Pundit spots clue Rangers 'accepted' Celtic defeat – and the unseen derby moment that might prove him right

Simon Donnelly reckons Rangers 'accepted' their defeat to Celtic long before the whistle was blown - and an unseen moment noted during live radio coverage might just prove him right.

The Premiership champions signed off for the international break with a thumping 3-0 victory over their rivals that could easily have been more. Rangers started promisingly but from the minute Kyogo had an early goal chalked off for offside, it only appeared to be going one way. Daizen Maeda struck soon after and Kyogo made amends shortly before the half time break to put the Hoops firmly in control.

At 2-0, Philippe Clement was lining up a raft of changes to get back into the game. According to BBC Sportsound's live coverage, striker Danilo was stripped and ready to come on alongside Nicolas Raskin and Hamza Igamane. But Callum McGregor's stunning strike from range to make it three changed Clement's plans. Instead, he turned to Leon Balogun who went on for Robin Propper, with Danilo going back to the bench and finishing the game as an unused sub.

That moment appeared to be when Clement accepted it was time for damage limitation over finding a route back into the game. And it feeds into Donnelly's theory that Rangers had 'accepted' what was coming.

He said on the official Celtic podcast: “Celtic didn’t start the game very well; the other half are giving themselves credit for the way they started it. They were trying to curb that, but good players get out of that.

“The Celtic midfield as well, if you are trying to stop one player (Callum McGregor), there are two others in there that are capable; they are just as strong. That first goal that got cancelled out, he’s broken got away from whoever was trying to put the pressure on them.

“All of