Rangers gained revenge for their 6-2 mauling earlier this season by ending Celtic's unbeaten start to the season with a crushing 5-1 win at Ibrox.

	Skipper Ferguson and Kenny Miller in excelsis (MichaelCooper/Allsport)

Dick Advocaat's men crushed 10-man Celtic thanks to goals from Barry Ferguson, new £12million signing Tore Andre Flo, Ronald de Boer, Lorenzo Amoruso and substitute Michael Mols.

Henrik Larsson's equaliser was the only highlight for the league leaders, who had Alan Thompson sent off with the score at 2-1.

Flo was inches away from marking his debut with a goal in only the second minute.

Claudio Reyna was the architect, cutting inside and getting the better of Alan Thompson before slipping the ball to Jorg Albertz to send Flo on a chase goalside of his marker.

Rob Douglas came out but, although the £12million striker got there first he stabbed the ball agonisingly wide.

Two minutes later and de Boer missed an even easier chance following a mix-up in the Celtic defence.

Lorenzo Amoruso punted the ball forward and it appeared Douglas had given covering defender Johan Mjallby a shout that he would collect.

But the goalkeeper did not and de Boer seized on the loose ball, turned and fired over the empty net from an inviting angle.

Thompson fired Celtic's first shot in anger, a long range free-kick that went straight through to Stefan Klos.

Reyna was booked for hacking down Bobby Petta on the left touchline.

Tom Boyd slid in to stop Flo going clear as Rangers pressed once more.

Albertz kicked Stilian Petrov and the two exchanged words and glares.

Bert Konterman shoved Henrik Larsson from behind 25 yards in front of goal but when the free-kick was tapped to him, Thompson fired over.

Larsson set up Joos Valgaeren for a good chance with a chest down in a crowded penalty box from a free-kick but the defender fired wide.

Amoruso cleared a Thompson free-kick and de Boer immediately made a run that would have taken him clear on the break but Albertz's pass was poor and the chance was gone.

Valgaeren was booked for a late challenge on Barry Ferguson.

Didier Agathe and Larsson combined to set up Chris Sutton for a shot but Amoruso dived in to block although when Petta switched wings to put in a cross from the right it needed Flo to get in the way of Sutton's back-post header.

Albertz then tried his luck from range but was way off target.

Larsson headed goalwards after Petta had retrieved the ball on the byline but it lacked power and Klos dealt with it.

In the 35th minute Rangers went ahead with a goal of real quality. Reyna was the supplier, spotting Ferguson's run from midfield and the young captain strode unchallenged towards Douglas before slotting the ball past him.

Immediately Celtic were claiming handball in the box when Petrov's shot took a deflection but play continued.

A swift counter that began with Amoruso's clearance and Miller's clever flick on saw Albertz get the better of Agathe to go clear down the left but his lay-off was deflected to Douglas off Boyd.

Arthur Numan's header into the box fell for de Boer but he did not realise how much time he had and fired weakly at the goalkeeper.

Thompson was booked for a foul on Ferguson and Amoruso fired the free-kick wide.

Celtic made two changes at the break, bringing on Jackie McNamara and Stephane Mahe for Lubo Moravcik and Johan Mjallby.

	Instant hit: Debutant scorer Flo meets his new fans (MichaelCooper/Allsport)

Flo was booked for fouling Petrov and then Sutton and Amoruso were both yellow carded for an off-the-ball altercation while awaiting a Celtic free-kick.

That needed to be taken twice and eventually Thompson blasted over, before Amoruso fouled Sutton and Larsson curled the free-kick well over.

Petta's cross fell to Thompson in the box but before he could set up a shot Numan nipped in to clear at the expense of a corner.

In it came and Larsson beat Amoruso to a header to equalise two minutes shy of the hour mark.

Up until then the Italian had been inspirational and the Swede quiet but one moment of slack marking changed all that.

But the parity lasted just two minutes when Albertz won a header from a de Boer corner to the far post and saw it bounce off the crossbar back across goal.

Flo was lurking and brilliantly used the back of his heel to flick the ball into the roof of the net and put his team back in the lead.

Straight away Rangers introduced Michael Mols in place of Miller.

Celtic's problems were compounded in the 65th minute when Thompson slid in on Ferguson and upended him to earn his second yellow of the afternoon and the inevitable red that followed.

Ferguson robbed Mahe deep in the Rangers half to burst forward and slip in Flo. But Douglas was equal to his attempted loft and a corner resulted.

Albertz took it and there was de Boer at the far post to head home the third goal.

Sutton and Konterman were involved in an off-the-ball altercation that was eventually defused by referee Kenny Clark.

Sutton went down in the box and Amoruso appeared to have been all over him but the decision went Rangers' way, much to the former Chelsea striker's annoyance.

	Substitute Michael Mols avoids McNamara (MichaelCooper/Allsport)

Mols dummied to allow de Boer to put him in and once he had twisted and turned past his marker he fired a near-post shot which Douglas parried for a corner.

Celtic cleared that at the expense of another and when Albertz fired the ball across, Amoruso powered a header past Douglas to make it four for Rangers.

McNamara was booked for a late challenge on Ferguson before Mols' reverse pass sent Reyna away and Flo stooped to head his cross just wide.

Then Albertz set up Reyna for a shot which flashed across goal and wide.

With five minutes to go Albertz sent de Boer away down the left and he set up Mols for the fifth, a well-taken shot on the stretch as he arrived in the box at speed.

Larsson curled a free-kick inches over as the game went in to stoppage time, but Rangers held on to avenge their 6-2 mauling earlier this season.