Resolute Rangers stored Celtic's champagne on ice however a gripping derby draw leaves Ange Postecoglou's facet tantalisingly near title glory.
The Premiership leaders set a course for his or her tenth title in 11 years when Jota's volley ignited Celtic Park however Vogue Sakala's second-half equaliser earned the reigning champions a degree.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's facet may nicely have claimed the utmost spoils they desperately wanted within the ultimate minutes have been it not for Joe Hart after which the width of Celtic's publish.
However in the end the chances dictate it would absolutely not be sufficient to cease their rivals reclaiming the league trophy.
Victory over Hearts subsequent week will successfully see Postecoglou's facet, carrying a massively superior purpose distinction, over the road for a title triumph that few predicted initially of the season.
Rangers discovered themselves within the quite uncommon place the place a conflict with their outdated foes was arguably of secondary significance pre-match, given they may attain the Europa League ultimate by beating RB Leipzig in midweek.
However that momentous event didn't spark the adjustments in Van Bronckhorst's line-up that many anticipated as solely Ryan Jack and Scott Wright made approach from Thursday night time's first leg.
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Rangers made a far much less 'rabbit within the headlights' begin than their final go to to this venue, with John Lundstram and Steven Davis exerting an early stranglehold in midfield.
That composed opening counted for little, nonetheless, once they conceded a close to carbon copy of Liel Abada's bedlam-inducing third that night time.
There's simply one thing about that again publish that places Borna Barisic to sleep and this time it was Jota available to punish, turning residence Daizen Maeda's intelligent run and cross.
Instantly Rangers weren't so certain of themselves, made to rue an earlier Ryan Kent miss and deal with an emboldened Celtic discovering their attacking groove.
Had Maeda been braver within the face of an onrushing Allan McGregor he would've headed residence a second earlier than Kyogo fired huge from the sting of the field because the hosts completed the half the stronger.
Rangers began the second interval with intent however once more it was Celtic who carved the alternatives on the counter.
However Maeda was wasteful as soon as extra, blazing over contained in the field after the guests did not clear. Jota, alternatively, was the very reverse of wasteful as he led a interval of stress that had Celtic Park edging into social gathering mode.
All of it fell a bit flat, nonetheless, when Sakala completed off a slick Rangers transfer by blasting brilliantly past Joe Hart at his close to publish.
The 2 confronted off once more moments later, however this time Hart palmed over after the livewire ahead had escaped the attentions of Cameron Carter-Vickers.
It was to be the beginnings of a frenzied end - with Hart twice saving brilliantly from shut vary earlier than Sakala raced by to hit the publish one-on-one.
Finally there was to be no decisive third purpose, an final result that significantly better fits Celtic, who are actually very a lot champions in ready.
5 speaking factors
Champagne on ice - for now
They are going to virtually definitely nonetheless get the job achieved, however Celtic will rue a missed alternative to successfully affirm themselves as champions in essentially the most supreme of eventualities.
Three factors in opposition to their nice rivals would've just about put the inexperienced and white ribbons on the trophy for the tenth time in 11 years however a cussed Rangers refused at hand the trophy over simply but.
What's going to frustrate Celtic most is that they carved out sufficient possibilities to place the sport past their rivals earlier than Sakala's equaliser, with Maeda specifically lacking the goal with two glorious alternatives.
The frustration will likely be brief lived, nonetheless, if Postecoglou's gamers can see off Hearts subsequent week to all-but affirm a title triumph which may simply rank among the many sweetest of all for the Parkhead trustworthy.
Rangers dig deep - however it's not sufficient
In hindsight, was it a tad naive to suppose Rangers would make wholesale adjustments, no matter what's at stake in midweek?
There's been an air of apathy amongst supporters, a few of whom had already given up on the title however, realistically, Van Bronckhorst could not enable his dressing room to suppose that approach.
A makeshift eleven would have been a sign that their supervisor believed the league was already past his gamers, which is not precisely the message he'd need to ship on such an enormous week for the membership.
In the long run, Van Bronckhorst's workforce choice was robust and his facet might really feel they need to have left Celtic Park with a victory.
However regardless of delaying Celtic's title social gathering, the truth for the Ibrox facet is that it is probably nonetheless only a matter of time.
Barisic caught once more
You'd suppose given the eye Barisic's momentary nap obtained on his final go to to Celtic Park he'd have made certain to remain alive and alert any time the ball got here his approach from Celtic's left flank.
His error on this event wasn't fairly as obvious compared however it was extra pricey.
Rangers had a good degree of management till then and the purpose introduced Celtic to life as an attacking power.
Barisic gave the impression to be re-finding some kind having been dropped by Van Bronckhorst within the wake of his earlier howler however this incident may simply have his supervisor questioning how a lot he can depend on the Croatian within the greatest fixtures.
Jota on the wing
The Portuguese actually is a blinding footballer when he is within the temper.
He was Celtic's major menace all afternoon and his scientific volleyed end was precisely what Rangers lacked when Kent handed up a strikingly related probability on the different finish minutes earlier.
Up in opposition to Barisic, Jota was a continuing menace, brimming with confidence and delivering the effectiveness required alongside his vibrant and different field of methods.
The £6million to carry him in completely from Benfica looks like a critical no-brainer given his potential.
It is a choice which can in the end fall to the participant, however he definitely feels to have discovered a house at Celtic.
Evolution of a derby
Scottish soccer sometimes finds itself accused of not transferring with the occasions however its most well-known fixture has undergone one thing of an evolution just lately.
As soon as famed for its blood and thunder, this derby has slowly turn into a extra technically proficient, tactically astute recreation of contemporary soccer.
Apparently, in 5 conferences this season there have been no purple playing cards between the edges. There has, nonetheless, been an abundance of inverted full-backs and false nines.
Meaty challenges are nonetheless celebrated like targets on the terraces and that most likely will not ever change, however it's a distinct type of depth that is coming to outline the fixture now, one among co-ordinated presses and fast-paced passing soccer.
One factor stays fixed, thoughts you, it is no much less gripping.