Cyriel Dessers gave Rangers the lead in the final minute of the first half with his 25th goal of the season, before Adam Idah found the equaliser after the break.

There were four changes from last week’s draw with St Mirren as Leon Balgoun returned sporting a protective mask after cheekbone surgery. Nedim Bajrami was also named in the starting XI for what was only his second start under Ferguson, with Connor Barron and Vaclav Cerny also coming in.

Rangers started with Liam Kelly in goal behind captain James Tavernier, John Souttar, Leon Balogun and Jefte.

Barron joined Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin in midfield, while Cerny and Bajrami supported striker Cyriel Dessers.

It was Rangers who got the action underway in the final derby of the season, and inside the first minute there was a huge chance for Ferguson’s men to open the scoring.

A corner provided James Tavernier with the opportunity to whip an inviting delivery into the box and Leon Balogun was in space to get a strong header towards goal but was denied by the crossbar.

It was a good start from Rangers, and Cerny was next to try a strike at goal as the hosts broke from an earlier Celtic attack.

Bajrami found Raskin on the right and the midfielder turned well before finding Cerny in space on the edge of the box. The winger released a strike towards goal, which took a heavy deflection, before looping just over the bar as Viljami Sinisalo tipped it over.

From the resulting corner, the ball came back to Tavernier and he delivered another cross into the box but Raskin’s header was gathered by the goalkeeper.

Rangers thought they had the breakthrough with 25 minutes on the clock at Ibrox as Raskin got on the end of another delivery from the captain and headed beyond the goalkeeper, but after a VAR check it was disallowed for offside.

Liam Kelly pulled off a good save at the other end managing to get a strong hand to a header from Cameron Carter-Vickers to tip it over the bar and out for another Celtic corner.

Before the break, the visitors had a big chance to take the lead as Reo Hatate released Adam Idah through on goal but the strikers’ shot was blocked by Liam Kelly.

In a lively end to the first-half, it was Rangers who had that crucial opening goal. From a Celtic corner, the Light Blues powered forward with Diomande making ground beyond the half-way line before sending a ball into the box which Cyriel Dessers managed to get on the end of.

The striker took a couple of touches to open up space, before sending a low composed finish into the back of the net for his 25th goal of the season.

In the second-half, Celtic found their equaliser after 57 minutes. Maeda sent a ball into the box from the left, which took a deflection and landed kindly for Idah inside the box. The striker released a powerful right-footed strike which bounced beyond Kelly.

The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but after a VAR check, the goal was given to draw to game level.

Ferguson turned to his bench with 25 minutes remaining as Ianis Hagi and Hamza Igamane were introduced in place of Vaclav Cerny and Nedim Bajrami.

Nico Raskin had a huge chance in front of goal as Jefte lifted a ball into the box, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper before Ianis Hagi and Callum McGregor collided as they battled for the rebound.

There were appeals for a penalty, with Hagi receiving treatment and unable to continue with Bailey Rice coming on in his place.

With seven minutes added time, there was still time for a winning goal in this game. A free-kick opened up a chance, but Balogun was unable to turn a header towards goal. Maeda threatened in the final action of the match as he raced towards Liam Kelly’s goal, but it dealt with by Rangers and the game ended level.

RANGERS: Kelly, Tavernier, Souttar, Balogun, Jefte, Raskin, Diomande (Danilo, 93), Barron, Cerny (Igamane, 66), Bajrami (Hagi, 66, (Rice, 83)), Dessers.

Subs: Butland, Cortes, Nsiala, Kasanwirjo, McCausland.

Celtic: Sinisalo, Taylor (Schlupp, 79), Scales, Idah (Kenny, 83), Carter-Vickers, Engels (Bernardo, 62), Maeda, Hatate, McGregor, Forrest (Yang, 62), Ralston.

Subs: Bain, Trusty, McCowan, Nawrocki, McArdle.