THREE RING RANGERS ........
3 3 Goals galore as Rangers reel in champs at Ibrox
RANGERS fought back from two goal down at half-time to draw 3-3 with Celtic as the title race exploded in an Old Firm epic at Ibrox.
Hoops attacker Daizen Maeda gave the visitors a stunning lead after just 21 seconds.
And 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 KO it.
Dramatic
Sub Abdallah Sima levelled in the 86th minute — but a minute later Hoops sub Adam Idah drove in for what looked like a dramatic winner.
But Rabbi Matondo — another player to come off the bench — had the final say to level in added time.
So it was a share of the spoils which left Celtic one point ahead at the top.
Rangers have a game in hand against Dundee on Wednesday but have still to go to Celtic Park after the split with more twists likely.
Gers left-back Ridvan Yilmaz could not prove his fitness and boss Philippe Clement preferred utility player Dujon Sterling to Borna Barisic, while Tom Lawrence replaced Todd Cantwell. (middle)
Celtic captain Callum McGregor was only fit enough for the bench and he would have been as stunned as the rest in the stadium when the Hoops took an instant lead.
Joe Hart’s long clearance went past a hesitant Tavernier, who tried to clear under pressure from Maeda.
But the ball rebounded off the Japan attacker and sped low past keeper Jack Butland.
The Ibrox support were taken aback as were the players who were all over the place in the opening spell.
In the 24th minute a Mohamed Diomande corner was headed over by Connor Goldson before Butland denied Maeda.
Then Reo Hatate fired just wide from the edge of the box.
Butland made an even better save from an O’Riley header on the half-hour mark.
Then came the first controversy when there was a VAR check for a possible Celtic penalty after a Goldson handball in the next attack.
When referee John Beaton checked his pitchside monitor at the behest of VAR Nick Walsh, he decided the ball had struck the centre-back’s elbow and pointed to the spot.
O’Riley dinked the ball down the middle and Butland dived the wrong way.
It was 2-0 to Celtic.
Just before the break Rangers forward Fabio Silva, who was having a frustrating afternoon, had two attempts from close range blocked.
With no Celtic fans in the stadium the boos rang out at the sound of Beaton’s half-time whistle.
Clement replaced Scott Wright with Sima for the second half and Silva was soon booked for diving inside the Celtic box after a challenge by Alistair Johnston — but VAR stepped in again.
Soft
Beaton checked the pitchside screen and again he pointed to the spot – it looked a soft award — cancelling out Silva’s yellow card.
Tavernier fired his spot-kick high past Hart. The Gers fightback was on.
Then Dessers slammed in from close range following a scramble but Beaton checked his monitor and ruled Lawrence had fouled Tomoki
Iwata in the build-up.
The mood inside
Ibrox had changed as Rangers searched for an equaliser.
And it came with four minutes of normal time remaining when Sima picked up a clearance inside the Celtic box and fired home via a deflection.
However, a moment later, Ireland international striker Idah — on for Kyogo Furuhashi — took a pass from 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 for a sensational equaliser or the Light Blues.
Ibrox was bouncing for the last few minutes, while the final whistle had players from both sides at loggerheads as passions boiled over.
Butland, Tavernier, Goldson (Balogun 90), Souttar, Sterling, Diomande (Dowell 78), Lundstram, Scott Wright (Sima 46), Lawrence (Cantwell 69), Silva (Matondo 69), Dessers.
McCausland.
Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, O’Riley (Bernardo 82), Iwata, Hatate (McGregor 65), Kuhn (Yang 65), Furuhashi (Idah 69), Maeda.
Nawrocki, Bain, Forrest, Ralston, Welsh.
Kuhn, Johnston, O’Riley, Maeda.
John Beaton.
THICK OF IT: Celtic’s Greg Taylor and Rangers’ Abdallah Sima during yesterday’s cinch Premiership match at Ibrox Stadium
McCrorie, Barisic, King,