichel’s left-hand post.
Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow had to make a big save in the 38th minute to deny Benjamin Nygren from close range.
But the hosts regained the initiative in the 52nd minute when Kyziridis cut in from the left, evaded Nygren and drilled a low right-footed shot from the edge of the box beyond Schmeichel, who was furious at the lack of pressure on the ball.
Just two minutes later, Hearts were presented with a chance to stretch their lead when they were awarded a penalty after Braga ran on to a Shankland pass and was bundled over in the box by Murray.
Shankland kept his cool to score as buoyant Hearts closed out victory in impressive fashion, fuelling belief that the long-running Glasgow stranglehold on the Scottish title could be nearing an end.
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Celtic Hearts Scottish Premiership Soccer steady as she goes