Celtic 3-0 Rangers: Hosts storm to league summit after first-half blitz

Celtic stormed to the Scottish Premiership summit at the expense of a shell-shocked Rangers after a monumental Old Firm victory ended their rivals' recent derby dominance.

Ange Postecoglou's side blitzed their rivals in a relentless first half as a brace from the peerless Reo Hatate was followed by a third from Liel Abada.

Celtic's levels dropped after the break, but reigning champions Rangers — who made three interval changes — rarely tested Joe Hart in a pedestrian showing at a raucous Parkhead.

Postecoglou's men are now 18 league fixtures without defeat after ending a seven-game winless run in Old Firm derbies and are at the summit of the division for the first time since August.

But after a 13-game unbeaten start, the defeat is Giovanni's van Bronckhorst's first as Rangers manager and could prove to be season-defining — not just because they slip behind Celtic but also due to the crushing nature of the loss.

The Ibrox side's blockbuster deadline-day signing of Aaron Ramsey added extra fizz to the build up of what was already being billed as arguably the biggest league encounter between the two in over a decade. And the atmosphere lived up to that.

Celtic Park, without any away fans in attendance, was throbbing and the hosts started at a furious pace roared on by a 60,000-strong home crowd. The opening goal only took five minutes to arrive.

Matt O'Riley's corner was only cleared as far as Hatate, who took one touch to set himself on the edge of the box before his controlled strike took a nick and beat Allan McGregor down to his left.

Bedlam ensued in the stands as Rangers players protested. They believed the game should have been stopped for a head clash when Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey collided while clearing O'Riley's