This classic Old Firm encounter would be described by Celtic manager Martin O'Neill as the ‘result that got away’ as Rangers left the east end of Glasgow with a vital point.

Celtic were in buoyant mood heading into the clash after seeing off Lithuanian side Suduva 10-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup.

Rangers on the other hand came into the game on the back of a disappointing exit from the tournament at the hands of Viktoria Zizkov, their 3-1 win in the home leg not enough to overturn a 2-0 defecit from the first leg in the Czech Republic.

The season prior had seen Celtic run away with the SPL title by 18 points, but Rangers had narrowed the gap significantly going into this campaign, and the result gave them a platform to go on and eventually win the title by a single goal.

Celtic Park was packed to the rafters with 59,027 fans crammed in. It was the visiting support that was celebrating first, with Mikel Arteta's shot from outside the area somehow evading the grasp of Celtic goalkeeper Rab Douglas and ending up in the back of the net.

They weren't ahead for long though, and the home side hit back after 11 minutes through Henrik Larsson.

Glasgow Times:

No Old Firm match is complete without a customary scrap in the tunnel, and Celtic's Alan Thompson along with Rangers' duo Fernando Ricksen and Craig Moore duly obliged by getting into a heated exchange during the half-time interval.

Back on the field, that man Larsson put Celtic ahead after 53 minutes, but their lead was even more short-lived than Rangers in the first-half, with Ronald De Boer heading the Ibrox men level just a minute later. 

Glasgow Times:

With 15 minutes to go, Douglas's personal nightmare in the Hoops goal continued as he spilled an Arthur Numan effort to allow Shota Arveladze to poke home.

In-keeping with the game though, Celtic's response was immediate, and Chris Sutton popped up just three minutes later to earn a share of the spoils for Martin O'Neill's side.

Celtic: Douglas; Laursen, Balde, Valgaeren, Sylla (Agathe); Petrov (Hartson), Lambert (Maloney), Lennon, Thompson; Sutton, Larsson. Subs not used: Gould, Crainey. Goals: Larsson 39, 53; Sutton 78. Booked: Thompson, Sylla, Balde.

Rangers: Klos; Numan, Ross, Amoruso, Ricksen; De Boer (Caniggia), Moore (Konterman), Arteta, Ferguson; Arveladze, Lovenkrands (McCann). Subs not used: McGregor, Latapy. Goals: Arteta 6; De Boer 54; Arveladze 75. Booked: Ross, De Boer, Ricksen, Arveladze.

Referee: Stuart Dougal