Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo looking for immediate response to Rangers rout

Paulo Bernardo is looking for Celtic to quickly respond to their surprising Rangers rout when they host St Mirren on Sunday.

The Hoops were stung by the comprehensive 3-0 William Hill Premiership defeat by their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox on Thursday which cut their lead over the Light Blues at the top of the table to 11 points, albeit Brendan Rodgers’ side are still well on course to retain the title.

It was the first domestic defeat for Celtic since a 2-0 loss to Hearts last March and Bernardo wants to get back on track at the first attempt as they prepare to host a St Mirren side who have lost against Dundee and Kilmarnock in their last two outings.

The 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder, who signed from Benfica on a five-year deal last August after an initial season-long loan spell at Parkhead, said: “It was a bad game from the team, really tough for us, we didn’t play our football and I think they were the best team and deserved to win.