Celtic Women’s manager Elena Sadiku cut a noticeably frustrated figure in the Ibrox pressroom in the immediate aftermath of her side’s 3–2 Old Firm defeat in the SWPL.
In a night in which she claimed her team “totally dominated” the first half but ultimately left empty-handed after Rangers found the big moments later on that her players could not.
Speaking to the media, Sadiku repeatedly returned to two themes: Celtic’s failure to make their early control count, and the emotional blow of losing forward Morgan Cross to injury shortly before Rangers equalised in the first half.
“Obviously very frustrated and disappointed right now,” she opened.
“In the first half I was so proud of the team and I think we totally dominated.
“It was a shame it was 1–1 when we went in. From the first half we should be 2–0 up, that is my feelings.”
Rangers had survived Celtic’s early surge, steadied themselves, and then struck back with a Laura Berry equaliser right before half time, showing resilience and belief - something Sadiku admitted her side failed to replicate after the break.
A major turning point, in Sadiku’s view, came when Morgan Cross, who had been central to Celtic’s early pressing, was forced off injured.
“Morgan is a player that does her very best. She always gives 110% for the team,” Sadiku said.
“If she can’t play on, then we know it’s not good.”
Ross was visibly upset as she left the pitch, and Sadiku felt her absence was immediately felt. “When she went off, it made a difference for us.”
There was even frustration around the timing of Rangers’ equaliser, with Cross still down on the turf as the sequence developed.
“When there’s a player falling down and it looks a bit bad, sometimes they pause it, sometimes they don’t,” she said.
“In this situation, they didn’t but that is football.”
“We lost, and I take full responsibility”
Rangers went on to take the lead in the second half through a Katie Wilkinson header and despite Celtic pulling level again at 2–2, Sadiku was blunt about the decisive goal Rangers scored late on, Mia McAuley’s curling winner, and pointed to errors in the Celtic back line.
“I’m not happy with how we conceded the 3–2 goal. Really disappointed with that,” she admitted.
“We had some errors in the defending situation when they scored.”
Sadiku did praise her players effort but made it clear Celtic lacked the belief and intensity they showed earlier in the evening.
She said: “I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t have a strong belief in the same intensity in the second half.
“The players deserve more, but this is football.”
Ultimately, though, she accepted responsibility for the defeat.
“Overall, we lost and I take full responsibility.”
Rangers deliver where Celtic couldn’t
While Sadiku framed the first half as Celtic control, the scoreboard told a different story, Rangers absorbed the pressure, regrouped, and struck with clinical quality through Berry, Wilkinson, and McAuley.
For all of Celtic’s possession and intensity, Sadiku’s frustration summed it up perfectly:
“If we can score on the chances we have and be clinical, then the game can change fast.”
At Ibrox, Rangers were the ones who changed it and the ones who once again in this fixture – leave with the three points.