Rangers Vs Celtic: Chermiti brace undone by late Hatate penalty as Hearts emerge beneficiaries

The Old Firm finished 2-2 after a dramatic swing at Ibrox in a match framed across the headlines as rangers vs celtic; Youssef Chermiti’s brilliant overhead kick and second finish handed Rangers a two-goal lead, only for Reo Hatate to convert a penalty rebound in stoppage time to salvage a draw. The result leaves Rangers six points adrift of Hearts with nine games remaining and hands momentum to the Edinburgh side.

Rangers Vs Celtic at Ibrox

Rangers took an imposing lead through Chermiti, who opened the scoring with a scissor kick of notable quality and later doubled the advantage with a composed finish after a defensive slip. Celtic’s Kieran Tierney powered in a header to spark a second-half revival and, in the final seconds of regulation, referee John Beaton – diverted to the pitchside screen by the video assistant referee – awarded a penalty that Reo Hatate eventually drove in from his own rebound 20 seconds into stoppage time.

Youssef Chermiti’s brace and match sequence

The home side began the afternoon dominant. Chermiti’s first — an acrobatic overhead kick — and his second, a poacher’s finish after Dane Murray’s sliced clearance and a hesitant Julián Araujo, pushed Rangers 2-0 ahead and left Ibrox buoyant. That supremacy for roughly 50 minutes, managers and pundits later agreed, set the scene for the upset of the late comeback.

Reo Hatate’s late penalty and VAR intervention

With only seconds left on the clock, the VAR prompted on-field review that led Beaton to award the spot kick; Hatate’s effort was initially saved but he followed up to steer the rebound home, turning a likely Rangers victory into a draw. The timing of the goal – landing 20 seconds into stoppage time – was decisive: it directly altered the league arithmetic and, by extension, the psychological complexion of the title race.

Standings, fixtures and the title race

The draw has tangible consequences. Rangers sit six points behind leaders Hearts with nine matches to play; Celtic are eight behind with a game in hand and are scheduled to play Aberdeen on Wednesday. The season’s closing phase was flagged as crucial by former goalkeeper Pat Bonner, who highlighted that there are nine games left and the imminent split where top teams can still take points off each other. What makes this notable is how a late decision and a single goal reshaped the championship outlook overnight.

Managers, pundits and supporters react

Rangers head coach Danny Rohl said the immediate feeling was one of disappointment after surrendering a 2-0 lead and emphasised that it was about sustaining performance across 95 minutes. In other remarks he insisted the focus remains on the final matchday and the remaining nine fixtures, adding that he totally believes in his players and they will fight for every point. Danny Röhl was quoted more bluntly that they were all disappointed and that football is about the full 95 minutes.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill described the second half as a period of dominance, saying Celtic could easily have won and praising the supporters who kept the team going after a poor first half. He also called his side “uncertain” earlier in the game. O’Neill made a half-time change that involved replacing Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain; a line in the available commentary about Oxlade‑Chamberlain being visibly shocked is unclear in the provided context.

Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd has shifted his backing to Hearts for the title, noting that Hearts have led the table since October and calling their place at the top “no fluke. ” Boyd cited Rangers’ form as a concern — three wins in eight in all competitions, he said — and pointed to Hearts’ upcoming run of fixtures, including two home games (one against Motherwell) and two away matches against the bottom two, as factors that favour Derek McInnes’s side. McInnes, the Hearts manager, was portrayed as the beneficiary of Sunday’s swing.

Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner urged caution and highlighted the potential for twists over the closing nine matches. Former players and fans expressed a range of reactions: one Ibrox spectator behind the press area used the epithet “fucking bottlers” to vent at Rangers; fan comments captured varied views on mentality and performance, including criticism that Rangers give up and praise for Celtic’s improved second half. Chris Sutton and others contributed to the post‑match debate.

Additional match details and club notes

The draw continued a pattern of stalemates for Rangers: they are unbeaten in 12 matches while also having drawn a dozen of their 29 league games. They have added draws this season against Hibernian, Motherwell, Livingston and now Celtic — results some say could prove costly in the title race. Tottenham loanee Mikey Moore was singled out for tormenting the Celtic defence in the first half. Viljami Sinisalo was the goalkeeper beaten by Chermiti’s second finish.

Observers noted that Motherwell and Hearts remain in contention, with O’Neill acknowledging Motherwell are far from out of it. The weekend’s events, amplified by the late VAR intervention and Hatate’s stoppage-time strike, tightened focus on the remaining nine league matches and left Hearts as the team to beat at this stage of the campaign.