Key events
GOAL! Rangers 2-0 Celtic (Kelsy 59)
Ibrox erupts once again.
58 min: Here’s some space for Hassan over on the right … but he finds traffic when cutting into the middle. Rangers drive down the other end, the ball breaking for Min-su inside the area … Johnstone rushes out to close the angle and make a fine save.
54 min: Celtic haven’t changed much since the break; Rangers remain in control here.
53 min: The impressive Naderi wins the ball in midfield to get Rangers moving … Raskin whips in a cross, searching for Kelsy, but he can’t get in the right position to head at goal.
52 min: Fernandez launches from 25 yards out … and the ball travels to the stratosphere.
50 min: Corner for Rangers … Naderi heads from beyond the far post, but Johnstone collects fairly comfortably.
48 min: Min-su finds space outside the area and lasers a drive … Johnstone makes a strong save, moving to his right. That’ll be a nice boost for the Celtic keeper, who had a tough first half.
47 min: Hassan’s danger is evident, driving down the right again as Makhanya takes him down. Yellow card for the Rangers centre-half.
46 min: Hassan is immediately into the action, jinking down the right and getting a cross in.
A half-time change for Celtic. Haissem Hassan replaces Tounekti, with Durán moving over to the left wing.
Rangers’ goal came from some neat buildup down the left, where Celtic have really struggled. Djeidi Gassama hasn’t brought the end product just yet, but he looks dangerous when cutting in or going on the outside. The key strike came from Dan Neil, his very first goal for the club.
HALF-TIME: Rangers 1-0 Celtic
Martin O’Neill’s got a few problems to solve at the break.
45 min: Min-su crosses low from the right … but it’s out of Kelsy’s reach. We’ll have an extra minute.
44 min: Neil picks out the energetic Gassama down the left … but the flag goes up. Celtic have a real problem to sort down their right-hand side.
42 min: Neil, the goalscorer, crosses into the area; Carter-Vickers hooks it away.
39 min: Johnstone’s difficult half continues – Naderi closes him down and very nearly lands the Celtic keeper in trouble; the kick out from the back is deflected out for a Celtic throw.
38 min: Celtic enjoy a decent spell of possession as Tounekti cuts in from the left and dinks in a cross … but Pandur collects.
36 min: Celtic work it down the left but are forced to retreat – Rangers’ defensive shape is solid.
34 min: Makhanya continues to impress on the ball, keeping Rangers ticking … Gassama overdoes it on the left, dribbling out of play when he had the chance to cut back.
31 min: Celtic do have space to exploit on the counter, but they’ve failed to properly test Pandur.
30 min: The first half-hour belongs to Rangers.
28 min: Min-su and Penrice are over the ball … the latter crosses and Fernandez leaps … but he can’t keep his header down.
27 min: Gassama is causing problems down the left, beating Donovan, who takes him down. Free-kick to Rangers and another yellow for Celtic.
25 min: Durán finds a bit of space by the edge of the area for a shot … but it’s straight at Pandur.
Naderi finds the ball in the left channel, hooks it to Kelsy inside the area, and he finds Neil inside the D with plenty of space. The midfielder is calm amid the madness, locating the bottom left corner. Derek McInnes is a happy, happy man. That goal has been coming.
GOAL! Rangers 1-0 Celtic (Neil 22)
The captain strikes!
22 min: It’s a poor delivery for the free-kick and Celtic counter … but Makhanya, who has been very composed, continues to clear up at the back.
21 min: Gassama twists and turns on the left for Rangers, sending in a dangerous low ball into the area … it’s cleared away but Rangers have a free-kick from the right.
19 min: The energy has picked up in the last few minutes as Celtic advance … but here comes a yellow card for Nygren, who slides in on Kelsy.
15 min: Huge chance. Penrice whips in a delicious cross form the left and Johnstone flaps at the ball … it drops for Min-su inside the area, he connects well, but Scales gets a vital touch to deny Rangers the opener. Celtic’s keeper has made an iffy start here.
14 min: Min-su can’t beat the front post with his corner.
13 min: Time for Rangers to go long with a throw, Sterling to send it in from the right … the ball works it way back to Sterling, whose low cross is blocked for a corner.
11 min: Celtic push down the left-hand side, with Tierney ready for a long throw … but Fernandez heads away. Rangers counter but Donovan wins it back for Celtic, the move closing with Durán dragging a tame shot wide.
9 min: Durán tries to drive down the right for Celtic, but Makhanya gets in the way.
7 min: Celtic are looking just a touch sloppy here, with Rangers setting the rhythm as Penrice wins the ball in midfield.
5 min: A shocker at the back from Johnstone, clearing the ball straight to Kelsy, inside the area, who hooks it wide. Celtic get away with one early.
3 min: Makhanya rushes forward and takes down Durán inside Celtic’s half.
2 min: Rangers build and Gassama collects on the left, cuts inside … but the shot lacks venom, cleaned up comfortably by Johnstone in the Celtic net.
1 min: Rangers knock it around at the back before Makhanya goes long, down the left-hand side.
Peeeeep!
It’s Celtic, surrounded by blue, who kick us off.
Sam Johnstone, who has joined Celtic on loan from Wolves, made his debut in the league this week and keeps his place. The Hoops have made four changes from midweek, with Kieran Tierney, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Benjamin Nygren and Camilo Durán all starting today. Haissem Hassan, my World Cup hero, must settle for a spot on the bench.
There won’t be any Celtic support at Ibrox today – the SPFL announced this month that away fans will not attend Old Firm derbies in its competitions this season. There was fan disorder when the two sides met in March in the Scottish Cup.
The teams
Rangers: Pandur, Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice, Neil, Raskin, Min-su, Gassama, Kelsy, Naderi
Subs: Kelly, McCrorie, Godfrey, Dragojevic, Devlin, Chukwuani, Curtis, Bouanani, Miovski
Celtic: Johnstone, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Baur, Nygren, Durán, Tounekti, Høgh
Subs: Sinisalo, Lotomba, Trusty, Sørensen, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hassan, Mheuka, Murray, Forrest
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the first Old Firm derby of the season. Forget the league, where Celtic have a 100% record, and forget Europe, where there’s been serious misery for both sides. We go to the League Cup, won by St Mirren last time round, Wilfried Nancy’s side beaten in the final. He was gone not long after, prompting the return of Martin O’Neill.
This’ll be the first time Derek McInnes comes up against Celtic as Rangers’ manager, with his side having won four on the bounce after a difficult start. It’ll also be McInnes’ first meeting with Celtic since that day in May, when his Hearts side couldn’t hold on to claim the title. We won’t have that level of drama today … but it should still be fun. Kick-off’s at 12pm BST.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/sep/13/rangers-v-celtic-scottish-league-cup-quarter-final-live
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