Celtic rallies to beat Rangers in Old Firm derby and keeps heat on Hearts in Scottish title race

TL;DR

Celtic defeated Rangers 3-1 in the Old Firm derby, keeping pressure on Hearts in the Scottish Premiership title race. Daizen Maeda scored twice, including a stunning overhead kick, as Celtic moved within one point of Hearts with two matches remaining.

Key points

Celtic won 3-1 against Rangers in the Old Firm derby
Daizen Maeda scored two goals, including an overhead kick
Celtic is now one point behind Hearts in the title race
Hearts faces injury issues with key players missing
Celtic has won 13 of the last 14 league titles

CelticRangersHeartsDaizen Maeda

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Daizen Maeda’s stunning overhead kick completed Celtic’s comeback in a 3-1 win over fierce rival Rangers that kept the heat on Hearts in a thrilling Scottish Premiership title race on Sunday. Second-place Celtic moved a point behind Hearts with two matches left, while Rangers dropped out of contention for the title and is assured of finishing third. Trailing to Mikey Moore’s ninth-minute opener for Rangers in a typically frenetic Old Firm derby, Celtic fought back to equalize through South Korea winger Yang Hyun-jun in the 23rd before a second-half double from Maeda — the second from the Japan forward being a looping overhead kick that dropped underneath the crossbar in the 57th. The next installment of a title race for the ages comes on Wednesday. Hearts, without a Scottish league title in 66 years, will be expected to beat sixth-place Falkirk, while Celtic faces a testing trip to fourth-place Motherwell, which held Hearts to a draw on Saturday. If the title is still in the balance next Saturday, it promises to be a sensational final day — with Celtic hosting Hearts in what would be a last-round shootout. Celtic has won 13 of the last 14 league titles, the other going to Rangers. Not since 1985, when Aberdeen was champion under Alex Ferguson, has a team other than Celtic or Rangers been Scottish champion.

Injury concerns for Hearts

Hearts doesn't have as deep a squad as Celtic and it has been hit by key late-season injuries. Marc Leonard and Craig Halkett will miss the final games after sustaining what Hearts coach Derek McInnes described as “really bad” and “unusual” injuries against Motherwell. Halkett had an outside chance of making Scotland's squad for its return to the for the first time since 1998. \\_ AP soccer:

Q&A

What was the final score of the Celtic vs Rangers match?

Celtic won the match against Rangers with a final score of 3-1.

How does the win affect Celtic's position in the Scottish Premiership?

Celtic's victory puts them just one point behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership title race.

What injuries are affecting Hearts ahead of their final matches?

Hearts will be without Marc Leonard and Craig Halkett due to significant injuries as they approach the final games of the season.