Dujon Sterling may not have dominated headlines following Rangers’ thrilling 3-2 victory against Celtic at Parkhead on Sunday, but he was clearly one of the standout performers.
Rangers opened the game on the front foot and were rewarded when Nicolas Raskin scored four minutes after kickoff, and Mohamed Diomande increased the lead later in the first half.
However, any comfort Barry Ferguson’s side had was dashed early in the second half, when Daizen Maeda halved Celtic’s deficit in the 49th minute.
With the visitors stunned by the goal, Celtic reacted quickly, and Reo Hatate scored the equalizer.
Brendan Rodgers’ then shifted their attention towards grabbing the lead for the first time in the game, only for Hamza Igamane to quiet the Parkhead crowd with an 88th-minute winner.
Stephen Thomspon impressed by Sterling
The game had many of talking points, but one notable moment was Sterling’s miraculous return to the goal line to deny Maeda shortly before halftime.
Stephen Thompson, who was on BBC Radio Scotland’s live commentary, was astounded by the clearing, which he characterized as “absolutely phenomenal”.
The former Light Blues ace remembered how Tyrone Mings became a talking point for days after pulling off a similar clearance in Aston Villa’s 3-1 UEFA Europa League triumph against Club Brugge on 4 March before adding that Rangers fans will speak about Sterling in that way “forever”.
“That is fantastic! Thompson told BBC Radio Scotland (16 March, 1:13 p.m.): “Absolutely phenomenal!”
“I believe Tyrone Mings did that the other week in the European game, and we talked about it for a week straight.
“Rangers fans will speak about this forever.
“That is incredible since it is a tap-in. If he didn’t get that touch, he can simply tap in.”
Sterling numbers in Celtic v Rangers
While the result will not have any impact on the title race as Celtic still sit 13 points clear, Ferguson and Co can take pride in claiming all three points at Parkhead, and the same goes for Sterling and his performance.
The former Chelsea defender produced a fine display in his right centre-back position, registering nine defensive actions, including that goalline clearance, in total [FotMob].
| Minutes | Defensive Actions | Tackles Won | Ground Duels Won | Aerial Duels Won | Accurate Passes |
| 82 | 9 | 2/3 | 4/5 | 1/1 | 14/19 |
He won two of the three tackles he attempted and was not even dribbled past by a Celtic player once, although he was booked for a cynical foul in the first half.
Sterling also won four of his five ground duels, while winning his only such attempt in the air.
In the meantime, the 25-year-old was not as involved in possession, registering 33 touches and completing 14 of his only 19 passes.
