Last Friday, Brendan Rodgers dispensed with the label that we normally see before an old clash of the company when his opinion was asked about the rangers to date under Barry Ferguson.
Instead of offering the usual empty topics, the Celtic manager said he did not notice a big difference. A change of manager, but the same inconsistencies and fragilities, was his succinct vision.
The Northern Irishman had the right to his thoughts, but you must imagine that he will see it quite different now. If this convincing clash was something to happen, the interim manager has given him next to Ibrox exactly what they have been lost for so long.
Having controlled the first half and deservedly uploaded the tunnel with a part -time advantage, the Rangers demonstrated those inherent weaknesses after the break when Celtic returned to them.
When Reo Hatate slipped home by the equalizer after the previous head of Daizen Maeda, there were still 16 minutes left.
Without a victory in Celtic Park since the Covid season, the 2,400 visiting fans had good reasons to fear what happened next.
The Hamza Igamane substitute obtains a spectacular late goal to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory
The quiet end of Mohamed Diomande puts the two ahead in the first half in Celtic Park
Running empty after his efforts against Fenerbahce last Thursday, the energy of the Rangers began to wilt. This time, however, his spirit remained strong.
Having put their bodies on the line, they waited for their moment. He arrived when Celtic's defense became pieces and Hamza Igamane produced a sublime ending.
With the points gap still in 13, this result will not change the destination of the Premier League title. Celtic will dust off and wrap it in a short time.
But the narration changes around the Rangers and Ferguson in particular. Having seen José Mourinho in two games, he now has one on Rodgers.
They are the first days, but it is beginning to present a case to be considered permanently.
Only a third defeat for Rodgers arrived in 22 derbies without too many reasons for complaints.
Celtic were completely miserable in the first half. After finding the objectives of Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande, they improved and found something to level the matter. However, they never completely convinced.
While the absence of Callum McGregor denied them a metronomic presence in the middle of the park, that could not only excuse what they served.
They seemed strangely nervous from the beginning, with their nerves returning just at the time they seemed to snatch the victory.
For a third successive game against the Rangers, Celtic has granted three goals. Too much to learn the lessons of that jumper in Ibrox in January.
Regardless of the difference in points that separates the sides, all these games have an advantage for them. The presence of visiting fans for the first time since January 2023 provided an additional dimension, the racket inside the sand exploded the eardrums for the entire game.
With Captain McGregor failing in a physical condition test, the opportunity provided for Luke McCowan was something of childhood dreams.
Maik Nawrocki also made only his third appearance of the season, and his first beginning since May 18, with Auston Trusty also out of play.
Ferguson stayed with the three system by the back that had done the work against Fenerbahce. However, after reaching 120 minutes more sanctions last Thursday, the concern for visitors lasted the rhythm.
While you did not hesitate for a minute that they would begin the game full of energy and attitude, even in their wildest imaginations, Ferguson would probably not believe how they would explode from the traps. Belying A configuration of 3-4-2-1, the Rangers went to Celtic from the beginning, winning a chain of pieces and edges to the front in four minutes.
Directly from the training field, the starter could not have been simpler. James Tavernier's corner caught Jeffrey Schlupp in the heels. Raskin, Raskin, was alert and threw a header that left Kasper Schmeichel without prayer.
Established the tone. The Celts were irregular, loose with the ball and lacked aggression without it. Schmeichel passed a ball directly to Vaclav Cerny and thanked the Nawrocki block on the line. Seconds later, the Dane went up to another pass to Alistair Johnston.
The rangers played with arrogance, found space and exploded. When they lost the ball, they fell again in their form and closed the lines that pass.
Jack Butland did well to prevent Hatate's strike from entering the upper corner, but was not exaggerated.
Maeda broke an effort on the side network, while Arne Engels perforated one from a distance. However, at no stage, Rodgers' side produced a sustained pressure spell in the opening period.
The two -goal advantage of the Rangers in the interval was completely deserved. Only the Engels block on the line had prevented Leon Balogun from claiming the second for visitors a few minutes before they did.
Raskin seemed to be everywhere. When James Tavernier contributed a long diagonal in the box, the Belgian claimed him with a skilled film. He left Diomande totally without marking and the ivory found the lower corner to send the visiting followers again.
For all, Dujon Sterling made a brilliant authorization of the goal line to prevent Maeda from reduced the deficit in half, it would have been more than Celtic's efforts for the first 45 minutes deserved.
Celtic mediocfista reo Hatate establishes a dramatic ending with his draw in a convincing derby
The only certainty when the game resumed was that Celtic could only improve.
The rapid restart that Rodgers would have demanded came, and manifested with a goal within four minutes.
After having fought to have an impact to that point, Jota produced late quality on the flank, weaving in this way and then before stopping the ball to the distant post.
Maeda showed the type of desire that Celtic had been losing to that point, reaching the ball first and claiming his goal 28 of the season with a descending clinical header.
For the first time in the afternoon, the rangers seemed shaken. Hatate hopes quickly level the matter vanished when he hit a volley on the side network.
McCowan then got a shot. The rangers were beginning to feel the effects of their efforts in the middle of the week.
Diomande and Balogun could not give more. Others squeezed their teeth and tried to think about the matter.
Now there were more spaces for Rodgers players to explode. They moved the rangers and finally found their composure.
The equalizer had been arriving. The McCowan ball to eliminate two defenders of the Rangers was excellent. Hatate still had work to do but produced a precise end in the goal.
Now it was anyone's game. Schlupp had a thunderous rhythm diverted from par, while Connor Barron sent a domesticated effort to the lateral network at the other end when he should have done better. Hatate then curled out one wide.
On the sidelines, Ferguson requested calm. Good luck with that.
On a day when the Celtic screen was marked by errors, the source of the Rangers winner was completely agreed with everything we had seen in the previous 88 minutes.
Normally so reliable, Cameron Carter-Vickers completely judged a long ball that would generally have taken calm. With Celtic's defense throughout the place and Johnston on the deck after slipping, Igamane took a touch and then threw the ball into the upper corner to claim a famous victory.