Philippe Clement claimed Rangers were “moral winners” of the Old Firm derby after coming from 2-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 with Celtic in a roller coaster clash at Ibrox.
Daizen Maeda gave the visitors the lead after just 21 seconds and the Light Blues fell further behind in the 34th minute when midfielder Matt O’Riley coolly converted a penalty.
Skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot in the 55th minute as the Gers rallied before striker Cyriel Dessers had the ball in the Hoops’ net two minutes later only for an earlier infringement to rule out a goal.
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— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC)
Abdallah Sima levelled in the 86th minute but a minute later Adam Idah, also on as a substitute, restored Celtic’s lead. There was still time for more drama when Rabbi Matondo equalised for Clement’s side in added time.
Rangers, with seven fixtures remaining, remain a point behind leaders Celtic with a game in hand against Dundee on Wednesday and a trip to Parkhead after the split.
Boss Clement, who took over at Ibrox last October, said: “It is the worst start you can have in an Old Firm game, to go behind after one minute.
“Also in the way we went behind. That is a big blow in that moment for the team, for the fans.
“Afterwards, we didn’t go down but we were not good enough on the ball.
“Then second half we showed our real face. We showed the real things that I want to see, this never-stopping team that has a lot of resilience, a lot of hunger, desire, to change the result.
“To do the right thing, to create chances not give away chances. Then became, for you guys, a crazy scenario, for the scenario that I wanted.
“Not with the 2-2 and then the 3-2 of course, but we clearly deserved at least a point today with what we have shown.
“I think at the end we are moral winners of this afternoon because a few months ago, for sure, this team could not have reacted after 2-0 in an Old Firm.
“I don’t know if many teams in the past could have done it. It is a hard thing in a very important game to go 2-0 behind to also feel the disappointment of your fans when you go into the dressing room to turn that around. Because of that I am really proud of my boys.
“For me, it is important, we showed what we are about in the second half, so that’s why we are the moral winners in that way, to come back after 0-2, I don’t think it happened too much in Old Firm games.
“Now it is putting focus on Dundee, a big game, and all the focus is on that and not on the ranking or the points, so you will not catch me saying or thinking these things in the next couple of weeks, that is something for maybe the last two or the last game, that depends how many points other teams take.
“This will give a lot of confidence, belief, but it is also important to stay humble and be ready for the Dundee game and do that from the first second of the game and not give belief to the opponents, like we did today.”
Clement was pleased with the way skipper Tavernier reacted to his lapse in concentration which allowed Maeda to score an early opener.
He said: “It’s difficult to pick only Tav out because I would prefer that he didn’t make those mistakes in the first minute.
“But he showed the personality to take the penalty and to take the penalty in that way, with really big conviction, desire to score the goal and to put the perfect penalty away.
“It’s not easy and a lot of players break after making a fault like that at the beginning of the game. They go down the way.
“But he has the capacity to switch on again and to be even more hungry.”
