Celtic and Rangers managers engage in a fiery touchline clash as controversy breaks out.

Celtic and Rangers were involved in another fiery Old Firm encounter on Sunday, with tensions spilling over on the touchline just minutes after the game got underway at Parkhead.

Rangers manager Derek McInnes became embroiled in an angry confrontation with members of the Celtic coaching staff after an early booking sparked an immediate reaction from the Rangers dugout.

The incident occurred after only four minutes when Rangers defender Manny Fernandez was shown a yellow card for pulling back Camilo Duran as Celtic attempted to launch a dangerous attacking move.

McInnes was clearly unhappy with the referee’s decision to caution his player so early in the contest. The Rangers boss initially directed his frustration towards the fourth official before the situation escalated when members of the Celtic dugout became involved.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill and first-team coach Mark Fotheringham moved towards the touchline as McInnes continued to express his disagreement with the decision.

The Rangers manager was seen raising his hand and holding up two, three and then four fingers. His gestures appeared to indicate that Fernandez had committed only his first foul of the match and therefore should not have received a booking.

What began as a disagreement with the officials soon turned into a heated exchange between the rival coaching teams.

McInnes and Fotheringham came face-to-face on the touchline, with the pair appearing to exchange words before O’Neill intervened.

The Celtic manager positioned himself between the two men in an apparent attempt to prevent the confrontation from becoming more heated.

Officials eventually managed to separate the members of the opposing dugouts, but the incident had already become one of the early talking points of another intense Old Firm fixture.

Both McInnes and Fotheringham were subsequently shown yellow cards for their involvement in the confrontation.

The flashpoint also had an added layer because it was not the first time McInnes and Fotheringham had been involved in a touchline disagreement.

The pair had previously clashed when McInnes was managing Hearts during a match against Celtic in January. Their latest encounter therefore added another chapter to their previous history.

Despite the early drama, the match continued and Rangers eventually found a way through to take the lead.

Ryan Naderi put the visitors ahead, silencing the home support and giving McInnes’ side a crucial advantage.

The goal came after Dan Neil attempted a long-range effort that Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was unable to deal with cleanly.

The ball fell kindly inside the penalty area, and Naderi reacted quickest to the loose ball.

The Rangers forward made no mistake from the rebound, finishing from close range to give his side a lead and leave the Celtic supporters inside Parkhead stunned.

Naderi, who joined Rangers from Hansa Rostock in January, once again demonstrated his ability to make an impact in a major fixture.

The goal also continued a remarkable run of Old Firm meetings for Rangers, who had already defeated Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the previous encounter between the two teams.

There was no away support inside Parkhead for Sunday’s fixture, meaning the Rangers players had to celebrate their breakthrough in front of a stadium dominated by Celtic supporters.

Celtic attempted to respond after falling behind, but Rangers remained organised and continued to pose a threat whenever they moved forward.

The second half produced another major talking point when Rangers appeared to have extended their advantage.

Olwethu Makhanya found the net with a volley, and for a moment Rangers believed they had doubled their lead.

However, the celebrations were short-lived.

VAR intervened and the goal was reviewed, with replays showing that the ball had made contact with Makhanya’s hand before he struck it into the net.

The referee subsequently ruled out the goal, denying Rangers what would have been a potentially decisive second goal.

The decision generated another reaction on the pitch, with Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti receiving a yellow card for dissent immediately after the goal was disallowed.

Tounekti appeared to make it clear that he believed the incident involved handball, although the booking meant Celtic were punished for their reaction to the decision.

Rangers were ultimately able to withstand the pressure and protect their advantage until the final whistle.

The victory secured another significant result for McInnes and his players and gave Rangers back-to-back Old Firm wins in the space of only a few days.

Rangers had already defeated Celtic at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup the previous week, producing a convincing 3-0 victory to advance to the semi-finals.

Sunday’s result therefore made it two wins over their biggest rivals in quick succession.

For McInnes, the latest victory provided another major boost, particularly given the intensity of the fixture and the controversies that unfolded throughout the afternoon.

The early touchline confrontation, the disputed booking and the disallowed Makhanya goal all contributed to a heated atmosphere at Parkhead.

O’Neill will now have to assess another damaging result against Rangers, while McInnes can reflect on another successful afternoon against Celtic.

With the rivalry already producing two Rangers victories in quick succession, the latest Old Firm clash is certain to generate further discussion among supporters on both sides.

The result also underlined just how quickly momentum can shift in this fixture, with Rangers once again finding a way to leave Parkhead with the points despite the controversy surrounding the match.

For Celtic, attention will now turn towards finding a response after suffering another frustrating defeat to their city rivals.