Celtic celebrate in front of their supporters. The pouring rain can’t dampen the spirits of all those wearing green and white in Ibrox as Celtic’s player take the applause of their fans. They were slow out of the gate and went behind to a Kenny Miller strike in the first half. But from the half-hour mark they were definitely superior and turned things around courtesy of a fine volley from Moussa Dembele and a second-half tap-in from Scott Sinclair that was practically identical to Miller’s opener. For Rangers, it’s a dispiriting defeat, but they contributed plenty to a very entertaining game they could have drawn if Kenny Miller hadn’t missed a sitter with 10 minutes to go.
Full time at Ibrox: Rangers 1-2 Celtic
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! Celtic make it 15 Premiership wins in a row, coming from behind to beat their city neighbours. They go 19 points clear at the top of the table.
90+4 min: Rangers win a corner, which Tavernier sends into the miser. The ball skims out of play off the shoulders of Kenny Miller.
90+3 min: Celtic win themselves another corner, further frustrating Rangers as they run the clock down. The home side finally manage to dig the ball out of the corner and get it up the field, where Andrew Halliday shoots from long range. Gordon saves comfortably.
90+2 min: Callum Wilson is booked for a foul on Dembele and Celtic win a free-kick just outside the Rangers penalty area, on the right hand side.
90+1 min: We’re in the first of four minutes of added time and Celtic are closing this one out nicely ... so far. They win another corner and again it’s taken short. They keep it in the corner and Dembele uses his strength to help win another set piece for his side.
88 min: Celtic win a corner, which Scott Sinclair is no great hurry to take. He and Dembele take it short and try to keep the ball in the corner until Dembele spots a gap, attempts to hare through it and is brought down by Tavernier. Celtic win the free-kick and the Rangers midfielder is booked.
85 min: Celtic substitution: Nir Bitton comes on for Callum McGregor. Bitton immediately tries his luck with a shot from distance that takes a deflection. Foderingham to the rescue for Rangers once again.
85 min: Moments before that Rangers chance, Foderingham had once again kept his side in the game with a good save from Scott Sinclair.
84 min: Sviatchenko robs Forrester with a fine last-ditch tackle in the Celtic penalty area as the substitute tried to wriggle towards goal. Forrester had the option to pick out Dodoo with a pass, but decided to be greedy. A corner for Rangers, but nothing much comes of it. The ball’s headed goalwards, but it’s meat and drink to Craig Gordon.
82 min: Rangers substitution: Harry Forrester replaces Jason Holt.
81 min: If Rangers lose this, I’m guessing Kenny Miller will be having a low key and very unhappy Hogmanay this evening. He didn’t catch that shot at all well, scuffing a poor effort off the upright when the goal was at his mercy. Soon after, Danny Wilson blocked superbly at the other end of the pitch to prevent Stuart Armstrong from extending Celtic’s lead.
80 min: CHANCE! Kenny Miller somehow contrives to hit the foot of the upright after getting on the end of a wonderful low arcing cross from Andrew Halliday. That’s an incredible miss.
79 min: Celtic win a corner, with Roberts putting the ball out of play off Barrie McKay. The Celtic fans behind the Rangers goal are in fine voice. Stuart Armstrong sends the ball into the penalty area, where Danny Wilson heads clear.
78 min: There’s a mini-drinks break on the touchline as Andrew Halliday receives attention for a knock. Play resumes with a Rangers throw-in.
76 min: Another fine slide-rule pass from Patrick Roberts, who tees up Stuart Armstrong. His low drive from 12 or 13 yards brings a smartish save out of Foderingham. Armstrong should have done better - he didn’t quite put his laces through that one.
75 min: Dembele appeals for a penalty after going to ground under a challenge of sorts from Clint Hill. The referee is having none of it and replays suggest he was correct.
73 min: Celtic’s supporters turn their back on the action to engage in a mass “Poznan”, jumping up and down with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
71 min: Well, I say a tap-in, but it was a tap-in from a fairly tight angle, so let’s give Sinclair a little more credit. He converted a low, hard Stuart Armstrong cross from the right after the substitute Patrick Roberts had played a beautiful through ball down the inside right flank. It was a spookily similar goal to that scored by Rangers earlier in the game, truth be told.
GOAL! Rangers 1-2 Celtic (Sinclair)
70 min: Scott Sinclair puts Celtic ahead with a tap-in at the far-post.
Updated
69 min: The ball’s floated into the penalty area, where Danny Wilson gets a free diving header. His meaty downwards effort is straight at Craig Gordon, who saves with his knee.
68 min: Scott Brown puts the ball out for a Rangers corner.
67 min: Lustig attempts to pick out Scott Sinclair with a crossfield ball that sails out of play for a throw-in. Celtic substitution: Patrick Roberts on for James Forrest.
66 min: Mikael Lustig is booked for hanging out of Barrie McKay’s shirt and he’s bang to rights. The Rangers winger has been a serious handful this afternoon.
65 min: Rangers substitution: Josh Windass off, Joe Dodoo on.
65 min: Kenny Miller shoots low and hard from distance, but Craig Gordon saves comfortably.
64 min: Sinclair and Dembele combine to force another good save from Foderingham. Rangers are seriously under the cosh in this second half.
63 min: Rangers embark on a counter-attack and the ball’s played forward to Waghorn. He can’t quite shake off Simunovic and Scott Brown gets back to help the defender clear his lines. It was poor from Waghorn, who went for glory when he should have squared to the unmarked Barrie McKay on the edge of the penalty area.
60 min: More pressure from Celtic as a close range effort from Scott Sinclair is blocked after he’d received a cross from James Forrest. There’s a goalmouth scramble as Rangers desperately try to clear. Eventually, the referee awards them a free-kick.
58 min: Halfway inside his own half, Danny Wilson gifts possession to Celtic with a sloppy pass that goes straight to James Forrest. Rangers get away with it and Wilson waves apologetically at his team-mates.
57 min: Stuart Armstrong sends the ball deep from the corner, but Sviatchenko has to backpedal to get his head to it and sends a soft effort wide of the upright.
Updated
56 min: Craig Forrest gets the better of Barrie McKay down the right flank and wins a corner with his attempt at a cross.
54 min: CHANCE! Moussa Dembele gets on the end of a wonderful Callum McGregor cross from the left to volley the ball off the crossbar with an athletic leap. It bounces down and out for Scott Sinclair, who finds the side-netting from a tight angle. A let off for Rangers, there.
Updated
53 min: Martyn Waghorn plays the ball wide to Barrie McKay on the left touchline, but Mikael Lustig and Jozo Simunovic combine to clear up at the back for Celtic.
52 min: Josh Windass gets booked for a tug on Callum McGregor in the Rangers half.
51 min: Forrest shoots straight at Foderingham after getting in behind the Rangers defence to latch on to a Stuart Armstrong dink between defenders. It was a decent save, but Forrest made life easy for the goalkeeper by firing straight at him.
49 min: Rangers go on a sortie into Celtic territory, but Kenny Miller is dispossessed by Scott Brown as he attempts to drive into the Celtic penalty area. Celtic quickly embark on a counter-attack and Dembele miscues horribly after being teed up by James Forrest. He should have scored from 12 yards there, but scuffed his effort horribly.
48 min: A poor Emilio Izaguirre cross from the byline sails into the arms of Wesley Foderingham and puts an end to a promising Celtic attack.
47 min: Scott Sinclair whips the free-kick hideously high and wide of the Rangers goal.
46 min: Celtic go on the attack, with Moussa Dembele winning a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area, in line with the left side. Tavernier it was who fouled Dembele, although he can consider himself unfortunate to have been penalised.
Second half: Rangers 1-1 Celtic
46 min: Celtic get the ball rolling and we’re up and running in the second half with no further changes on either side. Rangers have already used one substitution, having had to replace the injured Joe Garner with Martyn Waghorn in the first half.
Looking at replays of Dembele’s goal: It was a wonderful finish, no mistake - but the Celtic striker was given the freedom of the Rangers penalty area after giving Danny Wilson the slip as the ball sailed in from the corner. The Rangers defender could be seen thumping the ground in frustration after the ball fizzed goalwards, knowing he’d lost his man.
An email from Phil Withall: “There’s an inherent madness to Old Firm matches,” writes Phil. “The tend to resemble a game of FIFA played by two ten year olds, full of sugar and playing for the first time. Absolute chaos.”
Half-time: Rangers 1-1 Celtic
45+7 min: A long, lively and very entertaining first half ends with the teams all square. Celtic were slow out of the blocks, allowing Rangers to take the lead through Kenny Miller. Moussa Dembele equalised with a fine volley, to bag his fifth goal in three Glasgow derbies. Here’s hoping for an equally entertaining second half.
45+6 min: Jozo Simunovic joins his skipper Scott Brown in the referee’s bad books (and notebook) for a trip on Barrie McKay. It’s hammering down with rain at Ibrox and has been for some time.
45+5 min: Another attack from Celtic. James Forrest whips a cross into the Rangers penalty area, but Halliday clears.
45+4 min: Kenny Miller is penalised for offside, giving Celtic a free-kick deep inside their own half.
45+2 min: The increasingly lively Sinclair brings a decent save out of Foderingham with a curled effort.
45+1 min: The fourth official holds up the board signall six minutes of added time. It’s no big surprise, considering the lengthy stoppage needed to stretcher the injured Joe Garner off the field, among other interruptions.
44 min: Windass plays the ball wide to Barrie McKay on the left touchline. The impressive winger wins a free-kick off Mikael Lustig. Tavernier floats the ball into the box, but Celtic clear and set off on the counter. Scott Sinclair looks to be haring towards goal, but Jason Holt does well to keep up with him and poke the ball off his toe.
43 min: Sinclair lofts the ball deep into the penalty area this time, but Sviatchenko is penalised for an infringement and Rangers win a free-kick.
42 min: Scott Sinclair’s delivery to the near post is truly atrocious, but Tavernier slices the ball out for another corner.
39 min: As Rangers fans perform the “Icelandic” thunderclap that actually originated in Motherwell, Celtic continue to turn the screw having finally settled into a game that looked in danger of getting away from them in the opening 30 minutes. They win a corner.
37 min: There’s another couple of minor interruptions as a flare thrown from the crowd into Craig Gordon’s penalty area has to be disposed of, then Andrew Halliday and Stuart Armstrong collide and need treatment.
35 min: That was a wonderful strike from Dembele, who caught the ball beautifully. His side had a corner, the ball dropped his way and he took a wonderful first touch before unleashing an unstoppable volley into the top corner. A minute or so previously, Scott Sinclair had rapped a fine effort off the bottom of the upright after good work down the left.
Updated
GOAL! Rangers 1-1 Celtic (Dembele)
34 min: Moussa Dembele equalises for Celtic with a stunning volley into the top corner.
Updated
32 min: With Celtic attacking on the break Dembele slips the ball forward for Scott Sinclair to run on to, but he’s penalised for offside. I’m not sure that was a good call. Moments previously, another Sviatchenko lapse in concentration allowed Tavernier in behind the Celtic defence to cross for Waghorn. Gordon was forced to save.
29 min: With Celtic yet to settle into a rhythm, Clint Hill goes down injured after contesting the ball with Moussa Dembele. The Celtic striker seemed to catch the 38-year-old with a flailing arm or elbow and the ball’s put out of play so he can receive attention. It’s duly administered and play resumes with a drop-ball.
Updated
28 min: Scott Brown puts the ball out of play with a sloppy pass, to give Rangers a throw-in deep in Celtic territory. To be fair to Brown, he’d received something of a hospital pass from Craig Gordon that left him under all sorts of pressure.
25 min: Eric Sviatchenko, who lost possession in the build-up to the Rangers goal, does so again but gets away with it this time. The referee spots an infringement and puts a stop to the ensuing counter-attack in which Rangers were looking dangerous.
24 min: Scott Brown gets booked for an unnecessarily agricultural challenge on Tavernier over by the right touchline.
22 min: A Mikael Lustig foul on Barrie McKay gives Rangers a free-kick on the left flank. Tavernier sends the ball towards the near post, but Moussa Dembele is back to head clear for Celtic.
21 min: Andrew Halliday gifts possession to Celtic in midfield and the visitors embark on a quick counter-attack. Callum McGregor tries his luck from just outside the box, but sends his effort high and wide of Foderingham’s goal.
20 min: There’s another break in play as Rangers goalkeeper Wesley Foderingham goes down injured after shipping a ball in the face at close range from Emilio Izaguirre. After receiving treatment, the bearded goalkeeper is fit to continue. He looks a bit dazed and sends his goal-kick straight out of play.
17 min: Rangers win a free-kick some 35 yards from the Celtic goal, wide of centre after a foul on Kenny Miller. The ball’s floated into the box and Martyn Waghorn brings a sensational save out of Gordon with a close range header. He was offside so it wouldn’t have counted if he’d “scored”, but the save looked splendid.
16 min: Play resumes and Clint Hill is immediately called upon to hook a bouncing ball clear under pressure from Scott Sinclair.
15 min: There’s a long delay as Rangers striker Joe Garner is stretchered off with what looks like a bad shoulder injury. He’s replaced by Martyn Waghorn.
14 min: Kenny Miller opens the scoring after great work from Tavernier and Josh Windass. The Rangers midfielder played a delightful ball inside the full-back for Tavernier to cross and Miller’s task could hardly have been more straightforward.
GOAL! Rangers 1-0 Celtic (Miller)
12 min: Kenny Miller slides the ball home from close range after getting on the end of a low cross from James Tavernier. Rangers are in the lead.
Updated
11 min: Celtic have clearly been instructed to put the Rangers back three under extreme pressure when the home side have the ball and it appears to be working. The ball keeps getting hacked out of play or into the possession of players in green and white.
10 min: Scott Sinclair takes advantage of a mistake under a high ball from Clint Hill to shoot low and diagonally across the face of the Rangers goal. He drags his effort well wide.
9 min: Rangers attempt to build slowly from the back, but Danny Wilson accepts a pass from Clint Hill and then sends the ball out of play for a Celtic throw-in after coming under pressure from James Forrest.
8 min: Now it’s Rangers’ turn to attack. Holt tries his luck from outside the Celtic penalty area, but Scott Brown blocks. They can’t continue playing at this ridiculous lick ... can they?
7 min: Celtic drive forward, with Izaguirre playing the ball down the inside left channel for Sinclair to cross into the penalty area. Rangers clear.
6 min: Celtic win a corner, which Scott Sinclair swings into the mixer. Celtic right-back Mikael Lustig leaps highest, but heads high over the cross-bar.
5 min: More good play from the industrious McKay, who gallops up the left flank again and plays the ball inside to Jason Holt. He unleashes a low drive that Craig Gordon saves smartly. An unsurprisingly lively start.
4 min: Celtic win a free-kick about 40 yards from the Rangers goal. Stuart Armstrong lofts the ball into the box where it finds its way into the arms of Rangers goalkeeper Wesley Foderingham.
3 min: Rangers have lined up with a back three, with McKay and Tavernier operating a wing-backs. Danny Wilson, Clint Hill and Rob Kiernan are the men tasked with keeping tabs on Celtic’s front three of Scott Sinclair, James Forrest and Moussa Dembele.
2 min: Jason Holt unleashes the first shot in anger for Rangers, but it’s cut out by Stuart Armstrong, who concedes the corner. Great work on the left flank there by Barrie McKay, who cut inside two Celtic defenders to tee up Holt. Nothing comes from the corner, as James Tavernier is penalised for climbing over Celtic skipper Scott Brown.
Rangers v Celtic has begun ...
1 min: Having observed a minute’s silence that was interrupted by just a couple of bozos, play gets under way. Rangers kick off on a windy day in Glasgow.
Updated
Not long now: Kenny Miller and Scott Brown lead the two sides out on to the pitch for the final pre-match formalities. Simply The Best blares out over the PA as the teams line up and exchange handshakes. Kick-off is just moments away.
Updated
Ibrox appears to be bouncing ...
The TV cameras pan across both sets of fans, who are in fine voice as they engage in a bit of raucous pre-match taunting and rabble-rousing. For all the criticism the Scottish Premiership gets for being uncompetitive, you just don’t get an atmosphere like this south of the border too often. Some might say that’s a good thing.
Brendan Rodgers speaks ...
Asked how special this traditional fixture is, the Celtic manager says: “They’re always big games no matter what time of year they’re at, but I suppose the fact it’s the last game of the year makes it a little bit special.” He goes on to say that Moussa Dembele has come in for Leigh Griffiths, because the Scottish striker has been suffering from muscle issues which have led to him getting cramps. “I can’t afford to start anyone who might not be able to finish the game,” says Rodgers, adding that Griffiths will be perfect to have on the bench if needed.
Rangers v Celtic line-ups
Rangers: Foderingham, Wilson, Hill, Kiernan, McKay, Windass, Halliday, Holt, Tavernier, Miller, Garner.
Subs: Dodoo, Forrester, Hodson, Crooks, Gilks, O’Halloran, Waghorn.
Celtic: Gordon, Izaguirre, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, Lustig, Armstrong, Brown, Sinclair, McGregor, Forrest, Dembele.
Subs: Toure, Bitton, Griffiths, Gamboa, Mackay-Steven, De Vries, Roberts.
Referee: Steven McLean (Scotland)
📋 Celtic team for today's Glasgow Derby. #SPFL #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/zSoQW9xO9t
— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) December 31, 2016
.@RangersFC XI to face Celtic at Ibrox: Foderingham, Tavernier, Hill, Kiernan, Wilson, Garner, Miller, McKay, Windass, Halliday, Holt
— Rangers FC (@RangersFC) December 31, 2016
A minute's silence before today's match ...
There’ll be a mark of respect for the Rangers fans who lost their lives in the Ibrox disaster following this fixture on 2 January, 1971. The former Rangers manager Walter Smith was there that day and once told our Scottish football correspondent Ewan Murray how lucky he was too escape with his life, as 66 of his fellow match-goers were crushed in a stairwell while trying to leave the ground.
Season's greetings, sports fans ...
It’s Hogmanay in Scotland and Celtic and Rangers are ready to get the first of many fireworks displays across the country under way when they go toe to toe at Ibrox this lunchtime. With Celtic leading the table by 16 points having played one match fewer than their main rivals, the result is likely to have little impact in the cosmic scheme of things, but the actual match is likely to be no less full-blooded for that. Kick-off is at 12.15pm (GMT), but we’ll have team news and build-up shortly.
Updated
