RANGERS ended a near five-year wait for victory at Celtic Park with a 3-2 win over the hosts in a pulsating Scottish Premiership clash on Sunday.
The visitors surged into a deserved 2-0 first-half lead through goals from Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande.
A much-improved Celtic drew level after the break through Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate and for most of the second half, looked the more likely to snatch a winner.
However, Hamza Igamane's fantastic effort two minutes from time sealed the win and capped a remarkable week for Rangers, who qualified for the Europa League quarter-finals three days ago.
Speaking to Celtic TV after the game, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers conceded Rangers had exploited gaps in his side's backline.
"I felt that probably a draw [would have been a fair result]," he said.
"They were better first half and we were better second half but if you don't defend well enough that can happen."
Rangers race into early lead
Celtic were forced to start with Maik Nawrocki in defence for his first league appearance of the season after Auston Trusty suffered a calf problem.
Meanwhile, captain Callum McGregor missed the game after also failing to shake off a calf injury.
Despite the changes, Rodgers would have been confident of picking up a win at home, having had a week's rest following the Scottish Cup win over Hibs last Sunday.
Rangers, meanwhile, had failed to hit their stride domestically under new manager Barry Ferguson, shipping two early goals in an eventual 4-2 win at Kilmarnock in his first game before losing 2-1 at home to Motherwell.
However, they won 3-1 in Turkey against Fenerbahçe in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie and sealed their progress with a penalty shootout win in the home leg on Thursday.
That came after the tie went to extra time with the Turkish side winning 2-0 on the night, but there were no signs of fatigue at Celtic Park as the visitors raced into an early lead.
Nicolas Raskin opens the scoring for Rangers (Image: Ian MacNicol / Getty Images)An effort from Raskin was turned around the post by Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel and it was the Belgian who met James Tavernier's corner at the near post to divert it into the net.
Hatate then drew a fantastic diving save from Jack Butland but Rangers spurned a great chance to double their lead after Schmeichel's wayward ball fell to Václav Černý.
The Czech winger tried to beat the Dane rather than have a go, allowing Nawrocki to get back and spare Schmeichel's blushes but it was Rangers who continued to have the better chances against their lacklustre hosts.
The Ibrox side were carving out openings, Leon Balogun testing Schmeichel with a header before the second eventually came after 37 minutes.
Raskin found a gap in the Celtic backline to meet Tavernier's cross, his flicked header finding Diomande, who controlled before turning and firing low into the corner.
Celtic finished the half strongly but the Rangers defence held firm, Dujon Sterling acrobatically turning a goal-bound Maeda effort over the bar.
Celtic up their game
The hosts looked shellshocked but whatever Rodgers said at half-time clearly had an effect as Celtic halved the deficit minutes after the break.
Jota's cross from the bye-line found Maeda at the back post and the in-form Japanese forward nodded past Butland to make it 2-1 on 49 minutes.
If the first half belonged to Rangers, Celtic controlled the second, however, the hosts' urgency was often not complemented by accuracy, with misplaced passes frequently giving up possession.
Still, they were in the ascendency and Luke McCowan fired just wide after being picked out by Maeda.
The pressure told with 15 minutes remaining when McCowan's clever pass found Hatate on the edge of the six-yard box and he steered the ball into the far corner.
Reo Hatate scores to make it 2-2 in the second half (Image: Craig Foy / SNS Group via Getty Images)Butland was called into action once again as he turned away a driving Jeffrey Schlupp shot, however, Celtic were fired a warning when Cyriel Dessers broke clear, the ball eventually landing to Connor Barron who sent a tame shot wide.
Just as it looked as though both sides might settle for a draw, Igamane produced a moment of quality to seal the points for the visitors.
The Moroccan found himself with time on the ball after Johnston lost his footing, before cutting back to give the backtracking defender the slip and lashing the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box.
With seconds to go, Canadian defender Johnston had a chance to nick a point for Celtic after Maeda picked him out at the far post but he sent his effort over the bar with only Butland to beat.
'Disappointing'
A dejected Rodgers said after the game that he felt his side had been best placed to get the winner when they were in the ascendancy in the second half.
"It's a disappointing result, it's never nice to lose these games," he told Celtic TV.
"We went behind early which wasn't the plan and that gives them a good feeling in the game.
"We had opportunities in the first half but I don't think we played well enough or had great control of the game,
"There were too many misplaced passes and we were just not aggressive enough in our game but in saying that, Jack Butland makes some really good saves.
"We make a change at half time, we come out, we get the early goal and then you feel the energy in the stadium and we're in a really good place.
Rodgers said he felt his side had done enough to earn a draw (Image: Craig Foy / SNS Group via Getty Images)"It was a fantastic goal and then at 2-1 we have the impetus in the game. We get to 2-2 and I feel there's only one team that's going to win the game.
"We had opportunities — like I say, Jack Butland made some good saves again.
"But then sadly for us, Ally slips over, which is unfortunate, we miss the first header and all of a sudden the guy then puts in in the top corner."
While the result is unlikely to affect the destination of the title, it will have boosted interim Rangers boss Ferguson's chances of landing the role permanently.
The Ibrox side still trail Celtic by 13 points with eight games remaining, however, they are in the running to repeat their 2022 run to the Europa League Final.
Celtic, meanwhile, need four wins from the final eight games to seal the title, while they face St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final next month.
Next up for Celtic is a home league game against Hearts on March 29, while Rangers travel to Dundee the same day.
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