A LATE Mikael Lustig goal ensured that Celtic racked up a record-breaking triumph over Rangers today - and scored five times at Ibrox for the first time in their 129 year history.
Goals from Scott Sinclair, Leigh Griffiths, Callum McGregor and Dedryck Boyata had put Brendan Rodgers’s side four ahead against their outclassed city rivals in the Ladbrokes Premiership game.
That scoreline would have equalled the Parkhead club's best result at the Govan stadium - they won 4-0 there way back in 1897 - but Kenny Miller netted a late consolation goal for the home team.
However, Swedish right back Lustig scored a stunning individual effort in the 87th minute to make the final result 5-1 and send the away supporters in the Broomloan Road Stand wild.
Celtic became only the third team in the modern era after their predecessors in the 2003/04 season and Rangers in the 1963/64 season to win five Old Firm games in a single campaign.
The triumph in an often bad-tempered encounter extended Celtic’s unbeaten domestic run to 42 games with just five matches – four Ladbrokes Premiership games and the William Hill Scottish Cup final – remaining.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha made three changes to the side which was defeated 2-0 by their city rivals in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup six days earlier.
Clint Hill, who had been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the game against Motherwell at the start of the month, returned at centre half in place of David Bates.
Elsewhere, Josh Windass, who had come off the bench at Hampden, started instead of Andy Halliday in central midfield and Joe Dodoo got the nod to play up front ahead of Joe Garner.
Rodgers, meanwhile, only made one alteration to his team and that was injury enforced – Griffiths took over from Moussa Dembele in attack
Griffiths was in a perfect position to score in just the second minute when Callum McGregor had advanced into the Rangers penalty box. He was in space inside the Celtic midfielder.
But McGegor, who had scored a stunning opening goal in the semi-final, decided to go it alone and was thwarted by goalkeeper Wes Foderingham. Griffiths was left incensed.
Scott Sinclair, who had been up in support, took some time to get back on his feet having been injured following a collision with an opposing player.
Caixinha’s team responded well to that poor start. Josh Windass played a nice one two with Kenny Miller and tried his luck from long range. His effort curled past Craig Gordon’s right post.
But the home team fell behind just three minutes later when the visitors were awarded a penalty after left back Myles Beerman brought down winger Patrick Roberts inside his box.
Referee John Beaton, taking charge of his first Old Firm game, consulted with both his assistant referee and the fourth official before deciding, some time after the challenge, to award the spot kick. The Rangers fans were furious.
Sinclair stepped up to take the penalty and, after a staggered run-up, drilled the ball to the right and into the net as Foderingham dived to the left. It was the English winger’s 25th goal of the 2016/17 campaign.
He celebrated with his Celtic team mates directly in front of the Rangers supporters. They were bombarded by missiles and one fan ran onto the pitch. He was apprehended by stewards and led away.
Beaton was subjected to more abuse from the stands in the 10th minute after Scott Brown appeared to take Miller out of play after raising an arm to his face.
The Celtic captain, who was cleared to play in this game on Thursday after an SFA disciplinary tribunal decided to reduce the red card he had received against Ross County earlier this month to a yellow, was spoken to by the match official but went unpunished.
The Scottish champions forged further ahead in the 18th minute thanks to a sensational strike from Griffiths. Emerson Hyndman was dispossessed by Stuart Armstrong who supplied the forward with the ball.
The Scotland internationalist advanced upfield and into the Rangers box before unleashing a powerful left foot shot which flew past the outstretched Foderingham and into the top right corner. It was the 25-year-old’s first ever goal at Ibrox and just his second in this calendar year.
A Jozo Simunovic tackle in the 25th minute won the ball for Celtic – but left Miller lying in a crumpled heap on the turf and the Rangers players and fans appealing for the centre half to be booked.
Celtic, though, launched another attack and Griffiths struck the crossbar with a curling shot from just outside the Rangers box. Sinclair pounced on the rebound and fired wide. He also struck the side netting shortly after that as his side pushed for more goals.
WIndass received a yellow card after scything down Sinclair and both sets of players squared up to each other. It was a minor miracle nobody was ordered off the opening 45 minutes.
Halliday took over from Dodoo at the start of the second half, but his arrival on the field made little difference to Rangers. Foderingham was forced to make a good save to deny McGregor in the 47th minute after some excellent build-up play involving Brown, Roberts and Armstrong.
The Parkhead club went 3-0 ahead seven minutes later through McGregor. He received the ball off Roberts in the box, turned opposition right back James Tavernier and whipped a left-footed effort past Foderingham.
Dedryck Boyata ensured Rodgers’s side wrote their names in the record books in the 68th minute when he headed a Griffiths free-kick into the Rangers net from a few yards out.
Halliday was yellow carded for a foul on Griffiths and Boyata also had his name taken for a challenge on Joe Garner after the centre forward had replaced Hyndman.
James Forrest took over from Roberts and Tom Rogic replaced Armstrong in the closing stages of a match Celtic dominated completely.
Kenny Miller, who had signed a one year extension to his contract on Friday, scored a consolation goal in the 81st minute after being teed up by Garner.
But Lustig rounded off the rout in the 87th minute when he netted perhaps the best goal of the match.
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