How Jota pounced on Rangers mistakes as Celtic display 'concrete' foundations in more ways than one

Football’s a cruel game and nowhere is this more starkly exhibited than in the Old Firm setting. Criticism is merciless.

This was summed up by a tweet that very quickly went viral on Saturday afternoon. You know the one. It compared the way Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor moved as he attempted to reach John Souttar’s admittedly wayward backpass after 73 minutes to a late and much-loved army captain completing the 100th lap of a charity walk in his back garden.

Ouch. But, while McGregor’s delayed reaction did expose every one of his 41 years, the barb meant Jota’s part in the goal that ultimately clinched Celtic’s 3-2 victory over Rangers on Saturday was somewhat overlooked.

He exhibited great anticipation as well as acceleration as he reached the ball before McGregor after Souttar’s badly skewed touch had given the Rangers goalkeeper a lot to do – too much it turned out.

Celtic's Jota rounds Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor after a short passback from John Souttar to make it 3-1. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“We must believe every time we get the chance to do something,” said Jota, when he was asked if he was always confident he could take advantage of the mistake. “It was no different this time. It felt like I could reach the ball. And I just tried to press the most I could. In the end I was just happy I could get there.”

Another quality was required as he steered the ball into the corner from a tight angle - composure.

At least one tweeter compared the goal to George Connelly walking the ball round Rangers goalkeeper Norrie Martin after robbing John Greig to score from a tight angle in Celtic's 4-0 Scottish Cup final win in 1969. “A lot harder than it looked,” wrote one poster with reference to Jota’s strike.

It came at the same end of the ground where shortly before kick-off those already inside the stadium had been treated to a rendition of Jota On The Wing by Cambridge singer Ellie Dixon.

She first played the song on a Radio 5 Live Saturday morning show a few short weeks ago, when she admitted she had barely heard of Celtic, never mind the player in question. Now here she was wearing a hoops shirt while entertaining over 60,000 Celtic supporters. She’ll have to headline Glastonbury before she does anything like it again. She even had an audience with Jota afterwards.

The Portuguese winger was clearly inspired although he was sitting in the home dressing-room along with his teammates while Dixon was strumming furiously in front of the Jock Stein Stand. Had he heard a faint chorus at least? “No, the walls are quite good in here,” he said. “They are concrete!”

We all had reason to be thankful for Celtic Park being built on such firm foundations shortly after Jota’s strike. The hosts’ third goal appeared to have put them on easy street. The crowd, 100 per cent made up by home fans remember, celebrated accordingly.

It seemed that every man, woman and child put arms on each other’s back and jumped up and down during a mass singalong of Let’s All Do the Huddle. It caused the stadium to shake rather alarmingly.

It’s slightly ironic that “security and safety issues” have been cited for banning even a small number of away fans from these games and then the entire ground is almost placed in peril of collapse by celebrating home supporters.

But those aforementioned concrete walls held up well. The same applied to the team. Although James Tavernier’s second goal of the afternoon caused some consternation among fans and led to Rangers believing they could still grab a point, this is a Celtic side well versed in finding ways to win. It helps if you have a master poacher like Kyogo Furuhashi pouncing to convert half-chances. But even when they were placed under pressure late on, they held out.

Of course they did. It's what Celtic always seen to do under Ange Postecoglou. And now they need at most just three more wins to seal an 11th title in 12 years.

Jota mentioned the foundations at Celtic again in his reply to a question about confidence levels as the countdown to the next Old Firm game, at Hampden later this month. He was asked whether Celtic had now been given extra belief that they can deal with the improved challenge of Rangers in this high-stakes Scottish Cup semi-final clash. He rejected this assessment.

“No, the confidence comes from the daily work,” he said. “It does not come from this week or the win a few weeks earlier or whatever. It comes from what we have been doing from day one because there is a foundation and there is a strong base in the background.

“That is what we aim for,” he added. “We are secure on that because we know there is something strong to build on and we just want to keep on pushing until the end of the season.”

Jota might have been on the wing, but his dazzling wing play was not as apparent as normal. However, he worked exceptionally hard for the team and he had a hand – some argued literally – in the second of Kyogo’s two goals. He also might have struck in the first half when McGregor beat away his shot.

"Every game is different of course,” said Jota. “But inside every game you need to be able to do your stuff and participate in the best way you can (even if) ..you might not do some things that you do in other games.

"And in the end if it can help to achieve the main goal, which is the win, then I am just happy for that.” A song, a goal and yet such modesty. It's no surprise Celtic refuse to be deflected from their purpose.