Celtic 2-3 Rangers: Igamane's Stunning Late Goal Clinches Old Firm Derby Victory

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Hamza Igamane emerged as the hero for Rangers in a thrilling Old Firm derby, securing a 3-2 victory over Celtic with a late goal. Despite losing a 2-0 lead, Rangers managed to clinch the win in this exciting Scottish Premiership clash. The match saw Celtic make a strong comeback in the second half, but Rangers had the final say.

Celtic were left reeling early on when Nicolas Raskin's dipping shot was saved by Kasper Schmeichel, only for Raskin to score with a header from the resulting corner. Vaclav Cerny had a chance to extend Rangers' lead after Schmeichel's poor clearance, but Maik Nawrocki denied him. Mohamed Diomande capitalised on his opportunity in the 37th minute, scoring from Raskin's flick.

In the second half, Celtic responded quickly. Daizen Maeda headed in Jota's cross at the far post after Dujon Sterling cleared his earlier effort off the line. Celtic equalised in the 74th minute when Luke McCowan's pass found Reo Hatate, who scored with precision. However, Igamane delivered a decisive blow in the 88th minute with a stunning strike into the top corner.

Celtic nearly salvaged a draw during stoppage time, but Alistair Johnston's shot soared over Jack Butland's crossbar. This victory marked Rangers' second consecutive league win against Celtic since August 2021 under Steven Gerrard and was Barry Ferguson's first derby win as manager since Ally McCoist in 2011.

Despite playing 120 minutes against Fenerbahce just days before, Rangers showed no signs of fatigue. Raskin's goal was their quickest league goal this season. Although Celtic created better chances with an expected goals tally of 1.64 compared to Rangers' 1.23, they remain comfortably ahead by 13 points at the top of the table.

Rangers' recent success against their rivals is significant given their previous struggles. Their back-to-back wins over Celtic highlight their resurgence under Ferguson's leadership. Despite Johnston's missed opportunity at the end, Celtic can take comfort in their commanding lead at the top of the league standings.