The Old Firm derby rarely disappoints, and the January 3, 2026, clash at Celtic Park between Celtic and Rangers was no exception. This latest edition of Scottish football’s most storied rivalry delivered all the drama, intensity, and unpredictability fans have come to expect—plus a result that’s sure to reverberate through the remainder of the Premiership campaign. With both sides chasing Hearts at the top of the table, the stakes were sky-high, and the match more than lived up to its billing.
Entering the contest, Hearts led the Scottish Premiership with 41 points, while Celtic trailed by three and Rangers sat a further three points behind their Glasgow rivals. For the first time since the 1993/94 season, neither of these giants sat atop the league at the turn of the year. Yet, as always, the Old Firm carried enormous implications—not just for the title race, but for the morale and futures of both clubs and their managers.
Wilfried Nancy, recently appointed as Celtic manager on December 4, 2025, after his successful stints with CF Montreal and the Columbus Crew, faced mounting pressure. Celtic had won the league for four consecutive seasons, but Nancy’s tenure began with turbulence: just one win in his first five matches, a loss in the Scottish League Cup final to St. Mirren, and frustrated fans losing patience after four defeats in six league games. As Sky Sports’ Chris Sutton put it before kickoff, “If you think about Wilfried Nancy, this game is hero or zero. There are Celtic fans who are still absolutely not convinced with him. However, if he gets a win, then it'll be, 'we believe in Wilf'. If he loses, it'll be, 'he's a dud, get him out.'”
On the other side, Danny Røhl’s Rangers came into the match with momentum, unbeaten in their last five Old Firm derbies and having taken the most points of any team in the Premiership since Røhl’s appointment in October. Their performances may not have been dazzling, but they were effective, grinding out results and keeping themselves firmly in the title conversation. As former Rangers striker Kris Boyd noted, “When I look at Rangers, my issue with the title race talk is, I can still see Hearts and Celtic winning more games than them. That's why I think there's no way of getting back into it.” Sutton, however, offered a counterpoint: “Rangers are still in a title race. I know you keep writing them off, but they were never out of a title race because nobody knows what Danny Røhl has up his sleeve in January.”
The match itself began with Celtic on the front foot, dominating possession and creating chance after chance. South Korea international Yang Hyun-Jun capped a scintillating solo run with a 19th-minute goal, sending the home crowd into raptures and giving the impression that Nancy’s side might finally turn a corner. Rangers’ keeper Jack Butland was called into action repeatedly, making several key saves to keep the deficit at just one. It was a first half that could have seen Celtic several goals up, but football, as ever, is a game of two halves.
After the break, everything changed. Røhl’s halftime adjustments paid immediate dividends as Rangers pressed higher and found their rhythm. Youssef Chermiti, the much-maligned £8 million striker who’d faced his share of criticism, tapped in the equalizer before capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Auston Trusty to sprint away and slot home his second. Suddenly, the mood at Celtic Park shifted from euphoria to disbelief. Mikey Moore, who had seen a first-half effort ruled out for offside, put the match beyond doubt in the 71st minute, beating Kasper Schmeichel with a low strike to make it 3-1.
“It's always good to score in a derby. As I said pre-match, this is what I work for, what everyone works for. It's a very good feeling,” Chermiti told Sky Sports after the match. Asked about handling the pressure, he added, “That's normal in football [to have criticism]. This is what I work for. If you want to be a big player you have to play for the big clubs and big pressure.”
Jack Butland, whose first-half heroics kept Rangers in the match, attributed the victory to tactical tweaks and collective determination: “We had to weather a bit first half as you do when you come here. You can be up against it at times. We figured a few things out at half time but the effort, desire and performance in the second half was top. We deserved it in the end.” He continued, “The gaffer made a few changes and gave us a different perspective on ways to press them. It certainly worked.”
For Celtic, the defeat was a bitter pill. Nancy, who had pleaded for time in his pre-match press conference—“I need time. Give me time, and you will see my team. You are going to see what I am going to do because you can see already what I did before... Judge me in a few weeks, months.”—now finds himself under even greater scrutiny. With six losses in his first eight matches, patience among the Celtic faithful is wearing thin. The boos that rang out at full-time echoed their frustration, and as the Frenchman strode straight down the tunnel, questions about his future only intensified.
The result leaves Hearts atop the Premiership with 41 points, while both Celtic and Rangers now sit level on 38 points—Celtic clinging to second place by virtue of goals scored. The title race, once thought to be a two-horse affair, now looks wide open. Rangers’ clinical second-half display and unbeaten run in five straight Old Firm derbies have reignited their hopes, while Celtic’s season hangs in the balance with further critical fixtures looming.
There were, however, glimmers of hope for the Hoops. New signing Julian Araujo, on loan from Bournemouth, showed flashes of promise at right back, though he too will need time to settle. But in a season where neither of Glasgow’s giants have been able to stamp their authority, time is a luxury few can afford.
As the dust settles on a breathless derby, one thing is clear: the Scottish Premiership title race is alive and kicking, with Hearts, Celtic, and Rangers all firmly in the mix. The Old Firm’s latest chapter has only heightened the intrigue, and with plenty of football still to play, the drama is far from over.
