Claudio Braga scored a late equaliser as Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts drew 2-2 at home to 10-man Celtic to maintain their six-point advantage over the champions.
In a match the Hoops could not afford to lose, they led twice through goals from Benjamin Nygren and Yang Hyun Jun.
But they were pegged back by a Stuart Findlay header and then Braga’s strike, which came after Celtic defender Auston Trusty was sent off in the 77th minute.
The exhilarating Tynecastle stalemate allowed Rangers to move ahead of Martin O’Neill’s side and close to within four points of the Jambos in the three-way fight for the title.
Hearts boss Derek McInnes – unable to call on key trio Lawrence Shankland, Beni Baningime and Cammy Devlin – made five changes to the side that started the Scottish Cup defeat to Falkirk last weekend.
Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon was restored in place of Alexander Schwolow while former Jambos academy pupil Marc Leonard was pitched in for his debut after signing on loan from Birmingham.
Gordon, 43, incidentally played for Hearts the previous time O’Neill took charge of the Hoops at Tynecastle almost 21 years ago.
There were three changes to the Celtic side that started Thursday’s 2-2 Europa League draw away to Bologna, with new striker Tomas Cvancara thrown straight in after arriving on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach.
The visitors got off to the perfect start when Nygren curled a superb free-kick beyond the left hand of Gordon from 20 yards in the seventh minute. It was the first time the Parkhead side had scored direct from a free-kick since 2021.
Home manager McInnes stormed towards the Celtic technical area, visibly angered by the nature of the celebrations from a member of the Hoops’ backroom staff.
Hearts responded well and Braga and Alexandros Kyziridis had golden chances to equalise but were denied by Kasper Schmeichel as the Edinburgh side enjoyed the majority of the first-half pressure.
The hosts continued on the front foot after the break and equalised within three minutes of the restart when Findlay met Leonard’s corner at the back post and nodded down into the net.
Hearts looked set to go ahead in the 54th minute when Kyziridis got himself free in the box but Liam Scales got back to make a brilliant goal-saving challenge.
Celtic had offered little as an attacking force since their early goal but served a reminder of their threat when Cvancara sent a looping header against the woodwork on the hour.
And the champions duly restored their lead two minutes later when Cvancara burst away down the left and rolled a tantalising delivery across the face of goal for the in-rushing Yang, who rammed home from a couple of yards.
Moments after Kieran Tierney limped off injured, Celtic were reduced to 10 men for the second game running when Trusty was adjudged, following a VAR check, to have denied a goalscoring opportunity by fouling Pierre Landry Kabore as he tried to get on the end of a through ball.
Hearts made the extra man count in the 87th minute when Braga thumped home from eight yards after substitute Oisin McEntee had headed Harry Milne’s free-kick down to him.
PA
