16th win 

©IMAGO

Among the most fascinating derbies in world football, the rivalry shared by Celtic and Rangers has to be one of the most fierce and passionate. Their meeting on Sunday happened to be the 111th Old Firm derby this century, and while some might feel that the fixture has been diluted given how many times they face each other, their mutual disdain is well-documented. Even with an array of different nationalities on display, there is nothing lost in terms of the commitment to the cause. And with Martin O’Neill at the helm, Celtic have an expert in beating their Glaswegian rivals.

The hosts needed some magic from their South East Asian contingent to pull off a comeback after Mikey Moore’s opener inside the first 10 minutes. Hyun-jun Yang fired them level midway through the first half before Daizen Maeda’s four-minute double salvo – including a wonderful bicycle kick – put them in firm control to run out 3-1 winners at Parkhead.

Old Firm Derby record this century

The result puts Celtic within touching distance of Hearts, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Motherwell, with just two games remaining in the Scottish Premiership title race. In doing so, O’Neill guided his team to a 58th win over Rangers this century (statistics starting from the 2000/01 season). In that time, Rangers have only won 35 of the 111 fixtures, with 18 draws to boot, while Celtic have outscored them 187-141.

O’Neill’s own record against Rangers is respectable to say the least. In his 28th match against the Gers, the Northern Irishman picked up his 16th win to tie him with Brendan Rodgers, who does have a superior points-per-game record. His counterpart Danny Röhl, meanwhile, has only managed to win one of five games against Celtic.

Celtic have hit form at just the right time, holding the best record of any team in the Scottish top flight since O’Neill was reinstalled as interim manager on January 5. From matchday 22 to 33, as well as the first three matchdays of the Scottish Premiership Top Six Split, the Bhoys have won 11 games and amassed 35 points across that period, hauling in Hearts by five points and collecting seven more than Rangers. In his 24 games across all competitions, he has a points-per-game ratio of 2.38.

Will Martin O’Neill stay with Celtic?

At the age of 74, few would be surprised if O’Neill decided against continuing in the job, given the daily workload and stress that comes with managing Scotland’s most successful club. Addressing his future, O’Neill replied “most likely” when asked if this would be his last derby game. But he has rescued the Hoops from embarrassment this season after Brendan Rodgers’ acrimonious departure and the disastrous reign of Wilfried Nancy.

Now that he’s already secured the Old Firm bragging rights for another season, the title is his next target. And if he signs off his temporary stint with the club’s fifth consecutive league title, Celtic fans will surely be begging him to stay. Whether he will be able to resist their pleas is an entirely different matter altogether.