The Gers captain found the net in the 45th and 79th minutes with a terrific, trademark free-kick and an accurate second-half header, but a double from the home side’s Kyogo on 26 and 62 minutes, followed by third from Joto, meant that Ange Postecoglou’s were the winners at the final whistle of a dramatic game.
With no away fans in the stadium, the pre-match atmosphere was somewhat strange for an Old Firm battle, and it was Celtic that started the match nervously with a couple of slack back passes from Aaron Mooy and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The home side did have the ball in the net with just five minutes played, however. Alistair Johnston chipped a pass to Kyogo in the box and he slid the ball beyond Allan McGregor, but the Main Stand linesman had already raised his flag.
Postecoglou’s men kept the pressure on with Callum McGregor shooting straight at McGregor with a powerful drive which the Gers goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt.
With 17 minutes on the clock Jota then cut inside from the right and his left-foot effort, which was curling into the opposite top corner, was well saved once again by the visitors’ No.1.
At the other end of the pitch, Alfredo Morelos thought he had bagged the opener when he two-poked home a dangerous corner-kick from Borna Barisic from six yards out. Referee Kevin Clancy and VAR saw a push in the back from the Colombian which looked extremely harsh.
The opening goal was scored on 25 minutes and it was Celtic who got their noses in front. Matt O’Riley did well to get into a crossing position and his clever cutback found Kyogo who, with his back to goal, turned and fired a shot past the helpless McGregor.
Rangers tried to respond quickly, with Malik Tillman blasting a low drive across Joe Hart’s goal and narrowly wide of his far post. Jota then tried his luck from distance and McGregor was there yet again to make an impressive stop with the ball swerving and dipping in front of him.
The Light Blues, at this point, had to find a way to push players up the pitch, with Michael Beale signalling from his technical area that he wanted to see his players in more advanced positions and not sitting so deep - and you could see why.
Prior to half-time a late, clumsy challenge from O’Riley on Tillman gave the Gers a free-kick from 25 yards out and in range for Tavernier.
The captain stepped up and his stunning effort curled over the wall and clipped the underside of the crossbar before rippling the net, giving Hart no chance, to make it 1-1 at the break.
Rangers started the second period with confidence and, five minutes in, Celtic’s keeper had to dive to his right to deny Morelos after the ball had dropped to him from a slack defensive header.
But despite getting back into the game and looking to be in the ascendency, Rangers were guilty of conceding a poor second goal on 62 minutes.
Jota initially crossed from the right and Ben Davies’ clearance went high into the air and looked to be going out for the corner but, when it was clear it wasn’t, the defender put his head on the ball which allowed it to fall to Jota. He played in the lively Kyogo who finished low past McGregor.
On 71 minutes Celtic made it 3-1 and again it was a gift for the home side. Ryan Jack passed the ball to Souttar, who was under pressure from two Celtic players, and his back pass to McGregor was short. Jota nipped in and from a tight angle rolled the ball over the line.
Rangers, however, never gave up hope of taking something from the match, with Tavernier taking his goal tally with the club to an incredible 100 when he got on the end of Cantwell’s cross and his downward header bounced up and into the roof of the net.
With 11 minutes remaining there was still time for an equaliser but it wasn’t to be, with Celtic the winners on this occasion.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Souttar, Davies, Barisic, Raskin, Jack (Lundstram 86), Cantwell (Wright 86), Kent, Morelos (Colak 86), Tillman (Sakala 69)
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Ridvan, Hagi, Kamara, Arfield
GOALS: Tavernier 45, 79
BOOKINGS: Raskin, Cantwell
CELTIC: Hart, Johnston, Taylor, Starfelt, Furuhashi (Haksabanovic 75), Mooy (Iwata 61) , Jota, Carter-Vickers, O’Riley (Oh 75), Maeda, McGregor
SUBS NOT USED: Bain, Turnbull, Kobayashi, Bernabei, Welsh, Vata
GOALS: Kyogo 26, 62, Jota 73
BOOKINGS: Carter-Vickers, McGregor, O’Riley, Mooy
REF: Kevin Clancy