Rangers 1-1 Celtic: Old Firm Ends in Stalemate Amid Drama On and Off the Pitch

The final Old Firm of the season ended in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox, with Rangers having the better of the chances but falling short where it mattered most — in the final third.

Despite the frustrations, there were bright spots on the pitch and no shortage of drama off it, in a match that felt more like a fiery rivalry than an end-of-season dead rubber. The game did lack of quality, truth be told.

Dessers Delivers, But Chances Go Begging

Cyriel Dessers gave Rangers the lead just before half-time with a superb finish, showing great strength to hold off his marker before stroking the ball across the keeper into the far corner. The goal was a reward for a dominant spell of pressure, where Rangers looked dangerous from set pieces and open play.

Earlier in the half, Leon Balogun struck the bar with a towering header from a well-worked corner, while Cerny forced a scrambling save after his shot took a wicked deflection. Raskin also had a header saved from a Tavernier free-kick, before finding the net shortly after — only for the flag to go up for offside.

At the other end, Celtic had a couple of chances, but Liam Kelly made some crucial stops to keep them at bay.

Penalty Controversy and Late Scare in Second Half

Celtic equalised early in the second half when a powerful strike deflected off a Rangers defender, leaving Kelly helpless. Rangers pushed for a winner, with Raskin again heavily involved. One key moment saw him have a shot blocked, and as Hagi moved in for the rebound, he was wiped out by McGregor in a challenge many felt deserved more scrutiny.

The referee waved play on, and VAR chose not to intervene — a decision that left fans and pundits alike scratching their heads. Barry Ferguson summed it up perfectly: “Anywhere else on the pitch, that’s a foul.” The challenge ended Hagi’s game just 13 minutes after coming on.

Late in the game, there was a scare when Tavernier appeared to be more interested in having a go at Igamane for taking a quick throw-in than focusing on the play. His pass went straight to Hatate, who fed Maeda for a clean run at goal — but once again, Kelly came up big.

Raskin Shines, Diomande Impresses

Diomande put in a solid shift in midfield and grabbed an assist for the Dessers goal, but there was no debate about the Man of the Match — Nicolas Raskin. He was everywhere. Tackles, interceptions, late runs into the box, and almost scored himself. He’s been Rangers’ most consistent performer this season. The big question now is: can we hold on to him this summer, or will he be moved on to fund the rebuild?

Old Firm Rivalry Overshadowed by TIFO Fallout and Fan Behaviour

While the game had its moments, much of the post-match talk has focused on events off the pitch. At kick-off, a Copland Stand TIFO showed Graeme Souness aiming a shotgun, accompanied by the words “Take Aim Against The Rebel Scum.” While dramatic, the image came from a 1982 photoshoot arranged by the SFA.

The club swiftly distanced itself, condemning both the TIFO and the bottle-throwing that occurred later in the second half. A statement followed saying the banner “crossed a line,” and promising action against anyone found throwing objects onto the pitch.

It’s worth noting, however, that the display was clearly pre-approved for setup and not something smuggled in. The club’s policy of trusting fan groups to manage displays is now reportedly under review. While we fully agree that bottle throwing is unacceptable and needs to be dealt with, the TIFO is more nuanced. There’s no criminality in the image or phrase, and it wasn’t political, sectarian, or discriminatory in nature. We’ve always called out banners that go too far — this didn’t feel like one of them.

Double Standards in the Away End?

Much of the mainstream media has zeroed in on the Rangers end, but what about the away fans? Celtic supporters deployed smoke flares pre-kick-off in an attempt to recreate their flag colours — but with only the orange smoke taking effect, the corner of Ibrox looked more like Dick Advocaat’s Dutch revolution than anything else.

Far more concerning was the repeated taunting from the Celtic end referencing the Ibrox disaster. That kind of behaviour has no place in football — and it deserves the same level of condemnation the Rangers support received.

Season Summary Against Celtic

Rangers finish the season with two wins, one draw, and one loss against Celtic — a decent Old Firm return. It’s a strong reminder that it wasn’t Celtic that cost us the title, but our own inconsistency against the rest of the league.

With key summer decisions looming — including potential sales, a squad rebuild, and a possible change in supporter display policy — the coming weeks could shape the direction of the club for years to come.

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