Old Firm Derby: Hatate's Late Equaliser Keeps Celtic In Title Fight

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Reo Hatate’s late penalty rebound secured a 2-2 draw for Celtic against Rangers, rescuing a valuable Scottish Premiership point after a poor first half. Youssef Chermiti had put Rangers in full control with two early goals, yet Celtic’s stronger second-half display kept their title ambitions alive.

Celtic ended the match with superior attacking numbers, recording 17 shots and an expected goals figure of 2.24. Seven efforts forced saves from Jack Butland, including three from the dramatic late penalty sequence, while Rangers managed only three shots on target from 12 attempts despite their fast start.

This Old Firm contest marked Martin O’Neill’s first visit to Ibrox as Celtic manager since April 2005. Despite the fightback, Celtic extended a difficult run in Govan, with just two wins in their last 13 away games against Rangers in all competitions, alongside five draws and six defeats.

The draw leaves Rangers still slightly better placed in the Scottish Premiership table. Rangers remain two points ahead of Celtic after dropping the late lead, while both clubs continue to chase Hearts, who sit six points clear of Rangers, keeping the title race tight heading into the final months.

Rangers struck first after eight minutes when Celtic carelessly lost possession deep in their defensive third. The ball was worked quickly to Andreas Skov Olsen on the right flank, and Chermiti met the cross with an overhead kick that flew past Viljami Sinisalo into the net.

Chermiti almost doubled the advantage soon afterwards, clipping the outside of the right post from a narrow angle. The second goal did arrive on 26 minutes, as Dane Murray misjudged a clearance and Chermiti held off Julian Araujo before finishing calmly. Emmanuel Fernandez then headed wide as Rangers ended the half dominant.

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O’Neill responded at half-time, introducing Hatate to reshape Celtic’s midfield and tempo. Hatate quickly forced Butland into a save, signalling a change in momentum. The visitors pushed Rangers deeper, tightening their defending and pressing higher, while the home side struggled to recreate the fluency shown before the interval.

Celtic’s pressure paid off on 56 minutes. Benjamin Nygren delivered a measured cross from the right, and Kieran Tierney rose well to guide a header past Butland. That goal reduced the deficit to 2-1 and shifted belief towards Celtic, with Rangers appearing increasingly nervous in possession.

The equaliser followed a lengthy VAR check that penalised Dujon Sterling for handball inside the area. Butland guessed correctly to stop Hatate’s initial low spot-kick, then reacted again to block the first rebound, yet pushed the ball straight back to Hatate, who converted at the third attempt to secure the draw.

Despite failing to claim victory, Celtic’s second-half response at Ibrox restored some momentum after a dismal opening period. Rangers missed the chance to extend the gap further, while both sides left with frustrations and positives as the Old Firm rivalry continues to shape a close Scottish Premiership title race.