Celtic v Rangers: The 5 best Old Firm derbies

From eight-goal thrillers to dramatic cup finals and last-minute equalisers, Nick Seddon revisits five of the greatest Old Firm derbies between Celtic and Rangers in the 21st century.

There are few derbies that can match the ferocity of the Old Firm, with Celtic and Rangers having dominated Scottish football for generations.

The two Glasgow giants have traded blows more than most, building a rivalry that has produced countless unforgettable moments.

There have been dozens of classic match-ups over the years, but we’ve stuck to the 21st century to pick out the five best Old Firm matches we’ve seen so far.

Celtic 6-2 Rangers – Scottish Premier League, August 2000

It seems strange to write now, but Rangers were the dominant force at the turn of the century, having won 11 of the previous 12 titles. Celtic were keen to change things, having finished 21 points behind their rivals the previous season, and brought in Martin O’Neill, who’d won the League Cup twice during a five-year stint at Leicester City.

The Hoops spent big, splashing £6 million to bring in Chris Sutton to play alongside star striker Henrik Larsson, and it didn’t take the Englishman long to make an impact. Sutton was on hand to poke home after just 50 seconds, before Stiliyan Petrov and Paul Lambert made it three before the quarter-hour mark in a fast and furious affair.

Claudio Reyna reduced the arrears before the break, but two delicious efforts from Larsson either side of a reply from Billy Dodds had the Bhoys in complete control.

It wouldn’t be an Old Firm clash without a red card, and Barry Ferguson was given his marching orders 10 minutes from time, before Sutton rubbed salt in the wounds with a sixth as the champions were humiliated.

Rangers 5-1 Celtic – Scottish Premier League, November 2000

Luckily for Rangers, they didn’t have to wait too long before they were handed an opportunity for revenge, which they emphatically took less than three months later.

The Gers had endured a miserable start to the campaign and kicked off a staggering 15 points behind their rivals, but redemption was on their minds. Ferguson was keen to make things right for his red card and slid his side in front on 34 minutes, but Celtic were up for the fight and responded just before the hour mark through Larsson.

Momentum was going the way of the hosts, however, and Tore André Flo ensured the game was level for a matter of minutes when crashing home from a corner, with the floodgates opening from there.

Rangers were dominating from their set pieces, with Ronald de Boer and Lorenzo Amoruso both guiding the ball home from corners before Michael Mols struck from close range to provide a highlight in an otherwise bleak season for the Gers.

Rangers 3-2 Celtic – Scottish Cup final, May 2002

The balance of power had rather shifted by the time we arrived at the Scottish Cup final 18 months later, with Celtic having sealed a second straight title by a wide margin.

The previous campaign saw the Bhoys seal a domestic treble, though Rangers had won this campaign’s League Cup earlier in the year, having dispatched their arch-rivals in the semi-finals.

Both sides were desperate to win this as a consequence and delivered one of the best cup finals we’ve seen this century.

Celtic struck first through John Hartson on 21 minutes, though their lead lasted just moments, with Peter Lovenkrands firing his side level two minutes later.

The game continued with its topsy-turvy nature into the second half, when Bobo Balde connected with a set piece to restore Celtic’s lead just after the restart, though they would be pegged back again.

This time it was through captain Barry Ferguson, whose sublime free-kick ensured he remained a thorn in the Hoops’ side.

Rangers were beginning to take control and they won the trophy in the most dramatic of circumstances, with Lovenkrands popping up in the 90th minute to send the blue side of Glasgow into raptures.

Rangers 2-2 Celtic – Scottish Cup semi-final, April 2016

We stay with the Scottish Cup for our fourth entry in this article, though the dynamics of the Old Firm had completely changed by this point, following the liquidation of Rangers’ former operating company in 2012 and the club’s subsequent restart in the fourth tier.

The Gers were forced to rebuild from the bottom of the Scottish league system, though things hadn’t gone completely smoothly up to this point, having been thwarted in their bid for three successive promotions by Edinburgh clubs Hearts and Hibernian the previous year.

Rangers had played Celtic just once since their departure from the top flight, losing out in the semi-finals of the League Cup the previous year, and they were keen to make a statement having secured promotion back to the top flight.

Celtic had built up a monopoly of titles, however, and were huge favourites to win the tie.

With a division between the sides, Rangers looked to narrow the gap by ensuring this was a frenetic affair, and it didn’t take long for them to hint at an upset through a familiar face.

Kenny Miller had represented both Old Firm sides, and the veteran was on hand to prod his side into the lead on 16 minutes.

Celtic fought back and drew level five minutes after the restart through Erik Sviatchenko, who guided the ball home from a corner.

Both sides had chances to win it, but the tie would go into extra time, when Rangers struck first through a thumping long-range strike from Barrie McKay.

The Hoops wouldn’t lie down, however, and Tom Rogic ensured the tie would go to penalties, though not before Leigh Griffiths crashed an effort against the woodwork late on.

A pulsating tie would be settled from the spot, and Rangers held their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties and seal a memorable Old Firm cup upset.

Rangers 3-3 Celtic – Scottish Premiership, April 2024

Our final entry is the most recent, and there’s a case to be made that it’s one of the best Old Firm match-ups of all time.

Celtic were bidding for their third straight title and first since reappointing Brendan Rodgers, and they arrived at Ibrox with a slender one-point lead over their arch-rivals in a gripping title race, with Rangers having a game in hand.

With Celtic fans absent from Ibrox, the atmosphere was a strange one from the outset, though you could hear a pin drop when Daizen Maeda deflected James Tavernier’s attempted clearance past Jack Butland after just 21 seconds.

The Hoops doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark, too, when Matt O’Riley dinked in a penalty after a VAR intervention.

The Gers could feel their title challenge slipping away, but they gave themselves hope on 55 minutes thanks to a VAR intervention in their favour, with Tavernier hammering home from the spot.

Celtic were hanging on and Rangers drew level four minutes from time through Abdallah Sima, whose deflected effort flew into the top corner from close range.

Things would take a frenetic turn from here, with Adam Idah restoring the visitors’ lead by drilling home just a minute later.

Celtic felt they were edging towards the title, but the drama hadn’t finished, and Rabbi Matondo kept the race alive with a majestic curling effort in the third minute of added time.

Celtic would ultimately go on to win the title, but their arch-rivals ensured they left Ibrox with nothing more than shared spoils.

The 5 greatest Old Firm derbies: Results at a glance

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