Rangers 2-2 Celtic: Report, result, goals from Scottish Premiership

Report and highlights from Rangers vs Celtic in the Scottish Premiership

Rangers 2-2 Celtic: Report, result, goals from Scottish Premiership

Reo Hatate levelled from the rebound after having a 91st-minute penalty saved as Celtic recovered from 2-0 behind to draw with Rangers and leave their arch-rivals six points behind Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Youssef Chermiti scored twice – including an overhead kick – and hit a post as part of a dominant first-half display by Danny Rohl’s side, who looked in control even after Kieran Tierney headed in Benjamin Nygren’s cross to reply.

Hatate, who had come on alongside Sebastian Tounekti for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Junior Adamu at half-time, had the chance to complete Celtic’s comeback after a Video Assistant Referee check ruled that Dujon Sterling had handled Daizen Maeda’s header.

Home goalkeeper Jack Butland had made a superb save as part of the sequence leading to the penalty and produced more spectacular heroics to keep Hatate’s spot kick and initial attempt from the rebound out, but the ball again fell to the Japan international to slot in and decide an astonishingly dramatic derby.

MinuteTimeline
8Chermiti scores opener with overhead kick
11Forward shoots against post
26Chermiti pokes in second
56Tierney pulls goal back
90+1Hatate scores rebound from penalty

Analysis: Hearts happy with Old Firm draw

After a spiky build-up between Rohl and counterpart Martin O’Neill, the newcomer to Scottish football saw his side surge into a two-goal lead against opponents unable to match Rangers’ directness and physicality.

Chermiti’s acrobatic finish in front of goal from Andreas Skov Olsen’s cross set the tone before the break, and the 21-year-old then capitalised on Dane Murray’s sliced clearance as part of a sequence of poor defending to score a composed second.

Celtic improved significantly as the second half progressed and the relief for Hatate and the away fans was as great as Butland’s predicament was cruel after the former England international so nearly denied the Hoops.

“When we came out for the second half, we were a totally different team,” Tierney told Sky Sports, via BBC Sport.

“We’re unlucky not to get all the points in the end. We let ourselves down in the first half and it wasn’t how we wanted to play. [Then] we showed the character. We’re here for this ongoing fight.”

The result gave Hearts, who are also eight points ahead of Celtic, more to celebrate following their 1-0 home win over Aberdeen on Saturday.

O’Neill’s side have 10 league matches remaining, while the top two have nine to play.

Rangers team vs Celtic

Rangers made two changes from their 2-2 draw at Livingstone a week earlier, bringing in right-back Dujon Sterling and forward Ryan Naderi for James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama.

Rangers starting XI: Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, John Souttar, Emmanuel Fernandez, Tuur Rommens, Andreas Skov Olsen, Nicolas Raskin, Tochi Chukwuani, Mikey Moore, Ryan Naderi, Youssef Chermiti

Rangers substitutes: Liam Kelly, James Tavernier, Mohamed Diomande, Thelo Aasgaard, Nedim Bajrami, Djeidi Gassama, Nasser Djiga, Bojan Miovski, Jayden Meghoma

Celtic team vs Rangers

Celtic made five changes from their 1-0 win at Stuttgart in the Europa League knockout phase play-offs three days earlier.

Defenders Julian Araujo, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney came in, as did Benjamin Nygen and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo retained his place after an impressive display at Stuttgart, with established first-choice Kasper Schmeichel not involved.

Celtic starting XI: Viljami Sinisalo, Julian Araujo, Dane Murray, Liam Scales, Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren, Callum McGregor, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Yang Hyun-Jun, Junior Adamu, Daizen Maeda

Celtic substitutes: Ross Doohan, Tomas Cvancara, Luke McCowan, Sebastian Tounekti, Marcelo Saracchi, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Arthur, James Forrest, Colby Donovan

Celtic vs Rangers stats

  • Rangers are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with Celtic (W3 D3), after having lost four of their previous five beforehand (D1)
  • They have had four different managers in those five clashes (Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson twice, Russell Martin, Danny Rohl)
  • Celtic have won two of their last 13 away games at Rangers in all competitions (D5 L6), although each of their last three have been drawn. The Hoops previously drew three successive trips to Rangers in March 1996
  • Rangers had won their previous 10 home games in all competitions by an aggregate score of 32-4
  • This was O’Neill’s first Scottish Premiership Old Firm derby as Celtic boss since a 2-1 win at Ibrox in April 2005; the Northern Irishman has won eight of his last 11 league games against Rangers as Hoops boss (L2)

What’s next for Rangers and Celtic? Fixtures, schedule

These teams meet again at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday (13:00 GMT). Here’s how their next league fixtures look.

TeamNext Premiership fixtureDateKick-off time
RangersSt Mirren (A)Sunday, March 1512:00
CelticAberdeen (A)Wednesday, March 420:00