Ianis Hagi scored a stoppage-time equaliser as 10-man Rangers roared back from two down to draw 2-2 at in-form Aberdeen and deny Celtic an early title party.
A Dons win over the second-place Gers would have confirmed the Hoops as champions, and that scenario looked all set to come to fruition when Barry Ferguson’s makeshift team – featuring nine changes from the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday – were torn apart in the first half.
The bedraggled visitors found themselves two goals and a man down at the break after strikes from Reds pair Leighton Clarkson and Pape Guèye, either side of Ross McCausland’s 40th-minute red card for two bookable offences.
However, Rangers improved after the break and Hamza Igamane pulled one back before substitute Hagi struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to ensure Celtic – 15 points clear with five to play – will have to wait a while longer to be confirmed as champions.
Aberdeen manager, Jimmy Thelin, sent out the same XI that started the victory at Ross County the previous weekend, while Ferguson opted to preserve several of his key men for Thursday’s second leg in Spain.
Goalkeeper Liam Kelly and Robin Pröpper, who was sent off in the first half of the 0-0 draw with Athletic, were the only two to retain their starting places, with Connor Barron handed the captain’s armband against his former club and 18-year-old Findlay Curtis given his first start at left wing-back.
The hosts had the first chance of the match in the 18th minute when Topi Keskinen cut in from the left and the ball broke to Shayden Morris, who spun away from Curtis to get himself clear in the box before drilling a low shot agonisingly wide from 10 yards out.
Rangers defender Rafael Fernandes picked up an injury in that phase of play and was replaced by James Tavernier, who was handed the captain’s armband by Barron.
The Dons had another golden opportunity in the 29th minute but centre-back Mats Knoester scooped Graeme Shinnie’s cross over the bar from six yards out.
The deadlock was broken in the 31st minute when Clarkson’s superbly executed free-kick from just outside the box found the top corner, although Kelly, who got a hand to it, could arguably have done better.
A chastening day for the Rangers stand-ins got worse in the 40th minute when McCausland, who had been booked just before the Dons’ goal, was shown his second yellow card after bringing down Keskinen on the left.
Aberdeen, who had been getting stronger as the half wore on, doubled their lead in the 44th minute when Morris skinned Curtis on the right and cut the ball back for Guèye to fire home from eight yards out.
The visitors thought they had pulled one back in first-half stoppage time when Igamane fired home but the ball was deemed to have gone out of play before Curtis crossed.
Ferguson tried to spark an improvement by sending on Mohamed Diomande and Jefté in place of Danilo and Óscar Cortés for the start of the second half, and his side got themselves back into it within four minutes of the restart. Kelly’s long kick was headed on by Curtis and Igamane wriggled away from Alexander Jensen before drilling home a low finish from just inside the box.
Just as Aberdeen – who had a Kevin Nisbet goal ruled out for handball – looked set to close out a vital three points in their quest for third place, Hagi silenced Pittodrie when he curled home with virtually the last kick of the game, seconds after fellow substitute Cyriel Dessers had struck the post.
