Glasgow Rangers failed yet again to win an Old Firm derby under Philippe Clement. This was the fifth time the Belgian had led the Ibrox side into this fixture, coming out with just one draw for his troubles.
The stark reality is, Rangers' fierce rivals in Celtic were far too good. The Light Blues started brightly, yet once Daizen Maeda scored the opener, there was never going to be a way back into the tie for the Gers.
The international break perhaps comes at the right time for Clement, who will need to have a long think about what is continually going wrong in these matches.
Several of the players who shone vs Ross County last weekend were dismal when the pressure was on, particularly Rabbi Matondo.
Rabbi Matondo’s statistics vs Celtic
The Welsh winger shone against County, scoring twice while grabbing two assists, but playing Celtic at Parkhead is a completely different story indeed.
Matondo was unleashed on the left wing over the weekend, with Clement hoping he could replicate his feats from the previous match.
He only lasted 38 minutes, hobbling off holding his hamstring, but his time on the field lacked any meaningful impact.
The 23-year-old had one shot (off target), missed a big chance, failed with his only dribble attempt and took just nine touches overall.
This plus his injury combined to make it a horrible experience for the player. It remains to be seen how long he will be missing, but his spell at Ibrox has failed to yield any sort of consistency.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Accurate passes
4/5
Touches
9
Key passes
0
Possession lost
3
Aside from his excellent display against County, Matondo has been off the pace so far this season for the Ibrox side. Perhaps it is time for Clement to unleash Oscar Cortes when he is fit instead.
Rabbi Matondo’s statistics this season
His performance against the Highland side has certainly skewed his statistics, as across the other three Premiership matches, Matondo has been poor.
The winger has missed two big chances already this term, winning only 36% of his total duels per game along with being dribbled past on 0.8 occasions each match. His displays are a far cry from that wonderful goal he scored against Celtic last term. Why can't we see more of that?
Add in the fact he has lost possession 27 times after just four games, and it is clear that while Matondo’s pace might be a great asset, defensively, he is failing to contribute when required.
Cortes appears to be near a return to full fitness. Hopefully, by the time the Light Blues take on Dundee United in the league once the international break is over, the Colombian will be ready to be unleashed.
Although less experienced than Matondo, the 21-year-old has shown flashes of his abilities during his time in Glasgow. A run in the starting XI could allow him to build his confidence, establishing himself as the main option on the left flank.
It is all fine starring against the likes of Ross County, but when it comes to high-pressure games such as the Old Firm, Matondo has failed to showcase anything near his best form.
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