Rangers have claimed a shock win at Celtic Park in a tantalising five-goal Old Firm derby at Celtic Park, defeating the league leaders 3-2 with an 88th-minute winner.
The win for interim manager Barry Ferguson is the first time a Rangers manager has won their first Old Firm derby since 1991.
Rangers showed they meant business from minute dot when Nicolas Raskin headed the side ahead from a corner just four minutes into the action in Glasgow.
The first half went from bad to worse then for Celtic, who after avoiding several scares eventually succumbed to a second Rangers goal half an hour after the first when Mohamed Diomande stuck the ball in the bottom left corner, far beyond the reach of a struggling Schmeichel.
As we've come to expect, however, Celtic had little intention of taking a home thumping and came back out from the break firing on all cylinders and delivering a markedly better second 45. It took Daizen Maeda just four minutes to put Celtic back on the scoreboard, firing home a close-range header. Twenty-five minutes later Reo Hatate delivered a stellar finish off the back of a brilliant team move to level off the affair and reignite the Old Firm.
🎙️ “What a comeback, what a finish!”
Reo Hatate makes it Celtic 2-2 Rangers! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/td5SRPXBCs
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 16, 2025
While three points in Celtic Park looked to be slipping away from Barry Ferguson with just minutes left on the clock, Celtic could not hold the momentum and succumbed to 88th-minute heartbreak when Hamza Igamane sealed an admittedly deserved Rangers win with a rocket into the top right-corner.
🤯 A ferocious finish from Hamza Igamane!
Rangers are 3-2 up at Celtic Park! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y4wQXRdUuI
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 16, 2025
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TV coverage reveals reason for Celtic fans fury after Rangers winner
On a day when 2000-odd Rangers fans were allowed to return to Celtic Park, it was the home crowd who ended up causing a foray, with police and stewards rushing to shepherd those near the dugouts after Rangers winner.
Describing the incident BBC Sportsound commentator Liam McLeod said: "There has obviously been a problem in the main stand behind the Rangers dugout. There are police swarming around the dugout. The Celtic fans were furious with the reaction of the Rangers bench to that goal which may well have won the game."
While the cause of the tensions seemed initially unknown, footage that appeared on Social Media after the game appears to show Rangers players heading straight to the Celtic fans after their late winner and spraying them with water.
The Rangers player running past the Celtic fans spraying them with water after their late winner😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/4j9AyHRKX0
— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) March 16, 2025
Ultimately, the minor tensions at the end of the game probably sum up what was a reasonably fruitful day for Glasgow, which appears to have witnessed very little trouble as Rangers fans returned to Celtic Park.
Asked after the game whether he'd seen what caused uproar among the Celtic faithful, former Rangers captain and now interim manager Barry Ferguson refused to be drawn on the matter.
No I was concentrating on celebrating and making sure that we were gonna get back into shape to try see the game out, I never seen anything to be honest.
🗣️ “We deserved it”
🗣️ “That’s what it takes to play with Rangers”
🗣️ “I never seen the incident to be honest”Barry Ferguson reflects on Rangers’ 3-2 win at Celtic Park & Vaclav Cerny's celebration ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/sgjoNAFglu
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 16, 2025
Regardless of Sunday's result, Celtic remain twelve points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League, and barring a disaster in the remaining eight games well on track to claim another league title - which as it stands seems well out of reach for Rangers.
