Rangers defeated Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox earlier today to join Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen in the final four. Hibs will face Hearts whilst Rangers and Aberdeen compete for a spot in the final. Both matches will be played on the weekend of October 31st/ November 1st.
Whether you call it the Old Firm or the Glasgow Derby, you definitely call it the biggest match in Scottish football, and probably one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports too. The first one of the season kicks off tomorrow at 12pm as Rangers host Celtic in the quarter-final of the Premier Sports Cup as a place at Hampden is at stake. The match feels marred by the post-match events of March’s meeting. Initially, Celtic were intended to receive just 300 away tickets, but this meeting, as well as all league meetings this season will now be played in front of no away fans. It’s been a disappointing start to the season for Rangers after missing out on European football, but they come into the match on the back of four successive wins. Derrick McIness’ side defeated St. Mirren 1-0 on Wednesday night thanks to a stoppage time winner from Bojan Miovski. The hosts earned their place in the last eight thanks to a 5-1 win over St. Mirren at Ibrox. As for Celtic, they too come into the match after four successive wins and a 1-0 victory over a team called the Saints, as they defeated newly promoted St. Johnstone in Perth on Wednesday night. Celtic’s Round of 16 victory came at Tannadice as they defeated Dundee United 4-0 last month. The last time these two sides met, Celtic ran out 3-1 winners thanks to a Daizen Maeda double en route to winning the league. The last Ibrox meeting between the Glasgow sides was the infamous 0-0 draw in the Scottish Cup quarter-final, where Celtic won on penalties. Derrick McInnes is no stranger to the fixture as a player, but ahead of his first one in the dugout, he said: “What it presents is a tough cup tie, but we have got it at Ibrox. We are 90 minutes away from Hampden; we are three games away from lifting silverware, and you have got to beat the good teams to win a trophy ordinarily. “We have got to make it tough for Celtic as well, and I think they’ll expect a tough match, and that is what we intend to give them. It has got all the makings of a brilliant cup tie. We have just got to bring a performance now that gives us the chance to win it and hopefully progress through the tournament. “We have got to bring the crowd with us. You are not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We will have spells, and they will have spells; that is just the way it is. “It is important that we tap into having those 50,000 supporters behind us. Be behind the players, support them, have their backs, and really make it as tough as possible. “We’ve got our part to play in that, and I feel if we can capitalise on good play and good opportunities, if we can get ourselves in front and give the crowd something to get behind, then the strength of our club can be shown.” Looking ahead to the match, Celtic boss Martin O’Neill was asked about the lack of away fans, he said:”It’ll be strange in many aspects not to have any away fans in our area. I always felt as if it would give you a crumb of comfort in some description. “Nervously looking forward to it, excitedly looking forward to it.” He was also asked about Celtic’s recent derby record in light of Rangers winning four successive matches coming into this one. O’Neill said: “I suppose if you get in front in the game, that makes them anxious. “Talking about getting in front and getting in front are two different things. The crowd will be right behind their team, which you would expect. “We just do our best. We know that we’re up against a very fine side. We’re up against a crowd that can make a difference. I’d be delighted to be celebrating something in the game.” Team news: Rangers will be without captain Lawrence Shankland after he limped off during last week’s victory over Motherwell. Shankland was replaced by Ryan Naderi, who scored the winner after four minutes. Naderi started Wednesday’s win over St. Mirren, alongside new signing Kevin Kelsy as Bojan Miovski scored a stoppage time winner. Even with Youssef Chermiti set to miss the rest of the season after an ACL injury in last month’s loss to Hibernian, it’s clear Derrick McInnes isn’t short of options up front. Rangers made 14 signings during the summer window, as many of the new look squad could be in line for their first taste of this fixture. As for Celtic, record signing Kasper Høgh returned to the side on Wednesday as Celtic defeated St. Johnstone 1-0. On loan goalkeeper Sam Johnstone made his debut on Wednesday night and Martin O’Neill hasn’t ruled out the Englishman retaining his place tomorrow. Canadian international Alistair Johnstone remains sidelined for this one. The semi-final draw will be conducted shortly after full-time, with the winners joining Hibs, Hearts and the winners of Kilmarnock v Aberdeen in the final four of the Premier Sports Cup.
The Premier Sports Cup quarter-final draw has delivered a standout fixture, with Rangers hosting Celtic in a huge Glasgow derby for a place in the semi-finals. Rangers vs Celtic immediately takes centre stage as the biggest tie of the round. One of Scotland’s two biggest clubs will exit the competition before the semi-final stage, adding even more importance to an already high profile meeting. Meanwhile, Stenhousemuir have been rewarded for their impressive cup run with a home tie against Hearts. The League One side will now have the chance to produce another major performance against Premiership opposition. Hearts will travel to Stenhousemuir knowing that expectations will be firmly on their shoulders. Their hosts can approach the contest without the same pressure, creating an intriguing test for both teams. Elsewhere, Ross County will welcome Hibernian in an all-Premiership encounter. Home advantage could prove important for County, although Hibs will have their sights firmly set on reaching the last four. Another competitive fixture sees Kilmarnock take on Aberdeen. Both clubs have the quality and experience to progress, meaning the contest could be decided by small moments rather than a wide margin. The draw has created a strong mix of rivalry and good competition. The Old Firm will command most of the attention, but the other three ties offer genuine opportunities for every club involved.
Five talking points from Aberdeen’s narrow win over Queen’s Park. Pittodrie-debut delight Summer signings Dan Happe and Lewis Smith both impressed and both got their first goals for Aberdeen in their first Pittodrie outings. Happe opened the scoring inside three minutes, heading home from close range from a Ronan corner. Not long later, Smith made it two, drilling the ball home following a lovely team move. Outwith their goals, both players impressed. Happe put in a very solid defensive display and also started the move for the second goal, winning the ball high up the pitch. Smith looked lively and showed his ability to go to the line or cut inside, as did Yogane. Müller or Mitov? New signing Müller made his Dons debut and certainly impressed the Aberdeen faithful. The German shot-stopper, who joined from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg, made a terrific triple save and made a stunning save in stoppage time to prevent penalties. Mitov, who gave Aberdeen fans a moment that they will never forget in May last year, will have to work hard to earn his spot back in the starting XI. Connor Ronan Connor Ronan was another one of the new signings that impressed in his first outing at Pittodrie. The creative midfielder whipped in the corner which resulted in the opening goal and was involved in the second goal, flicking the ball into the path of Nisbet, who played the ball to Smith, who made no mistake with the finish. The Irishman, as a result of his display, picked up the player of the match award, which follows an impressive debut against Brora Rangers, where he played the ball to Nisbet for the second goal. Two assists in two, Ronan is definitely a player that the Aberdeen faithful can get excited about. Brilliant Briedl Summer signing Alexander Briedl came off the bench yesterday and made his mark. The Austrian showcased his defensive attributes as well as his range of passing and his ability to whip in a dangerous corner. One Aberdeen fan stated: “Very tidy on the ball, will get better once he gets more match fit.” Another fan stated: “A very impressive cameo and he can take a decent corner.” Vulnerability from set pieces On 61 minutes, Aberdeen conceded from a corner, making the final half an hour very cagey. In the Premiership last season, the Dons conceded the most goals from set pieces (22). Aberdeen supporters will be disappointed to see old habits returning in a fresh season. Overall, there were some aspects of Aberdeen’s performance yesterday that would have worried the Aberdeen supporters – letting Queen’s Park back into the game and inability to defend set pieces. However, there were also a lot of positives to take – Müller’s crucial saves, the fast start, Ronan’s display, Briedl’s cameo, Aremu’s performance and Happe’s top defensive display.
Celtic 3 – 1 Rangers Kenny (25′) McGregor (93′) Osmand (109′) Tavernier (81′ pen) Celtic will play St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup Final, after Martin O’Neill’s side edged out the ten men of Rangers in a dramatic Hampden clash. The game began frantically, as both sides wrestled for control of the cup tie. An early mistake from Nasser Djiga allowed Sebastian Tounekti into space on the Celtic left. John Souttar cleared his cross before Johnny Kenny could make contact. Tounekti was involved again in the 10th minute. Anthony Ralston’s low cross found its way to the Tunisian at the back post, but his first-time shot blazed over. Jack Butland denied Daizen Maeda’s shot in the 17th minute before Celtic had the ball in the back of the net moments later. A quick Callum McGregor free kick worked its way to Djiga in the box, the centre back’s clearance bounced off Nico Raskin and floated into the net. Luckily for Danny Rohl’s side, Maeda was deemed offside in the build-up. Youssef Chermiti fired wide from six yards in the 21st minute after Mohamed Diomande’s decisive pass, for Rangers’ best chance of the match, but Celtic broke the deadlock four minutes later. Kenny towered above the Rangers’ defence to head home Arne Engels’ corner kick. The goal was his third in two games, and it warranted Celtic’s positive start to the game. Kenny almost added to the lead minutes later, after breaking several challenges on the edge of the box, he blasted a strike, which Jack Butland blocked. Despite defending poorly in the first period, Rangers had two massive opportunities to equalise. Danilo’s clever reverse pass freed Raskin on the right edge of the box, but Kasper Schmiechel smothered his shot to keep the score at 1-0. Chermiti then ghosted in at the back post from Tavernier’s set piece, but couldn’t make a firm contact on the ball, as his volley poked wide. The Ibrox side’s afternoon went from bad to worse after Thelo Aasgaard caught Ralston high on the defender’s thigh, Nick Walsh gave the Norwegian his marching orders to reduce Rangers to ten men. Celtic could have been down to ten men themselves on the stroke of halftime. Auston Trusty made contact with Butland’s head after gathering the ball, but Nick Walsh opted for a yellow card, maintaining Celtic’s numerical advantage. Celtic continued to threaten at the start of the second period. Engels flashed a 25-yard strike past Butland’s goal in the 53rd minute as Martin O’Neill’s side looked to double their advantage. Another Engels corner was almost headed home by Benjamin Nygren a minute after, before Butland parried Ralston’s subsequent strike. Rangers did improve in the second period despite being a man down. Diomande flashed wide after Tavernier’s free kick as Rohl’s side tried to unsettle their opposition. Celtic should have gone two-nil ahead in the 67th minute. Marcelo Saracchi drove infield, flashing a cross to Nygren, who blazed over. James Forrest crashed a left-footed strike off the crossbar moments later. Liam Scales delivered a potential goal equaliser-saving tackle in the following moments to stop Djeidi Gassama from blasting at Schmiechel’s goal. Nick Walsh awarded Rangers a penalty in the 80th minute, after Ralston blocked Gassama’s shot with his arm. Tavernier made no mistake, slotting low to Schmiechel’s right, sending the blue side of Hampden into frenzy. The ten men had been up against it since Aasgaard’s dismissal, but had somehow dragged themselves back into the semi-final. Calum Osmand had an opportunity to regain Celtic’s lead after being slid through Forrest, but the youngster rolled his shot straight at Butland to keep the score level. Hatate could have sent Celtic to the final in injury time, he linked with Forrest on the right but blasted over Butland’s bar. Tierney’s deflected strike went behind with the last kick of the game. Calum McGregor rocketed Celtic into the lead at the start of extra time. Trusty laid off to the captain on the edge of the box, who crashed a strike past Butland from 25 yards. Gassama was sent clean through by Bojan Miovski in the 100th minute, after Schmiechel was alert to block his strike. Osmand sealed Celtic’s spot in the final in the final ten minutes, Kieran Tierney flashed a low cross for the substitute to slide home. Celtic: Schmeichel 6 Ralston 5 Trusty 7 Scales 7 Saracchi 7 McGregor 7 Engels 7 Nygren 7 Maeda 6 Kenny 8 Tounekti 6 Substitutes: Forrest 6 Hatate 6 Osmand 6 Balikwisha 5 Tierney 6 Rangers: Butland 5 Djiga 3 Souttar 6 Cornelius 6 Tavernier 6 Diomande 6 Raskin 7 Meghoma 7 Aasgaard 4 Danilo 5 Chermiti 3 Substitutes: Gassama 6 Moore 6 Miovski 6 Antman 5 Aarons 5 Rothwell 5
Partick Thistle 0-4 Celtic Yang (26′) Scales (28′) Tounekti (46′) McCowan (79′) Defending Champions Celtic have secured their place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals with a win against Partick Thistle. First-half goals from Yang and Scales were enough to put the bhoys in the driving seat, and they added to that in the second half with goals from Tounekti and McCowan. In the first half, Celtic dominated possession from the start, with new signing Tounekti showing promising attacking intent. Despite Celtic’s control, the opening 20 minutes saw them struggling to convert possession into clear chances. Partick Thistle, on the other hand, absorbed the pressure, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities. The deadlock broke in the 26th minute when Yang headed home a cross from Nygren. This goal ignited Celtic, who quickly added a second in the 28th minute, with Liam Scales heading in another Nygren cross. Celtic continued to look dangerous, though the pace slowed before halftime. A couple of uncharacteristic errors from Cameron Carter-Vickers briefly threatened the Celtic goal towards the end of the half. The second half opened with fan protests against the Celtic board, but the team quickly added to their lead. Just after the restart, new signings Tounekti and Iheanacho combined for Tounekti’s first goal, making it 3-0. Iheanacho, who had been quiet, became more influential. With the game effectively decided, Celtic controlled possession without pressing intensely. The third goal early in the half drained much of the game’s momentum. In the 80th minute, a defensive error from Thistle allowed substitutes Balikwisha and McCowan to combine for Celtic’s fourth goal. Celtic’s 4-0 victory, a fair reflection of their dominance, secured their spot in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals. Despite off-field fan discontent, new signings proved impactful, and the team showed an improved performance. They now face their rivals, Rangers, in the Semi-Finals on November 1st. It was not to be for the Jags today, and they now turn their attention back to the Championship, where if they win their two games in hand, they can go joint top of the league. Partick Thistle: Budinauckas, Logan, Ashcroft, O’ Reilly, Reading, Crawford, Stanway, Letsosa, Chalmers, Watt, Fitzpatrick Celtic: Sinisalo, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Hatate, Nygren, Yang, Iheanacho, Tounekti Attendance: 8817
Rangers and Celtic will meet in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals after Brendan Rodgers’ side comfortably defeated Partick Thistle on Sunday afternoon. The Gers progressed to the final four after a 2-0 home victory against Hibernian on Saturday evening. The other semi-final sees St Mirren and Motherwell clash, following their away victories against Kilmarnock and Aberdeen. The matches are scheduled for the weekend of November 1st/2nd at Hampden. Full Draw: Motherwell v St Mirren Celtic v Rangers
Rangers 2-0 Hibernian Raskin (42′) Miovski (45+2′) Two late first-half goals saw Rangers progress to the League Cup semi-finals over David Gray’s Hibernian. The home side started positively in front of a sparse Ibrox crowd. Nicolas Raskin returned to the Rangers side following a brief absence and dragged the first shot of the match wide after 5 minutes. Following a pre-match protest outside Ibrox, a section of the home faithful continued their revolt in the 11th minute, throwing objects onto the park to disrupt proceedings. Hibs grew into the game and had the first major chance on the 15-minute mark. Josh Mulligan drove at the Rangers’ backline before sliding Kieron Bowie through on goal. The striker rounded Jack Butland at an angle, opting to lay off for Martin Boyle, who sidefooted over. Boyle had the ball in the net on 19 minutes, rolling past Butland from Dylan Levitt’s pass. VAR correctly disallowed the opener, as the Australian attacker had controlled the pass with his hand. Nicky Cadden crashed a free kick into the wall after the half-hour mark as the game remained goalless. Rangers had shown positive signs but still lacked a cutting edge in attack. That changed after 41 minutes, courtesy of Raskin. The Belgian international headed home James Tavernier’s corner kick to the delight of the home support. Boyle had a golden chance to equalise moments later, but steered a trademark Cadden cross wide. Bojan Miovski doubled the lead in stoppage time. The ball broke to the Macedonian after positive play by Mikey Moore, slotting home for his first Rangers goal. Martin’s side started the second half exactly how they ended the first, as Djeidi Gassama curled a powerful strike off the crossbar. Grant Hanley cleared Miovski’s shot off the line soon after, as Rangers searched for the goal that would finalise the tie. Despite the lead, Rangers looked fragile defensively. Kieron Bowie easily found room in the penalty box from a long ball, but bobbled his shot wide. Miovski thought he had scored his second goal and Rangers’ third, but was flagged offside in the Hibs box. David Gray turned to his bench in an attempt to overturn the deficit. Substitute Thibault Klidje found Bowie in the box, but Dean Cornelius blocked the striker’s left-footed shot. Raskin was a standout for Rangers, adding personality and swagger to the home side’s midfield. He exited the field to a standing ovation after a starring performance. Youssef Chermiti raced clear in the 88th minute as Hibs pushed men forward. The striker’s shot was blocked by the foot of Raphael Salliinger. The full-time whistle secured Rangers’ first win in five, the win will ease some of the magnified pressure on Martin’s shoulders. They return to Ibrox on Thursday, opening their Europa League campaign against Genk. David Gray will be disappointed that his side couldn’t convert any of their major chances. They will have the opportunity to rectify this defeat at Falkirk Stadium on Tuesday night Rangers: Butland 6 Tavernier 7 Souttar 6 Cornelius 6 Meghoma 6 Raskin 7 Diomande 6 Aasgaard 6 Moore 7 Miovski 7 Gassama 6 Substitutes: Barron 6 Antman 5 Chermiti 5 Curtis Bajrami Hibernian:Sallinger 6 Hanley 7 Bushiri 6 Obita 6 Mulligan 6 Levitt 6 Chaiwa 6 N Cadden 6 McGrath 6 Boyle 6 Bowie 6 Substitutes: Barlaser 6 Hoilett 6 Klidje 5 C Cadden 5 Molotnikov 5
Aberdeen 0-1 Motherwell Charles-Cook (63′) Motherwell joined St Mirren in the League Cup semi-final, beating Aberdeen at Pittodrie, and piling more pressure on Jimmy Thelin. Regan Charles-Cook’s first goal for Jens Berthel Askou’s side proved to be the difference-maker, his arrowing strike found the top corner to secure the win in the second half. Tawanda Maswinhise was involved in the build-up and went close to scoring earlier in the game when he hit the post. Despite some promising attacks, Aberdeen’s goal drought continued. The Dons’ best chances came from Nicky Devlin and Mats Knoester, both of whom struck efforts off the woodwork in a frustrating afternoon for the home side. The crucial victory was a relief for Motherwell after a string of five straight league draws, validating Askou’s entertaining philosophy at Fir Park. Aberdeen: Mitov, Jensen, Knoester, Dorrington, Gyamfi, Shinnie, Armstrong, Karlsson, Aouchiche, Keskinen, Nisbet. Motherwell: Ward, O’Donnell, Gordon, Welsh, Longelo, Watt, Fadinger, Said, Charles-Cook, Maswanhise, Stamatelopoulos
Kilmarnock 2-1 Dundee United Dackers (6′) Lyons (69′) Stirton (25′) A goal in each half was enough for Kilmarnock to beat Dundee United in the Premier Sports Cup 2nd Round. Kilmarnock got off to the best possible start after six minutes. Marcus Dackers latched on to a through ball and coolly dispatched past Yevhen Kucherenko to open the scoring. Dundee United endured an agonising penalty shootout defeat to Rapid Vienna in the Conference League 3rd round three days ago. Jim Goodwin’s side have struggled with persistent injuries, and this continued with Owen Stirton replacing Max Watters after just 17 minutes. Stirten proved to be a worthy substitute soon after, he found space and finished past Max Stryjek in the Kilmarnock goal to equalise for the away side. Stuart Kettlewell’s team delivered the decisive blow in the 68th minute. Brad Lyons connected with Lewis Mayo’s knockdown to volley under Kuckerenko and restore his side’s lead. Kilmarnock’s victory means they will welcome St Mirren to BBSP Rugby Park in the quarter final. The game is scheduled to take place on the weekend of September 20th-21st. Dundee United return to league action in two weeks’ time, making the short journey to Dens Park for the opening Dundee derby of the season. Kilmarnock: Stryjek, Brandon, Mayo, Schilte-Brown, Deas, Brannan, Polworth, Lyons, Watson, Daniels, Dackers Dundee United: Kucherenko, Esselink, Iovu, Sevelj, Ferry, Sibbald, Fatah, Dolcek, Stephenson, Keresztes, Watters
