Martin O’Neill won his first Old Firm game in charge of Celtic in over 20 years by beating 10-man Rangers 3-1 after extra time to reach the Scottish League Cup final.
Goals from Jonny Kenny, Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand inflicted defeat on Danny Rohl in his maiden derby, whose side had to play more than 80 minutes with one fewer player as Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card in the first half.
O'Neill returned to the club as interim boss on Monday following Brendan Rodgers' shock resignation, and has now won 17 of his 28 matches against Rangers.
The cup holders will return to the national stadium on 14 December to face St Mirren in the final.
The story of this one was always going to be a tale of two very different managers, neither of whom we expected to be in the dugouts when the draw was made.
O'Neill, more than double his counterpart's age, got it spot on in the first period. Celtic were exciting, direct, and unforgiving, distinct characteristics of his great teams of the past.
The reigning champions started on the front foot and thought they had opened the scoring after 19 minutes when Nasser Djiga's attempted clearance comically ricocheted off Nico Raskin and ended up in his own net. However, VAR spotted an offside in the build-up to spare their blushes.
Celtic eventually took the lead six minutes later as Jonny Kenny headed in at the front post from Arne Engels' corner.
With Celtic well on top, a comeback looked even more unlikely when Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card in the 39th minute for studding Anthony Ralston in the thigh.
Celtic were perhaps lucky not to be reduced to 10 men themselves before half-time when Austin Trusty's foot caught the head of Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland, but VAR did not intervene.
Yet Rangers returned for the second period refreshed and reenergised after switching from a back five to a back four. Celtic, as expected, remained in control, just not with the same level of fluency.
They were eventually made to pay for a series of missed opportunities when Rangers captain James Tavernier equalised from the penalty spot nine minutes from time.
Rohl's Rangers admirably dug in and took the game to extra time, but that lasted just three minutes before Celtic were in the lead once more.
Captain McGregor stepped up to batter one beyond Butland from distance before substitute Osmand turned in Kieran Tierney's cross to net his first senior goal in the 109th minute.
The year is 2025 and Martin O'Neill's Celtic have beaten Rangers again.
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Hand Martin O'Neil the permanent contract