Only three days in and 2004 is already looking like it might not be a happy new year for Rangers following the treble-winning exploits they enjoyed in 2003.
As is the norm in these occasions the match was played at a hundred miles an hour and if Gavin Rae had any lingering doubts about what it means to play in an Old Firm game then they were soon allayed in a blistering first half as play raged from end to end at a frenetic pace.
Within 10 minutes, both teams had forced corners – Craig Moore headed over from Rangers’ first set piece – with Celtic also threatening through a Stanislav Varga header that Bob Malcolm hoisted high over his own crossbar.
Despite starting in a cautious 4-5-1 formation, Rangers were still looking threatening on the break and Shota Arveladze was inches away from hooking in Moore’s knockdown from another Mikel Arteta corner.
Minutes later and only a last-ditch intervention from Jackie McNamara prevented Peter Lovenkrands from connecting with Rae’s defence-splitting pass.
With their superior physical prowess, Celtic however were looking increasingly dangerous from set-pieces and Stefan Klos was required to instinctively throw out a palm to thwart a powerful header from Bobo Balde from Alan Thompson’s cross.
The goalkeeper was to have no such luck five minutes later when Celtic went in front.
Larsson’s cross from the left flank evaded both Moore and John Hartson but fell kindly to Stilian Petrov who – fittingly – dived to head past Klos despite the German’s Herculean effort to keep it out.
Rangers rallied and Chris Burke sent a teasing cross flashing across the face of the goal that found no takers.
Now needing two goals, McLeish took off debutant Rae and threw on Michael Mols in an attempt to further stretch the Celtic defence.
The half ended with a Chris Sutton stamp on Mikel Arteta that went unpunished before Thompson passed up a glaring chance to double Celtic’s lead when he headed Didier Agathe’s cross wide of target.
The second half followed a gloomily similar pattern, with Rangers threatening sporadically but without any real conviction and when Celtic doubled their lead around the hour mark you felt there was no way back.
The warning signs had been posted a minute earlier when Larsson’s delicate flick from Thompson’s free kick clattered the post before Moore belted it behind for a corner.
From the resulting centre, Varga rose highest to capitalise on Balde’s knock on from Thompson’s corner to head high past Klos from a matter of yards.
Rangers threw on Nuno Capucho in a desperate attempt to claw back the gap but it was Celtic who had the final say.
Lovenkrands fouled Sutton 25 yards out and Thompson curled a spectacular free kick around the wall and into the top corner.
Rangers offered one last attack, with Arveladze’s stinging drive cannoning off the top of the crossbar in the closing stages.
It was as close as they had come to scoring throughout the whole 90 minutes.
CELTIC (4-4-2): 20 Douglas; 17 Agathe, 6 Balde, 25 Varga, 4 McNamara; 18 Lennon, 19 Petrov, 9 Sutton, 8 Thompson; 7 Larsson, 10 Hartson (Miller 81)
Subs not used: Hedman, Maloney, Wallace, Crainey
Booked: None
RANGERS (4-5-1): 1 Klos; 2 Ricksen, 3 Moore, 25 Berg, 18 Ball; 30 Burke, 12 Malcolm (Capucho 74), 23 Arteta, 11 Rae (Mols 34), 7 Arveladze; 26 Lovenkrands
Subs not used: McGregor, Ross, Vanoli
Booked: Ball (30), Arteta (52), Moore (58), Lovenkrands (75)
Man of the Match: Mikel Arteta