Match report as Rangers earn late 3-3 draw with Celtic; Daizen Maeda and Matt O'Riley put Hoops 2-0 up; James Tavernier pulls a goal back with Abdallah Sima and Rabbi Matondo scoring after Cyriel Dessers' goal disallowed; Celtic remain one point ahead of Rangers, who have a game in hand
Monday 8 April 2024 06:21, UK
Rabbi Matondo's late strike earned Rangers a 3-3 draw in a dramatic Old Firm clash with Celtic to keep the Scottish Premiership title race on a knife-edge.
Just one point separated the Glasgow rivals at kick-off and Daizen Maeda stunned an expectant Ibrox crowd after just 21 seconds as he sent James Tavernier's poor clearance past Jack Butland to give Celtic the lead.
The Hoops were 2-0 up before half an hour was played as Matt O'Riley calmly dinked home from the penalty spot after Connor Goldson's handball.
Goldson and Fabio Silva spurned chances for Rangers before James Tavernier's controversial penalty pulled them back into the match - referee John Beaton rescinding Silva's yellow card for diving after a VAR check.
Cyriel Dessers equaliser was disallowed for a foul by Tom Lawrence in the build-up before Abdallah Sima did pull Rangers level late on.
The celebrations lasted just 71 seconds before Adam Idah beat Butland at the near post as Celtic looked set to move four points clear.
But Rangers weren't finished and Matondo curled home a stunning shot in stoppage time to give Rangers the chance to move top of the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night if they beat Dundee.
It was once again home fans only and Maeda stunned the Ibrox crowd into silence as he met Tavernier's poor clearance and sent the ball beyond Butland inside the opening 30 seconds.
He did not know much about it, but the quickest Premiership goal of the season could have been a massive one for the visitors.
Rangers looked rattled as they tried to recover from that early blow as the wind swirled around the stadium.
Connor Goldson had a huge chance to level the game before the half-hour mark after a brilliant delivery from Mohamed Diomande, but somehow he lifted the ball over the bar with Hart already beaten.
Just minutes later Butland showed his quality in the Rangers goal as he stopped Maeda's low shot with Reo Hatate putting the rebound wide.
With England manager Gareth Southgate watching from the stand, the Rangers keeper did well to keep Matt O'Riley's header out before their afternoon took another blow as Celtic were awarded a penalty after a VAR check.
The ball came off Goldson's elbow with referee John Beaton pointing to the spot after being sent to the monitor to review the incident.
O'Riley stepped up and showed true nerve as he dinked the ball down the middle as Butland dived the wrong way.
Ibrox fell into silence again, then the boos started as Fabio Silva was next to pass up a huge chance for the hosts. He collected the ball from Dessers before being denied twice by Hart.
Philippe Clement made a change at the break with Abdallah Sima replacing Scott Wright as he looked to find a way back into the game.
They were then awarded a penalty as Fabio Silva's booking for a dive in the area was rescinded after a VAR check and Tavernier made amends for his early howler as he fired past Hart from the spot.
Dessers thought he had levelled the game soon after as he poked the ball home after Sima's shot was saved.
But Beaton again went to the monitor before ruling the goal out for a foul by Tom Lawrence in the build-up.
The mood inside Ibrox had changed as Rangers went in search of an equaliser and it came with four minutes of normal time remaining when Sima picked up a clearance inside the Celtic box and fired high into the net via a deflection.
However, a moment later, Idah, on for Kyogo Furuhashi, took a pass from fellow substitute Paulo Bernardo and fired low past Butland.
But in the third of eight added minutes, Matondo turned inside in the Celtic box and curled the ball high past Hart and Ibrox bounced for the last few minutes, while the final whistle had players from both sides at loggerheads as passions boiled over.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement on Sky Sports:
"In the first moment, I am proud with what the guys showed. I don't have a good word for our start that I can use on television.
"It's the worst scenario you can have to go behind in the first minute.
"To get a penalty against us like that is also something bad, every manager in the world gets stressed out by this handball rule. The ball deflects at the last moment, my defender jumps with his arm because that's how you jump.
"In the second half, the boys showed their real personality. There are so many steps that have been made in the last couple of months.
"This is a really clear signal to the outside world about what this dressing room is about, that they have a winning mentality, and I'm really proud of that.
"There are moments I can say what I said at half-time - it's better I don't say what I said today.
"I'm happy about the reaction, they showed personality and at the end, we are the moral winners of this fight, of this game.
"With a lot of passion, everything these supporters want, everything this club wants. Everything this club is about, they showed in the second half.
"They need to show it in the next couple of weeks too in every challenge we have.
"There's a big evolution in that. They showed something special today. I always believed they had the quality to do it, and they showed it in the second half.
"It doesn't give guarantees, but if you keep pushing like we did in the second half, you can turn things even against a good team like Celtic."
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on Sky Sports:
"It was a fantastic game, full of lots of events.
"I'm so proud of the players, we were so much the better team, leading through to the penalty, our composure on the ball, our pressing, everything.
"We restricted Rangers to virtually nothing and looked a real threat in the first half, 2-0 up and could have had one or two more if we picked the right pass.
"The penalty changed the momentum, I thought it was a good decision on the pitch and watching it back on the replays it's good recovery defending from Johnston.
"He gets a nick on the ball, and the player has gone down looking to simulate the penalty.
"That gave them a little lift in the game, then we're unlucky with the deflection for 2-2. Then you're looking at the response, and being here with no support to help us, the players got themselves back in front brilliantly.
"It's a great finish from Adam, and it looked like we'd go on to win it - then Matondo scores a very, very good goal.
"But to come here, play with that courage and mentality, have the heart and fight to get a result, to come away with it still in our hands, I'm very, very pleased."
Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action on Wednesday away at Dundee, live on Sky Sports. Kick-off 8pm.
Celtic's next game is at home to St Mirren on April 13. Kick-off 3pm.
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