As Celtic rallied to overcome Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers capitulated against Aberdeen.
Whilst the Parkhead side twice dug out late goals on their travels, Rangers collapsed under the weight of Ibrox pressure to fall seven points behind their Old Firm rivals.
We’re only seven games into the season.
And if ever a Scottish Premiership weekend card summed up the difference between Rangers and Celtic, this was it.
As Rangers have clamoured back up the divisions in Scotland they’ve had to contend with an unprecedented level of dominance from Celtic.
Five trebles in seven seasons could soon be the tip of the iceberg as Rangers’ long-held domination of Scotland sits on the precipice.
And after watching both Premiership matches at the weekend, it’s clear Celtic are hungrier and a hell of a lot more serious than a baffling Rangers side that genuinely looks worse – and by some distance – than last season.
In the weekend’s early kick off, Celtic had huffed and puffed against a spirited Motherwell and looked to be heading for a draw.
But with minutes to play new signing Luis Palma – strongly linked to Rangers in the summer – netted his first goal for the club and looked to have secured all three points.
But up stepped Blair Spittal to net a 95th minute equaliser for Motherwell and set up Rangers’ visit of Aberdeen later in the day. Or so we thought.
Somehow, Celtic went instantly up the pitch and scored through Matt O’Riley in a moment which is sobering for Rangers fans and the Scottish Premiership.
Despite Celtic’s decade of dominance they continue to go to the well every single time and they have a club, management and playing squad who fundamentally understand the importance of every dropped point and every big moment.
Momentum is huge in football. It’s gargantuan in Scotland.
Rangers incapable of matching Celtic’s Scottish Premiership persistence
Conversely, Rangers are incapable of this kind of resurgence and – save for Scott Arfield’s late double at Aberdeen last season – it’s a level of commitment and belief which we’ve only ever heard soundbites around and rarely seen.
Whilst Rangers started with genuine purpose against Aberdeen, as the club’s lacklustre frontline and injury ravaged squad toiled in front of goal the pressure of the Ibrox crowd got too much.
We’re now apparently being too “harsh” to the same squad of players who told us they were relishing the challenge of playing for Rangers when they signed.
Our expectations are what salvaged the club and they are what drove us to the little – if not significant – success we’ve had in recent seasons.
But it’s those expectations which have a team decimated with injury and a lack of confidence frozen stiff and passing the buck at every opportunity.
The moment Aberdeen defender Stefan Gartenmann had the run of Ibrox to open the scoring from a corner, we all thought it was curtains.
The fan’s confidence so shot to pieces by this team that by the time Jamie McGrath doubled the Dons lead, Abdallah Sima’s goal was met with mooted cheers.
There were probably louder, more sarcastic ones reserved for Jack McKenzie when he made it 3-1.
If we are serious about overcoming Celtic consistently, something admittedly Michael Beale looks incapable of doing, then we must adopt the same level of commitment and relentlessness that our rivals have long established.
It’s that high level of personal and collective responsibility which is the fundamental difference between the clubs at almost every level and until we can find similar – at least on the park – we might even take them to the last minute but they will always find the winner.
