Rangers vs Celtic LIVE: Old Firm result and reaction as Rabbi Matondo equalises for hosts in stoppage time
Rangers 3-3 Celtic: Matondo scores late as points shared after pulsating six-goal encounter
Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free
Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Rangers fought back from a two-goal half-time deficit to draw 3-3 with Celtic as the Scottish Premiership title race exploded at Ibrox.
Hoops attacker Daizen Maeda gave the visitors a stunning lead after just 21 seconds which rocked the home side. The nervy Light Blues fell further behind in the 34th minute when midfielder Matt O’Riley coolly converted a penalty after a VAR intervention.
Rangers improved after the break and skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot in the 55th minute before striker Cyriel Dessers had the ball in the net two minutes later only for an earlier infringement to rule out a goal.
Substitute Abdallah Sima levelled in the 86th minute but a minute later Hoops substitute Adam Idah drove in for what looked like a dramatic winner only for Rangers replacement Rabbi Matondo to level in added time for a share of the spoils which left Celtic one point ahead at the top.
Relive all the action from the Old Firm live below
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
19 mins: Dessers uses his body well to bring down the high ball but it’s poor from his team-mate Lawrence who doesn’t spot the striker’s run and instead clips a ball aimlessly into the hands of Hart.
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
15 mins: Rangers have had more of the ball in this opening 15 minutes but the Celtic midfielders - O’Riley and Hatate in particular - have harried the home side well in possession and not allowed them to play forward with any great ease.
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
12 mins: This game still hasn’t settled into a familiar pattern yet, perhaps it never will. Another clumsy challenge from Carter-Vickers - he needs to be careful or an early yellow card will be coming his way.
Up the other end, Hatate drifts wide on the left side but his low ball into the box just evades Kyogo at the far post.
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
9 mins: A high, lunging challenge from Scales but it’s well-executed from the Celtic defender. Wright looked in some pain on the floor following the collision but he’s back on his feet now.
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
It was only 21 seconds but, remarkably, Maeda’s opener today is not the earliest goal in Old Firm Derby history.
Celtic's Chris Sutton netted 19 seconds into a 3-2 Rangers win in 2002...
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
7 mins: Dessers attempts to spin Carter-Vickers and get a shot off inside the box but the Celtic defender does superbly to prevent his opposite number doing so.
Rangers 0-1 Celtic
5 mins: The first real chance for Rangers comes as they win a free-kick on the right side. It’s whipped in by Tavernier but Hart comes through the crowd to claim the high ball.
GOAL! Rangers 0-1 Celtic (Maeda, 1 min)
Wow! 21 seconds and the visitors are ahead. It’s a simple punt forward from Hart which Tavernier looks to have under control.
But it’s a bit too relaxed from the Rangers captain whose attempted clearance cannons off Maeda and flies into the back of the net.
What an unusual goal but Celtic won’t care one bit. The home fans stunned into silence.
KICK-OFF! Rangers 0-0 Celtic
1 min: The hosts get us underway here in the first half.
Here come the players
The noise inside the stadium is something else as flares erupt from inside the home stand.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies