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Celtic will have to wait at least another three days before their status as 2021/22 Premiership champions is officially confirmed after Rangers beat Dundee United 2-0 at Ibrox.
The Hoops realistically wrapped up the title up with a 4-1 over Hearts on Saturday that leaves them six points ahead and with a massive goal difference advantage over the Europa League finalists with only two games still to play.
But Rangers weren’t ready to gift wrap the league trophy back to their rivals just yet.
Goals from James Tavernier and Amad Diallo were enough for the home side who never really had to get out of first gear to keep the three points in Glasgow.
Van Bronckhorst made seven changes from the starting line-up that helped them become Scotland’s first European finalists in 14 years on Thursday night.
John McGlaughlin, Leon King, James Sands, Aaron Ramsey, Fashion Sakala, Steven Davis and Scott Arfield all returned to the first eleven with Europa League heroes Bassey, Lundstram, Kent and McGregor among those rested.
And Arfield was denied an opener early on after good link-up play with Steven Davis as the Europa League finalists looked to start on the front foot in their first game since the semi-final win over RB Leipzig.
The 33-year-old former Canada international signed a new one-year deal at the club and stressed his ambition to play Champions League football next season.
After an uneventful first-half Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo was brought on and the Ivory Coast winger came close to the opening goal soon after but his shot floated wide of the post.
Sakala then forced a save from Benjamin Siegrist as the home side started to put some real pressure on United’s goals.
Then just ten minutes into the second half the Zambia international was brought down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.
As always, it was the captain who took the responsibility and he put Rangers ahead with his 20th goal of the season from right-back.
Tavernier was then one of three who were substituted just after the hour mark when the manager gave youngsters Alex Lowry, Adam Devine and Charlie McCann a chance to show the home support what they can do.
Diallo then made it two with just under 15 minutes left on the clock when he raced on to a through ball by Sakala and lofted the ball over Siegrist to put the victory beyond doubt.
The 19-year-old had a lively second half in what was one of his best performances in a Rangers jersey since signing for six months in January.
And he would have probably felt hard done by when fellow loanee Aaron Ramsey was named the sponsor’s man of the match.
Celtic now have the chance to finalise the league victory if they can avoid defeat when they travel to Tannadice on Wednesday.
Rangers will play Ross County as they continue their preparations for two cup finals later this month against Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville and Hearts at Hampden.
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