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72 min: Fernandez, who’s been Rangers’ best player, tries to do it all himself down the left wing but is penalised for offside after he gets the ball back in the Celtic area.
70 min: Rangers made a triple change not long after Celtic’s third – Sterling, Aasgaard, Gassama on; Antman, Diomande, Tavernier off. They’re seeing a fair bit of the ball but don’t know what to do with it.
“Lubomir Moravcik watching admiringly in the crowd,” notes Simon McMahon after Maeda’s wonderful second. “Surely one of the most underrated of all European players. He played for Celtic at the tail end of his career and was a joy to watch. I still don’t know if he was right or left footed.”
66 min: Yang provides a threat again down the Celtic right. He lays the ball inside for Nygren, who shapes to shoot a couple of times before finding Tounekti. Rangers eventually deal with it. There’s a Poznan going on in the crowd.
64 min: Yang dances this way and that against Lommens before digging out a cross to the back post. It comes through to Tierney but his lofted ball into the box drops clear of the crossbar.
62 min: Celtic try to find Maeda again in the penalty area but he bundles Djiga over. He doesn’t stop running, that man. Rangers look shellshocked.
60 min: Wow. Maeda’s single-handedly reignited Celtic’s title challenge this half. Two goals in four minutes.
GOAL! Celtic 3-1 Rangers (Maeda 57)
What an astonishing finish! Straight into the Old Firm annals! Tounetki sends a bobbling ball into the box, Maeda’s first touch is up above his head, back to goal, and he launches himself into an overhead kick that lands inside the far post! My word.
56 min: Danny Röhl sits down in the Rangers dugout and ponders what to do next. Gassama is getting ready to come on.
GOAL! Celtic 2-1 Rangers (Maeda 53)
Maeda connects this time! Scales lifts a ball over the Rangers backline which Tierney scampers on to. Maeda runs across his man as the ball is cut back and the Japan striker tucks it past Butland!
52 min: Maeda inches away! Tounekti feeds a lovely pass through for Engels in the penalty area. His first-time cross is right across the corridor of uncertainty and Maeda throws himself at it at the back post, his boot just short of connecting.
51 min: Maeda tussles with Djiga on the byline and wins a well-earned corner for Celtic. Engels delivers but Fernandez gets a strong head to it.
49 min: Engels gets a talking-to from the referee after tugging on Moore’s shirt after the Spurs loanee had turned smartly in midfield. ‘That’s your last one’ – something like that.
47 min: Rommens tests Celtic’s backline with a free-kick into the box from deep but Maeda heads it up and out.
Restart
Celtic get us back under way. Tounekti, playing on the left, has replaced McCowan. Yang has shifted to the right wing.
Some half-time replays show that Alistair Johnston was lucky to get away with just a yellow card for his sliding challenge on Mikey Moore towards the end of that first half. The studs were up and catch Moore on the ankle – it’s nasty. Anyway, Johnston and Celtic are back out for the second half …
A half-time email from Simon McMahon: “For years Celtic, and to a lesser extent Rangers, have bemoaned a lack of competition in Scotland. They didn’t really mean it, of course, being happy to scoop up the trophies at home while signing every other club’s best players and then blaming those same clubs inability to provide them with any real test for their own lack of success in Europe. I wonder how they’re feeling now? Most fans outside the Old Firm are desperate for Hearts to win the league this season, or at least happy to see it. Will it change things in the longer term? I doubt it, but Hearts fans won’t care about that...”
The table as it stands …
Rangers have looked dangerous throughout that first 45 – Mikey Moore’s goal on 10 minutes was not the first time they opened Celtic up. Martin O’Neill’s side have shown fight and a well-worked move involving Luke McCowan and Arne Engels ended with Yang Hyun-jun drawing them level. It’s wonderfully poised – and both teams need a win in the context of the title race.
Half-time: Celtic 1-1 Rangers
It’s a result that suits Hearts for now.
45 min: Nygren spins in the box and lays the ball back for Engels but he’s off balance as he shoots and Butland watches it fly behind.
One minute added.
43 min: Up the other end Tavernier swings a free-kick into the Celtic box which is headed wide by Djiga at the back post. Really good chance, that.
42 min: Last-ditch defending from Rangers! McCowan threads a ball into the box for Maeda. Djiga slides in to prevent the shot and the angle is too tight for Yang to try for goal himself on the loose ball.
39 min: Johnston goes in the book for Celtic after a rash sliding tackle on Moore on halfway. He gets the ball but catches Moore on the follow-through.
37 min: Tavernier lines up another long throw which Johnston doesn’t take any chances with and nods behind for a corner. Tavernier wastes the corner, sending it floating out for a goal-kick.
35 min: Celtic struggle to clear after a Tavernier long throw. When a cross comes into the six-yard box Trusty does extremely well to head clear under pressure. He takes a whack for his troubles but is OK.
33 min: Barron doesn’t thank Chukwuani for a chest-height pass in the middle of the park that he fails to control. Chukwuani comes in to help out and fouls his man but escapes a booking. Bit scrappy.
31 min: Tierney clips a ball towards the back post but Rommens is there to clear away. Nygren can’t find space for a proper shot at goal on the turn and Butland gathers.
29 min: Fernandez does brilliantly for Rangers to get back to stop McCowan, just as multiple Celtic players were bearing down on goal.
28 min: Nervy moments for Celtic! Rommens sends Moore down the left and the youngster’s low cross is sliced just past his own top corner by Scales. Moore loses the ball on the edge of the box after the corner and Celtic break at speed …
26 min: That’s got the home crowd going again! Engels tries to thread a ball through for Maeda running between the Rangers centre-backs but Fernandez is there to step in.
There’s a VAR check for offside with a couple of Celtic players in the six-yard box as Yang’s shot comes in … the goal stands!
GOAL! Celtic 1-1 Rangers (Yang 23)
Celtic level it up – McCowan is at the heart of it! It’s a brilliant reverse ball into Engels, who cuts the ball back for Yang in the middle to convert!
22 min: McCowan is struggling a bit on the right for Celtic. He was dispossessed for Moore’s goal and now dallies on the ball in the Rangers penalty area. When the cross does come in from the other flank Nygren can’t direct his header on target.
2o min: Referee Nick Walsh delves into his pocket for the first time to show a yellow card to Chermiti for a late lunge on Engels. It’s not been the striker’s first foul. Engels then bumps Chukwuani to the floor off the ball.
18 min: Maeda shoots wide! Yang feeds a ball through for the Japan international to chase. He leaves Djiga on the deck, opens his body up but rolls the ball just wide of the far post. It’s all happening.
16 min: Trusty is all at sea again when trying to deal with Chermiti, who takes down a long ball and leaves the Celtic defender on his backside. His teammates come to his rescue but Rangers win a corner. Fernandez has a free header but shoulders it wide, with the referee blowing for a foul.
14 min: Rangers threaten again! Tavernier picks out Chermiti, who holds off Trusty in the area and has a shot saved by Sinisalo. The rebound falls to Moore, whose shot is blocked as the whistle goes for handball by Chermiti.
13 min: It’s the away end making most of the noise around Parkhead now. There are some nervous groans as Rangers are allowed to progress to the edge of the area again until Antman’s ball into the box is cut out.
11 min: How do Celtic respond? Maeda leads the charge down the right channel and his cut-back is cleared by Barron.
GOAL! Celtic 0-1 Rangers (Moore 10)
The visitors strike first in the Old Firm! McCowan is pushed off the ball by Fernandez in the Celtic half. Chermiti has a toed shot blocked by Scales but the ball falls to Moore and he slots home!
8 min: Yang combines with Tierney down Celtic’s left but the full-back’s cross is deflected into the hands of Butland. It’s been a typically frantic start.
6 min: Full-backs Tierney and Johnston are already having an impact in the final third for Celtic. McGregor and Yang get the crowd up with some rough tackles in the Rangers half.
4 min: After Engels tests Butland from range, Rangers break with Moore. When the ball gets to Chermiti he sets aim for the far corner and pulls his shot just wide of the post. Big chance!
2 min: A couple of nervy early touches from both teams give way to some controlled Celtic possession around the halfway line until Moore forces Johnston to run it out of play.
Kick-off
“We’ll fight it out until the end,” reads a banner among the Green Brigade in the north curve of Celtic Park. You’ll never walk alone rings out.
Rangers’ Connor Barron gets us going.
The experienced armbanded duo of Callum McGregor and James Tavernier lead their teams out. Let’s get ready to rumble …
In his pre-match TV interview Danny Röhl says Rangers must “play the perfect game” in order to make it three wins from their last three visits to Parkhead. Martin O’Neill meanwhile says Celtic must beware of their opponents “because they will come here and play with freedom”.
Those green seats around Celtic Park are filling up nicely with around 10 minutes until we get under way.
Old Firm head-to-head this season: Celtic haven’t won any of their three Premiership games against Rangers in 2025-26 – Martin O’Neill is unbeaten in all competitions though across his two stints in charge.
Scottish Premiership
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Celtic 1-3 Rangers
Rangers 2-2 Celtic
Scottish Cup
Quarter-final: Rangers 0-0 Celtic (2-4 pens)
League Cup
Semi-final: Celtic 3-1 Rangers
Martin O’Neill has admitted this season has been “a big, big change” for Celtic having to contend with not just Rangers but Hearts in the defence of their title.
It’s not a position that the football club has found itself in in recent years. Generally speaking, they’ve gone clear and there’s been no opposition.
There’s been plenty of opposition this year, not just from Rangers but obviously from Hearts.
So it is a big, big change, not something that a number of these players have been used to. You have to get used to it. You’ve been chasing, you have to keep chasing.
O’Neill’s side have won six of their last seven in the Premiership – with a defeat at Aberdeen their only blip on that run. Three more wins now would seal the title.
The games that we’ve had have been difficult. So I’ve not tried to analyse that much about it. We’ve got over the line.
I think the Old Firm game looks after itself. The players have, since Tannadice, had some time to reflect because of the international break.
We got back to Dundee, got the late winner, and it’s gone from there. We’ve had moments where we’ve had to fight through things, but we’ve seen it through so far. Sunday is a massive test for us.
Danny Röhl has said this week that he is fully committed to the Rangers job heading into next season after rumours of a return to his native Germany. He is under pressure at Ibrox in any case because of Rangers’ tendency to fall short across the competitions this campaign.
Röhl has been speaking this week about trying to develop a winning mentality at Rangers:
Fully, fully committed. I feel the support every day. I feel the conversations we had. We spoke so much about what we want to change for the summer.
All in all, I feel that I’m in the right place with the right people with a lot of motivation, positive energy to bring this club not just to a one-hit wonder, back to a consistent club who can win titles in a row.
This is also important to understand. A one-hit wonder for us, it’s nice, but what we are looking for is that you consistently play for the title. And this is my job, this is our job, and this is why I’m looking forward.
Starting lineups: Raskin misses out
Celtic Sinisalo; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Yang, Maeda, McCowan
Subs: Doohan, Iheanacho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tounekti, Sarrachi, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Ralston
Luke McCowan gets the nod ahead of Sebastian Tounetki in Celtic’s front three.
Rangers Butland; Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Rommens; Barron, Chukwuani, Diomande; Antman, Chermiti, Moore
Subs: Kelly, Sterling, Aarons, Meghoma, Aasgard, Gassama, Bajrami, Miovski, Skov Olsen
Nicolas Raskin misses out entirely with a muscle injury and Connor Barron gets his first start since January.
The context: An Old Firm this late in the season often has the air of a title decider but this season has been different. Hearts, looking to become the first team to break the Celtic-Rangers duopoly for 41 years, lead the Premiership by four points with two games remaining. However the pressure appears to be showing a tad, with Derek McInnes’s side dropping points in a 1-1 draw at Motherwell last night. Hearts were left furious after not being awarded a second-half penalty.
That gives both Celtic and Rangers a chance today, with both teams having this game in hand on the leaders. Celtic are four points back and know they will be champions if they win their last three games – they host Hearts on the final day in a potential all-or-nothing game. After a tumultuous season that has included fan unrest, the disastrous tenure of Wilfried Nancy and a shabby Old Firm record in the league, the title would be some tonic for Martin O’Neill’s side.
As for Rangers, they thought their title hopes were over after defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle last Monday left them eight points back. It is still mathematically possible to overhaul that gap now but Danny Röhl’s side will have to win their last three games and pray (very hard) other results go their way. If the title seems an unrealistic aim then stopping Celtic will at least provide plenty of motivation today.
Preamble
Hello and welcome. The door is ajar in the Scottish Premiership title race. After Hearts’ draw with Motherwell last night, Celtic know that if they win their final three fixtures – starting with the Old Firm today – then they will be champions (bear in mind they host Hearts on the final day next weekend). Rangers also turn up at Parkhead this lunchtime with a spring in their step, with their (very) faint hopes of the title still alive, not to mention the opportunity to set fire to Celtic’s bid.
I’ll bring you buildup and team news before kick-off at noon (BST), then minute-by-minute updates from this, perhaps the, decisive match in the Premiership season. I’d love to hear your thoughts via email, whether you’re Celtic, Rangers, Hearts or a neutral.
The stakes are sky-high and the atmosphere at Celtic Park will be one of a kind. Bring it on.
