Martin O’Neill admitted Celtic were second best before praising their response in a derby that swung wildly at Ibrox. His side trailed by two goals at the break and had barely tested the Rangers goalkeeper in a flat first half.
The home side pressed high and forced errors in wide areas. Celtic struggled to play through midfield and too often went long without support. The second goal, after a mix-up at the back, left the Hoops with a steep climb.
The change came at the interval. Reo Hatate and Tounekti stepped in and brought energy that had been missing. Hatate in particular took the ball under pressure and moved it forward quicker, which stopped Rangers squeezing the pitch.
By the end, Celtic were the team pushing. The equaliser arrived late after sustained pressure, and for a spell it looked like there might even be more.
He said: (BBC), “We were well and truly second best first half for almost all of it.
“Other than the first three or four minutes of the second half, the game belonged to us. The second half belonged to us.
“If you’re 2-0 down at half time, then you have to question yourself. I’d spend my life questioning myself to tell you the truth.
“To fight back at Ibrox from a 2-0 deficit to come back and probably could and should have won the game.
“We’re still giving ourselves a chance here in this title race.”
O’Neill’s honesty about the opening 45 minutes matched what everyone saw. Celtic could not get Callum McGregor on the ball in space and the front players were feeding on scraps. Rangers won the loose balls and kept the tempo high.
The second half was different because Celtic had control in midfield. Hatate demanded it and Rangers were forced to retreat. That allowed Celtic to build attacks rather than chase them.
Aberdeen away now waits in midweek. It is a tight turnaround and a different test. If Celtic start the way they finished at Ibrox, they will travel with belief.
