The green and white half of Glasgow is in full celebration mode after Celtic secured a glorious 3–1 victory over arch-rivals Rangers in the final Old Firm derby of the SPFL campaign on Sunday, May 10, 2026.
Bathed in the brilliant Glasgow sunshine at Celtic Park, Brendan Rodgers’ men bounced back from an early shock to put on a derby masterclass, largely thanks to a scintillating second-half display from Daizen Maeda.
1. Match Highlights: The Maeda Show
The Early Shock (8’): Rangers stunned the home crowd inside ten minutes. Capitalizing on a momentary defensive lapse, young talent Mikey Moore fired a precise strike past the keeper to put the visitors up 1–0.
The Response (22’): Celtic didn't panic. They began stringing together fluid passes, resulting in Yang Hyun-jun breaking into the box and burying the equalizer to send the teams into the tunnel level at 1–1.
The Blistering Double (52’ & 56’): The second half belonged entirely to Daizen Maeda. First, in the 52nd minute, he ghosted onto a low cross to slot home and make it2–1. Just four minutes later, Maeda intercepted a stray pass, drove forward, and unleashed an astounding, curling strike into the net to seal the win.
Physical Intensity: As always with the Old Firm, it was a fiercely competitive affair. Referee whistles kept busy as the match heated up late, resulting in six bookings for Celtic and two for Rangers as both sides fought to control the midfield.
2. Post-Match Reaction: "A Wonderful Derby Display"
The victory leaves Celtic in complete command of bragging rights in Glasgow as the Scottish Premiership draws to a close.
"It was a wonderful derby display by the team," manager Brendan Rodgers said following the final whistle. "We went behind early but the character shone through.
Yang got us level, and then Daizen in the second half was just completely unplayable. The energy in the stadium was incredible."