Emmanuel Fernandez survived an early red-card scare during Rangers’ Old Firm victory over Celtic on Sunday, with the Nigerian defender already booked before another foul on Benjamin Nygren left former Scotland midfielder Andy Halliday convinced that he should have been sent off, Footynaija.com reports.
Fernandez had barely settled into the derby before finding himself in the referee’s notebook. He was booked by John Beaton in the fourth minute for bringing down Camilo Duran as the Celtic forward tried to break away.
That left the Rangers defender walking a fine line for most of the afternoon, particularly with Celtic applying pressure during the opening stages at Parkhead.
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Only 12 minutes after his first booking, Fernandez was involved in another challenge, this time on Nygren.
Beaton awarded a foul but decided against showing a second yellow card, allowing Fernandez to remain on the pitch. Rangers went on to survive Celtic’s early pressure before Ryan Naderi scored in the 33rd minute to give the visitors the lead.
Halliday explains Fernandez red card escape
The decision not to send Fernandez off became one of the major talking points after Rangers held on for a 1-0 victory and recorded their second Old Firm win in eight days. Halliday believes the Nigerian was fortunate, particularly because he was already carrying a booking.
“Could easily have been a caution. Enough for a second yellow. Lucky to escape it. For me, it’s a clear foul and a cautionable offence. Therefore, it’s a second yellow and a red card,” Halliday said, via Daily Record.
The former Rangers midfielder felt the timing of the incident may have worked in Fernandez’s favour, even though he did not believe that should have changed the decision.
“See, for me, he can’t have any complaints if he is given a second yellow card. I think when you watch it back, they kick it into each other. Sometimes it’s a yellow, sometimes it isn’t.
“I think he is very lucky at that moment in time. The only thing that saved him is that it’s so early in the game and he is already on a booking. I think if that’s in the 80th minute, I think that is a sending off.”
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton also felt Fernandez had escaped punishment.
“That’s reckless. He’s a lucky boy, he really is,” Sutton said.
The result means Rangers have now beaten Celtic twice in the space of eight days, having also won their Scottish League Cup quarter-final 3-0 at Ibrox last weekend.
Fernandez will join up with Nigeria for the upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, with the defender hoping his latest Old Firm outing does not overshadow another important week for the Super Eagles.
