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Trivia
- Larsson continues to defy those idiots who believe he is past his best (quite incredible in retrospect).
- Celtic squander the lead once, but recover from being behind twice.
- match provided six goals, seven bookings – for the Celtic trio Momo Sylla, Bobo Baldé and Alan Thompson and the Rangers quartet Stefan Klos, Fernando Ricksen, De Boer and Maurice Ross
- Moore, Ricksen and Thompson became embroiled in a confrontation in the tunnel at half-time.
- O'Neill refused to be drawn over his forthcoming contract talks
Review
Rangers who drew first blood after just five minutes. Joos Valgaeren cleared Fernando Ricksen's deflected shot to Arteta and the Spaniard's low drive from 22 yards slipped under the body of Douglas.
But the pendulum switched midway through the half thanks to Celtic's fighting spirit in what was at times a traditionally fiery affair. Celtic looked to have good claims for a penalty denied by referee Stuart Dougal when Fernando Ricksen appeared to barge into Stilian Petrov.
Celtic eventually got the equaliser their pressure deserved after 39 minutes. Larsson's first touch to a Momo Sylla cross was not great, but his turn and shot from 15 yards was superb and bulged the net.
Celtic continued where they left off and took the lead eight minutes after the break. Larsson beat Arthur Numan to a Petrov corner and the Swede's header flew into the net from eight yards.
Celtic's lead lasted less than 60 seconds, Lorenzo Amoruso sending Neil McCann down the wing. The winger swung in a cross that was headed home by De Boer with both Bobo Balde and Douglas floundering.
Only a superb, point-blank save by Stefan Klos prevented Larsson restoring the lead with an unchallenged header. And Douglas redeemed himself slightly by turning wide a snap shot through a forest of legs by Arteta.
A Thompson free kick clipped the top of the Rangers bar and Douglas did well to deflect a low drive from Arveladze.
But it was Rangers who took the lead after 76 minutes when Douglas spilled a low drive from Numan and Arveladze forced the ball home off the shin of Ulrik Laursen.
It took Celtic two minutes to again restore parity as O'Neill went for broke by sending on two more strikers, Shaun Maloney and John Hartson.
Thompson's free kick was headed back across goal, Konterman mis-judged the flight of the ball and Sutton was there to prod the ball home.
Teams
Celtic:-
Douglas, Sylla (Agathe 59), Valgaeren, Laursen, Balde, Thompson, Lambert (Maloney 77), Lennon, Petrov (Hartson 74), Sutton, Larsson.
Subs not used:- Gould, Crainey.
Goals:- Larsson 39, 53, Sutton 78.
Booked:- Thompson, Sylla, Balde.
Rangers:-
Klos, Ricksen, Moore (Konterman 45), Amoruso, Numan, Ferguson, de Boer (Caniggia 84), Ross, Arteta, Arveladze, Lovenkrands (McCann 50).
Subs not used:- McGregor, Latapy.
Goals:- Arteta 6, de Boer 54, Arveladze 75.
Booked:- de Boer, Ricksen, Arveladze, Ross.
Att:- 59,027
Ref:- S Dougal.
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
- Match Report (BBC)
Pictures
Stats
| Celtic | Rangers | |
| 10 | Shots on Target | 4 |
| 5 | Shots Off Target | 3 |
| 9 | Fouls (Conceded) | 15 |
| 7 | Corners | 3 |
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 4 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
Old Firm in thrilling draw
Ronald de Boer celebrates after scoring for Rangers
Ronald de Boer scored Rangers' second goal
Celtic 3-3 Rangers
Give your reaction on the Old Firm game
Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton saved the blushes of Celtic goalkeeper Rab Douglas as the first Old Firm clash of the season ended in a scintillating stalemate.
Scotland No.1 Douglas was badly at fault for two of Rangers' goals – and had a questionable role in the third – as Ibrox boss Alex McLeish maintained his unbeaten record in these Glasgow derbies.
Douglas let a Mikel Arteta drive squirm under his body for the game's opening goal.
Photo gallery: Old Firm thriller
Larsson struck twice before Ronald De Boer rose unchallenged then Shota Arveladze pounced on another Douglas error to put Rangers ahead.
Mikel Arteta celebrates after putting Rangers ahead
Mikel Arteta gave Rangers an early lead
But the champions hit back again through Sutton to ensure that Rangers did not extend their one point lead in the Scottish Premier League.
The visitors were still in shock following their disappointing Uefa Cup exit at the hands of Viktoria Zizkov after 120 gruelling minutes on Thursday.
Although many predicted fatigue could be a factor, Alex McLeish made only one change, Maurice Ross being preferred to Bert Konterman in defence.
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill had the luxury of resting his first team as they completed a 10-1 demolition of Suduva in Lithuania.
Alan Thompson was the only player to keep his place and only then because Steve Guppy failed a fitness test to a painful back injury.
Key moments
7 mins: Arteta'a drive puts Rangers ahead
39 mins: Larsson equalises with a superb turn and shot
53 mins: Larsson heads Celtic into the lead
54 mins: De Boer heads Rangers level
76 mins: Arveladze bundles the ball home for Rangers
78 mins: Sutton prods home the equaliser
But it was Rangers who drew first blood after just five minutes.
Joos Valgaeren cleared Fernando Ricksen's deflected shot to Arteta and the Spaniard's low drive from 22 yards slipped under the body of Douglas.
Rangers' slick passing kept the visitors in control following that goalkeeping error.
But the pendulum switched midway through the half thanks to Celtic's fighting spirit in what was at times a traditionally fiery affair.
Celtic looked to have good claims for a penalty denied by referee Stuart Dougal when Fernando Ricksen appeared to barge into Stilian Petrov.
The champions eventually got the equaliser their pressure deserved after 39 minutes.
Larsson's first touch to a Momo Sylla cross was not great, but his turn and shot from 15 yards was superb and bulged the net.
Rangers suffered a blow at half-time, with the injured Craig Moore having to be replaced with Konterman.
Celtic continued where they left off and took the lead eight minutes after the break.
Larsson beat Arthur Numan to a Petrov corner and the Swede's header flew into the net from eight yards.
Celtic's lead lasted less than 60 seconds, Lorenzo Amoruso sending Neil McCann down the wing.
The Scotland winger, who had just come on for Peter Lovenkrands, swung in a cross that was headed home by De Boer with both Bobo Balde and Douglas floundering.
Only a superb, point-blank save by Stefan Klos prevented Larsson restoring the lead with an unchallenged header.
And Douglas redeemed himself slightly by turning wide a snap shot through a forest of legs by Arteta.
A Thompson free kick clipped the top of the Rangers bar and Douglas did well to deflect a low drive from Arveladze.
But it was Rangers who took the lead after 76 minutes when Douglas spilled a low drive from Numan and Arveladze forced the ball home off the shin of Ulrik Laursen.
It took Celtic two minutes to again restore parity as O'Neill went for broke by sending on two more strikers, Shaun Maloney and John Hartson.
Thompson's free kick was headed back across goal, Konterman mis-judged the flight of the ball and Sutton was there to prod the ball home.
Celtic: Douglas, Sylla (Agathe 59), Valgaeren, Laursen, Balde, Thompson, Lambert (Maloney 77), Lennon, Petrov (Hartson 74), Sutton, Larsson. Subs Not Used: Gould, Crainey.
Booked: Thompson, Sylla, Balde.
Goals: Larsson 39, 53, Sutton 78.
Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Moore (Konterman 45), Amoruso, Numan, Ferguson, de Boer (Caniggia 84), Ross, Arteta, Arveladze, Lovenkrands (McCann 50). Subs Not Used: McGregor, Latapy.
Booked: de Boer, Ricksen, Arveladze, Ross.
Goals: Arteta 6, de Boer 54, Arveladze 75.
Attendance: 59,027
Referee: S Dougal.
Honours even for the Old Firm
Graham Clark at Parkhead
The Guardian, Monday 7 October 2002 21.48 BST
Celtic and Rangers showed that the Ryder Cup does not have a monopoly on sporting drama and excitement by producing their own televised spectacular. Yesterday's fiercely contested Old Firm fixture lacked the finesse of Colin Montgomerie and Tiger Woods but for raw, uncompromising and passionate entertainment the east end of Glasgow will not bow to the Belfry or anywhere else.
In the end the two clubs shared the points after a pulsating match, and few could quibble with that outcome. Both held the lead at various stages but neither edged sufficiently far ahead to claim the game.
Rangers will claim a moral victory as visitors and after their debilitating Uefa Cup defeat last Thursday night but they were given a reluctant helping hand by Robert Douglas, who made two crucial mistakes.
The Celtic goalkeeper's first came after only six minutes when he allowed Mikel Arteta's long-range drive to slip through his grasp. Henrik Larsson's wonderfully taken equaliser after 39 minutes and the Swede's second to put Celtic ahead seemed to get Douglas off the hook, but after Ronald de Boer's fine header made it 2-2 – those goals within 45 seconds of each other after 53 minutes – Douglas spilled an Arthur Numan shot to allow Shota Arveladze to edge Rangers in front again after 76 minutes. The final act in the drama came two minutes after that when Chris Sutton made it 3-3.
Celtic's manager Martin O'Neill conceded: "Robert is very downcast and it wasn't his best day but this was a result that got away as far as we were concerned, because I felt we controlled most of the match. It was surreal to find ourselves 3-2 down but we showed a lot of character and although I was disappointed with the result I was pleased with the performance."
O'Neill refused to be drawn over his forthcoming contract talks after the chairman Brian Quinn said he expected the Irishman to sign a new three- or four-year deal in the next two weeks, when attentions switch to the international team and there are no domestic distractions.
"Initial talks have already been held and we now have 10 days during which time Martin wants to sit down and talk terms. We're ready whenever he is," Quinn said. "Martin has been making more positive noises recently and I trust that means he is ready to sit down to some serious business. It certainly won't be a one-year deal and I want to be able to agree something like three or four years because we are building under Martin."
What Celtic are not doing is beating Rangers, and this was O'Neill's fifth failed attempt to better his counterpart at Ibrox Alex McLeish, who was pleased with the point that kept his team top of the Premier League.
"That was our aim from the start," he confirmed. "Yet to score three goals here and not win is a little disappointing even if the players deserve nothing but praise."
One downside was that Barry Ferguson is doubtful for Scotland's Euro 2004 qualifier in Iceland on Saturday. The Rangers midfielder had to take painkillers to get through the match and has been struggling with a hip injury, but McLeish said the decision to play him would rest with the Scotland doctors and Berti Vogts, the national manager.
McLeish also revealed that he had doubts before yesterday's derby about Craig Moore, who lasted only 45 minutes, and De Boer. But the Dutch player insisted: "I wanted to play in this one because it is always a special occasion." It was certainly that.
Yesterday's match provided six goals, seven bookings – for the Celtic trio Momo Sylla, Bobo Baldé and Alan Thompson and the Rangers quartet Stefan Klos, Fernando Ricksen, De Boer and Maurice Ross – and Moore, Ricksen and Thompson became embroiled in a confrontation in the tunnel at half-time. Celtic also vainly claimed a first- half penalty for a push by Ricksen on Stilian Petrov, O'Neill was taken to task by the referee Stuart Dougal for remonstrating on the touchline, and De Boer almost joined the visiting fans after his goal.
When the dust had settled, Larsson insisted: "We will fight to hang on to the title."
Man of the match: Henrik Larsson (Celtic)
The Swedish striker continues to defy those who believe he is past his best.
Best moment:
His first goal was a moment of supreme skill as he turned Craig Moore and volleyed Celtic's equaliser.
Scottish Flashback: Celtic 3-3 Rangers, Oct 2002
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/scottish-flashback-celtic-3-3-rangers-oct-2002-1-3670954
Published on the 26 January
2015
20:49
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RANGERS travelled to Celtic Park on the back of a UEFA Cup exit in October 2002, going out on the away goals rule to Czech outfit Viktoria Zizkov.
The Gers had won 3-1 at Ibrox in the second leg, but Zizkov’s 2-0 first-leg win sent the Ibrox side packing.
Celtic, by comparison, had seen off Lithuanian side Suduva 10-1 on aggregate, including an 8-1 win in Glasgow.
But Old Firm matches are unpredictable at the best of times, and even Celtic’s 18-point cushion over their rivals as they won the 2001/02 Scottish Premier League title was no indicator of how this match would go.
A crowd of 59,027 – the highest attendance of the season – crammed into Celtic Park to watch Martin O’Neill’s side take on Alex McLeish’s Rangers.
Mikel Arteta gave Rangers the lead after six minutes, with Hoops goalkeeper Rab Douglas letting the Spaniard’s long-range effort slip through his fingers.
Celtic hit back through Henrik Larsson five minutes before half-time, with the Hoops having a penalty claim turned down after Fernando Ricksen and Stilian Petrov clashed in the box.
During the half-time interval, Craig Moore, Ricksen and Alan Thompson became caught up in a fracas in the tunnel while in the second half, O’Neill was ticked off by referee Stuart Dougal.
Larsson gave Celtic the lead on 53 minutes, but Ronald de Boer’s well-placed header levelled matters 60 seconds later, with the Dutch international ‘almost joining the visiting fans’ as he celebrated, according to The Guardian’s report at the time.
Another error from Douglas allowed Georgian striker Shota Arveladze to restore Rangers’ lead with 15 minutes left on the clock.
The big ‘keeper spilled an effort from Arthur Numan, allowing Arveladze to poke the ball home but Celtic striker Chris Sutton grabbed the equaliser three minutes later, earning a share of the spoils for the Hoops.
O’Neill said at the time that it had been a ‘result that got away’ – Rangers would go on to win the SPL title that year on goal difference.
With Celtic and Rangers both tied on 97 points, 31 wins, four draws and three defeats, the title race went to the wire.
Rangers saw off Dunfermline 6-1 while Celtic’s 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock meant that the Ibrox side edged the title by one goal.
Celtic: Douglas; Laursen, Balde, Valgaeren, Sylla (Agathe); Petrov (Hartson), Lambert (Maloney), Lennon, Thompson; Sutton, Larsson. Subs not used: Gould, Crainey. Goals: Larsson 39, 53; Sutton 78. Booked: Thompson, Sylla, Balde.
Rangers: Klos; Numan, Ross, Amoruso, Ricksen; De Boer (Caniggia), Moore (Konterman), Arteta, Ferguson; Arveladze, Lovenkrands (McCann). Subs not used: McGregor, Latapy. Goals: Arteta 6; De Boer 54; Arveladze 75. Booked: Ross, De Boer, Ricksen, Arveladze.
Ref: S Dougal
Att: 59,027