RANGERS turned in a good performance in this afternoon’s Old Firm match at Parkhead, and will count themselves unlucky not to have headed back across Glasgow with all three points.
Fashion Jr’s second half goal cancelled out Jota’s opener, and Gers had the chances late on to earn what would have been a deserved victory.
Manager Gio van Bronckhorst named three changes to his side. From the team which faced RB Leipzig in the UEFA Europa League semi-final first-leg on Thursday, in came Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Fashion Jr in place of Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Scott Wright.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Davis and Arfield joined Lundstram in the middle of the park, with Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo partnering Fashion Jr in attack.
It was Gers who began the match with the bulk of the possession, showing a good but controlled aggression in their play.
The first big chance of the game then fell the way of the visitors on 13 minutes. From deep on the right, Tavernier delivered an outstanding ball into the box, and beating Cameron Carter-Vickers to it was Kent to flick an effort goalwards, but unfortunately for Gers, it slipped just wide.
Kent then had a 25-yard low drive which Hart did well to hold onto, before against the run of play, Celtic took the lead.
Daizen Maeda got himself into the area on the left and chipped a ball across goal that was turned home by Jota at the back post.
Jota had another effort for the home side – a diving header from Jota that sailed over the bar, while Maeda should have made it two, scooping one over the bar when Rangers were caught when trying to play out from the back.
At the start of the second half, Carter-Vickers sliced a Barisic cross only just wide for a corner, and from the resulting corner, Gers could have been level.
Fashion Jr’s initial effort was blocked potentially by the hand of Matt O’Riley, and the loose ball dropped for Goldson to blast over from 12-yards out.
Fashion Jr then headed a further Tavernier corner over at the back post, with the visitors well in in control at the start of the second half.
Hatate missed a pretty gilt-edged opportunity for Celtic, blasting well over from just inside the area when fed by Furuhashi, while Davis didn’t connect as he would have liked to a Tavernier ball to him at the edge of the box, as he also shot over.
Then on 68 minutes, Rangers grabbed the equaliser their play deserved.
A beautiful one touch passing move took Kent and Fashion Jr to the edge of the box, and Kent got it out his feet to put Fashion Jr in to his left for the shot. From there, the Zambian got a yard on his man and drilled a fearsome drive beyond Hart and into the back of the net.
Hart had to deny Fashion Jr minutes later as he showed super strength to roll away from Carter-Vickers for a shot, and from the corner, he headed over Tavernier’s ball.
Hart then somehow denied Arfield on the end of a Scott Wright cross, and the rebound dropped for Ryan Jack to shoot straight at the Celtic ‘keeper.
Fashion Jr then went one-on-one with Hart, and from the angle, he beat the goalkeeper, but agonisingly the ball came back off the inside of the post and somehow the home side survived.
Tavernier headed a late Barisic cross wide, and 1-1 was how it was to finish, with Rangers certainly feeling aggrieved not to have taken the three points.
All eyes now turn to Thursday, and the club’s biggest match of the modern era as RB Leipzig come to Glasgow with a place in the UEFA Europa League at stake.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic, Lundstram, Davis (Jack, 63), Arfield (Amad, 88,) Fashion Jr, Aribo (Wright, 63), Kent.
SUBS: McLaughlin, King, Kamara, Sands, Lowry, Itten.
CELTIC: Hart, Taylor, Starfelt, Furuhashi (Giakoumakis, 61), Jota, Carter-Vickers, O’Riley (Bitton, 61), Maeda (Abada, 78), Hatate (Rogic, 61), McGregor, Ralston.
SUBS: Bain, Turnbull, McCarthy, Forrest, Welsh.
REFEREE: John Beaton
A subscription to RangersTV starts from just £6 per month, and provides not only exclusive access to the club’s teams, but also original feature videos and documentaries, our incredibly popular Inside Ibrox and Away Days shows and our extensive archive of match action from through the years.