Late drama sees Celtic salvage 2-2 draw at Rangers with Hearts the real winners

[p]In a game ‌of two contrasting halves, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chermiti/SI6IcTms/"]Youssef Chermiti[/a]'s spectacular first-half double looked to have put Rangers in control ‌before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celtic/QFKRRD8M/"]Celtic[/a] roared back after the break to level the score and ‌stay two points off Rangers with a game in hand.[/p][p][b]"At the moment, the feeling ‌is more disappointment because you dropped two points after a 2-0 lead,"[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rangers/8vAWQXNS/"]‌Rangers[/a] coach Danny Rohl told BBC.[/p][p][b]"It's always a little bit lucky for a team to get a late penalty. This is normal, I would say it's the same when we ‌get a penalty late in the game."[/b][/p][p]Chermiti produced a ⁠stunning overhead kick from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/skov-olsen-andreas/l2cmORl4/"]Andreas Skov ‌Olsen[/a]'s cross after eight minutes to give Rangers the perfect start.[/p][embed guid="90a3e012-e1f8-486c-98fb-4a7e2e850025" url="https://x.com/RangersFC/status/2028085374740787562" social-type="twitter" /][p]Celtic's defensive frailties were exposed ​again in the 26th minute when a simple ball in behind caused panic, and Chermiti pounced, nipping the ball away from defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/araujo-julian/OM8gj5S9/"]Julian ​Araujo[/a] before slipping it past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.[/p][p]But the visitors were transformed after half-time and pulled one back in ⁠the 56th minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nygren-benjamin/WCHWGOvf/"]Benjamin ​Nygren[/a] picked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tierney-kieran/Qm0l3aod/"]Kieran Tierney[/a] near the six-yard box and the Scotland international nodded beyond [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/butland-jack/C4qdueLP/"]Jack Butland[/a] to spark hope.[/p][p][b]"When we came out for the second half, we were a totally different team. We're unlucky not to get all the points ‌in the end,"[/b] Tierney told Sky Sports.[/p][p][b]"We let ourselves down first half, it wasn't how we wanted to play. Second half, we showed the character. We're here for this ongoing fight."[/b][/p][embed guid="1619d94d-d524-46d3-82e6-f1cfc8cb6cbb" url="https://x.com/CelticFC/status/2028112043782410251" social-type="twitter" /][p]Rangers had Butland to thank as the keeper produced a string of saves, but Celtic's persistence paid off when a VAR check ruled that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sterling-dujon/Cfi2K342/"]Dujon Sterling[/a] had handled the ball in the box, and a penalty was awarded late in the game.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hatate-reo/GCXUzZVG/"]Hatate[/a] stepped up to the spot in the 91st minute, and Butland saved twice amid the mayhem, but the Japanese ‌midfielder forced home at the third attempt to complete a remarkable comeback and ​share the spoils.[/p][p][b]"It was obviously a great game. We were well ‌and truly second best in the first half, for almost all of it. They got off to a great start,"[/b] Celtic boss Martin O'Neill told the BBC.[/p][p][b]"The second half belonged to us, and we got an equaliser which we thoroughly deserved.[/b][/p][p]"If you're 2-0 down at half-time, you have to question ⁠yourself. I spend my life questioning ⁠myself, to tell you the ‌truth. But anyway, we turned it around second half."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/celtic-QFKRRD8M/rangers-8vAWQXNS/summary/stats/?mid=ML9Yzz7C"]Catch up on all the match stats here.[/a][/b][/p][image alt="The top of the Premiership as it stands" id="ecf4ed20-0561-46e7-9d2c-78eb8a1cb2f2" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="103f073f-5c21-43f7-8cd6-fd8680593707" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /]