Pedro Caixinha has held is hands up and admitted Celtic were the better side as Rangers lost the Old Firm two nil on home soil.
Welcoming Brendan Rodgers’ side to Ibrox for the tie, two second half goals gave the visitors the points on the day and they largely dominated possession and had a number of efforts on goal, whereas Rangers only got one shot on target across the 90.
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media for his post game press conference, Caixinha admitted Celtic made fewer mistakes than we did in the game and first half in particular, they were the better side.
‘I think the team that won is the one which made less mistakes. They began better than us in the first half – the first 10, 15 minutes they were strong, but we coped with that and we understood the way we had to stop them in that moment. We could not get strong on the game in the way we wanted, but we balanced the game, and in the middle of the first half, we were having the game more in our favour, we were comfortable with it and it was a balanced game from there until half-time.’
Caixinha went on to say about the second period.
‘In the second half, I think we had two points or situations which really changed the game and affected the final result. First of all, the disaster of the first goal we conceded – we had two or three very good chances to clear the ball from there, and we didn`t, so they won the second ball and they scored. It is a mistake we could not commit. The second one was when we had the Morelos chance for the equaliser, Gordon made a fantastic save. Those moments are the moments which mark the history of the game.’
Adding about their second strike on the day.
‘The second goal too comes from a second ball, so there are some things which are positives from this. If you say you can take some positives about not winning an Old Firm match, then this is the way the team needs to go, looking forward, looking in front and keep going. I am pleased in general with the performance of all the boys. They worked hard and tried to do everything, and the first half was going in the direction we wanted. We tried to correct things at half-time, but as I told you, we committed more mistakes than them.’
With a first half penalty shout when Alfredo Morelos went down in the box he admitted he didn’t see it from the sidelines but presumably he had on replay.
‘I didn`t see it from where I was. Look, I`m not anyone to criticise the referee`s decision, but I am someone to challenge what is happening, and what everybody saw. When I see those things, I go to the front and I am not someone who just stays in his corner and let things happen. I saw an elbow again from Scott Brown – the second time in the same place, on the same pitch in the same match, and nothing happened.’
We now go into Friday evening’s tie against Hamilton and briefly looking forward he ended by saying.
‘If we are made of the material I know we are made of, then now is the time to react. It is time to show what we are made of – and these are the moments we show we are here to take this forward, or we don`t have enough. I think we have enough and I think we are made of something very strong and we look forward to it.’
