Ibrox draw felt like a victory and could be turning point in Celtic’s season

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The Celtic Star

·04 de março de 2026

Ibrox draw felt like a victory and could be turning point in Celtic’s season

A Draw that Feels Like a Victory: Why the 2-2 Draw Against theRangers Could Be the Turning Point of the Season for Celtic…

Kieran Tierney celebrates after scoring Celtic’s first goal at Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic. Scottish Premiership. 1st March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

The rivalry between Celtic and any version of Rangers always stirs up a storm of emotions and has been considered one of the most heated and passionate in world club football for many years.

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The rivalry between these clubs has achieved legendary status, as their matches go far beyond football and touch on many other issues that concern society in general, such as religion and national identity.

The thing is that these two clubs are considered the most successful in Scotland, and what’s more, many people associate Scottish football solely with them. That’s if you can ignore Rangers FC going to the wall in 2012 then being replaced with the Phoenix club operating out of Ibrox today.

Reo Hatate scores at Ibrox. theRangers 2 Celtic 2. Sunday 1st March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Sunday’s match at Ibrox Stadium was long-awaited and intense, and at the end with the scoreboard lit up with 2:2, supporters of both teams realised that this was more than just the result of the match. There are no ordinary draws in the confrontation between these two teams, there are always winners and losers and as the away team and having been 2-0 down at the break, the draw to Celtic very much felt like a victory. And the theRangers having been so dominant in the first half, racing into a 2-0 lead, then their post match emotions were of despair and the stench of defeat.

What really happened, and why do many consider this a potential turning point in the title race? Here we’ll look back on the latest Glasgow Derby match between Celtic and theRangers at Ibrox Stadium, as well as remind you what is unique about this rivalry and when it all began.

First Half No-Show from Celtic

The Scottish Premiership match took place on the first day of March in Glasgow at Ibrox. The first 45 minutes of the game were a real challenge for Celtic and their 18000 fans inside the stadium. The atmosphere was tense, loud and the emotion could be compared to what a novice Forex trader feels after mt5 download before starting their first trades.

Martin O’Neill, Interim Manager of Celtic acknowledges the fans following his team’s draw in the Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox on March 01, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

theRangers started the match aggressively and imposed an intense high pressure press on the Champions. The first goal came really quickly and significantly increased the noise from the stands, while the second put Celtic in a very difficult position. At one point, it seemed that Celtic had lost their confidence, and it was clear that they lacked control of the tempo and that the flanks were unable to cover the space. This half was a reality check for many players in this Celtic team, but in the second half, they gave their response.

Tactical Turnaround after the Break

While the home team was confidently leading in the first half, the visitors scored twice in the next 45 minutes and tied the score. The break in that match was a real turning point, as Celtic came out in the second half with a completely different attitude; they were confident in their actions, faster, and more aggressive.

Daizen Maeda moved to centre-forward replacing the substituted Junior Adamu and Sebastian Tounekti came off the bench to take Daizen’s place on the left wing. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain couldn’t handle the pace of the game and he was replaced by Reo Hatate at the interval. These changes turned the game and now it was time for Celtic to dominate the match, thanks to Martin O’Neill’s tactical alterations.

Reo Hatate of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Celtic at Ibrox on March 01, 2026 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It was Celtic’s first goal scored by Kieran Tierney that proved to be the psychological turning point, and even theRangers’ fans, who just a few minutes earlier had already mentally celebrated victory, now began to feel the tension and fear the worst.

The match culminated in a penalty kick to Celtic which managed to find the back of the net despite Jack Butland’s best efforts. The 2:2 score proved the importance of Celtic’s traditional never-say-die attitude. Although the match ended in a draw, it felt like a victory for Celtic, as they showed how true champions and contenders for such high stakes behave. Celtic managed to change their tactics and show their strength even away from home and in the most hostile of atmospheres.

More than Just Football: Why Does the Glasgow Derby Always Attract So Much Attention?

It is generally accepted that the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers began to be called the Old Firm in the early 20th century, when these two clubs met in the Scottish Cup Final in 1904. It is worth noting that even then, their matches were highly publicised and attracted huge crowds. There are several theories about the origin of that name of the derby. For example, a popular version is that the name was created, intentionally or not, by commentators who described the game as “a meeting of two old, firm friends”.

The rivalry between Celtic and Rangers almost immediately went beyond football. It was permeated by a number of complex disputes. These included religion (Celtic fans are seen as Catholic – but a club open to all – while Rangers fans are staunchly Protestant) and politics mostly related to Ireland and in recent times the Middle East. Rangers fans are loyalists (loyal to the United Kingdom and opposed to Irish unification), while Celtic fans are republicans (supporters of the political movement for a united Ireland free from any British rule).

A Celtic fan flies an Irish Tricolour on the way to Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Credit: Photo by Stuart Wallace Shutterstock/IMAGO

In addition, the issue of national identity also arose. Rangers fans consider themselves British Scots – the British flag can also be seen in their stands. Celtic fans consider themselves Irish Scots, so the Irish tricolor is traditionally displayed in the stands. Another important factor is social ideology (Rangers’ right wing and Celtic’s left-wing).

The Old Firm died in 2012 with the liquidation of Rangers FC

The Old Firm died in 2012 when Rangers FC was liquidated owing around £70m to HMRC and tens of millions to other creditors including the local newsagent and a face-painter. Charles Green bought the assets and using an off the shelf company created a new club that started in the fourth tier of the Scottish game. TheRangers International Football Club Ltd made it’s way through the lower leagues and with a major slip up on the way that delayed their progress by a year, made it into the Scottish Premiership for the first time in season 2016/17.

However theRangers’ first meeting with Celtic was at Hampden Park in a League Cup semi-final in February 2015, with Celtic winning 2-0. That was the first ever meeting between the two clubs – Celtic and the phoenix version of Rangers – and as Celtic did not recognise this club as the same one that had gone out of business three years earlier – the Old Firm tag was dropped and the game became know as the Glasgow Derby.

The Moment that Defines Character

A dejected fan of theRangers sits with his head in his hands in the Govan Stand after watching his team lose 3-2 against 10 men Celtic. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Photo Photo by Stuart Wallace Shutterstock/IMAGO

Such a comeback as Sunday’s on the opponent’s patch is not only proof of Celtic’s strength compared to their rivals, but also a signal to themselves that the team is capable not only of withstanding the blow, but also of responding. The next match between Celtic and theRangers following quickly, this Sunday 8 March, and against it’s a Ibrox but this time it’s a Scottish Cup quarter-final context. Given the intense rivalry between these clubs, it will be no less exciting and unpredictable than the last one.