Celtic triumphed 3-1 over fierce rivals Rangers on Sunday to reach the Scottish League Cup final, extending Martin O’Neill’s flawless start since returning as interim manager.
O’Neill, now in his second stint in charge, was overseeing only his second match following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation last Monday after a public falling-out with the club’s board.
Celtic appeared to be cruising towards next month’s final against St Mirren when Jonny Kenny opened the scoring and Thelo Aasgaard was sent off before half-time. However, Rangers fought back valiantly, forcing extra time through a James Tavernier penalty.
Callum McGregor’s thunderous strike from distance restored Celtic’s lead before teenage substitute Callum Osmand sealed victory with his first goal for the club.
Both sides of Glasgow are under new management after disappointing starts to the season, which have allowed Hearts to establish a nine-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers’ new boss Danny Rohl, less than two weeks into his role, was offered a harsh reminder of the scale of his challenge. His side sits 14 points adrift of Hearts in the league and bottom of their Europa League group.
The poor early-season form of both teams had been on display during their drab 0-0 draw in August. Yet at Hampden Park on Sunday, the fierce intensity traditionally associated with the Old Firm clash returned in full force.
Rangers narrowly avoided conceding a comical own goal when Nasser Djiga’s clearance ricocheted off team-mate Nico Raskin and into the net, only for VAR to disallow it after spotting an offside by Daizen Maeda in the build-up.
Celtic took the lead midway through the first half when Kenny met Arne Engels’ corner with a well-placed header. The defending champions looked to be on course for a routine win when Aasgaard was shown a straight red card for a reckless, studs-up challenge on Anthony Ralston.
However, Celtic themselves were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men before the break, as Auston Trusty escaped punishment after colliding with Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland’s head.
The final days of Rodgers’ tenure were marked by frustration over the club’s lack of attacking reinforcements during the transfer window — a problem that still lingers. O’Neill was visibly agitated as his side failed to make their numerical advantage count in the second half.
That lack of ruthlessness came back to haunt them when Ralston was penalised for handball just ten minutes from time, allowing Tavernier to calmly dispatch the resulting spot-kick and send the match into extra time.
Celtic finally capitalised on their extra man in the additional 30 minutes. Butland should have done better when McGregor’s long-range drive flew past him, putting the Hoops back in front.
Osmand, who had only made his debut as a substitute in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Falkirk, then ensured Celtic’s progression by sliding in to convert Kieran Tierney’s low cross, sparking jubilant celebrations among the green-and-white faithful.