IT’S 2015 AND that means the arch rivals in Glasgow will resume hostilities for the first time in almost three years after being paired together in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals (February 1].
Three years is a long time to wait for a game of this magnitude. As current Ireland boss Martin O’Neil knows all too well, Celtic v Rangers is never short of fireworks. O’Neill took charge at the start of the 2000/01 season – a campaign which witnessed three of the most spectacular Old Firm derbies in recent memory.
Come on Rangers, get promoted so we can look forward to this fixture on a regular basis again!
Celtic 6-2 Rangers, 27 August, 2000
The 2000/01 SPL season got off to a bang for Celtic.
After eight goals and one red card, Hoops fans must have been rubbing their eyes leaving Parkhead. The Bhoys took to O’Neill’s flavour of management immediately and were 3-0 inside 11 minutes – Chris Sutton snatching the first after 51 seconds. Silvan Petrov, Paul Lambert, Henrik Larsson (2) and another from Chris Sutton all added to Celtic’s total while Claudio Reyna and Billy Dodds netted for the Gers. The game was long over by the time the Blues had Barry Ferguson dismissed late on.
Little did they know it then but this game would mark the start of a glorious treble season for Celtic.
Rangers 5 -1 Celtic, 26 November, 2000
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. And on a bitter winters day Dick Advocaat’s Rangers would indeed enjoy sweet payback. Lorenzo Amoruso enjoyed one of his finest displays in a blue shirt, notching a key goal. Further efforts from Barry Fergusson, Tore Andre Flo, Ronald de Boer and Michael Mols all added to Celtic’s misery.
Henrik Larsson did equalise early in the second period. But Rangers ran riot after Alan Thompson was red carded.
Title race back on? Not quite.
Rangers 0-3 Celtic, 29 April, 2001
If at first you don’t succeed try and try again. Having beaten Rangers again in Celtic Park in February (Alan Thompson scoring the goal), the Hoops returned to Ibrox in April to avenge the embarrassing 5-1 reverse earlier in the season.
Believe it or not, Henrik Larsson scored 53 goals for Celtic that season. Goal number 50 came in this game and two more from Lubomir Moravcik sealed the win. They had won the title two games previously at home to St Mirren. However, this victory rounded off a memorable season for the Hoops, and a campaign that Rangers fans would rather forget.
