Aribo, Bassey title hope under threat

Nigeria’s Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey, and Leon Balogun may have bid their hopes of a second league title bye after Rangers managed an eventful 1-1 at Celtic Park.

Six points separated the two sides before kick-off, with Rangers needing a win away over their bitter city rivals to half that deficit and restore their slim hopes of retaining the title they won last year.

Jota’s first-half strike handed Celtic the lead, but Fashion Sakala’s equaliser claimed a share of the spoils for Rangers, leaving the league leaders at the cusp of another Premiership triumph.

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Aribo started the encounter in a false nine role, Bassey featured at centre-back, while Balogun did not make the matchday squad.

Celtic have not lost a domestic game since September, except that 1-2 extra-time defeat to Rangers in the Scottish Cup two weeks ago.

But with this draw against the only team that can stop them, Celtic now have one hand firmly on the Scottish Premiership trophy.

Aribo, Bassey, and Rangers can turn their immediate attention to the second leg of their Europa League semifinal showdown against RB Leipzig at Ibrox Stadium on Thursday.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men lost by the narrowest of margins at the Red Bull Arena in the first leg. Any win by a margin of two goals will see the Gers advance to the final of the competition.