Rangers swept Celtic aside 3-0 at Ibrox to book their place in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals, with Dan Neil scoring twice and Kevin Kelsy adding the second in a one-sided Old Firm quarter-final.
Derek McInnes’ side led through Neil’s 22nd-minute strike, then made their control count after the interval. Kelsy converted at the far post on 59 minutes before Neil curled in a third from the edge of the box 16 minutes later. A later Rangers header was ruled out for offside, but Celtic had long since lost the balance of the contest.
The result represented Celtic’s first domestic defeat of the campaign, while Rangers advanced in emphatic fashion in McInnes’ first derby as manager.
Rangers found the decisive flank early
The reports consistently identify Rangers’ work down the left as the match’s defining tactical feature. Djeidi Gassama repeatedly carried the ball into threatening areas, stretching Celtic’s right side and creating the uncertainty from which Rangers built momentum.
That pressure was not solely about one winger beating a full-back. Rangers used Neil’s positioning inside the pitch, Penrice’s delivery from wide areas and runners arriving around Kelsy to make Celtic defend several zones at once. Celtic could not settle the question of whether to close the ball, protect the far post or track late movement around the penalty area.
Neil’s opener came after Rangers worked the ball from that side, and the second goal again stemmed from a Penrice cross. The ball was moved on towards the far post, where Kelsy had the composure to finish under pressure. The same pattern nearly produced more: Rangers had a goal disallowed shortly afterwards and created further dangerous deliveries.
Celtic’s issue was therefore larger than conceding from crosses. Their right flank was regularly exposed before the final ball was even played. When a team are forced backwards repeatedly, their central midfielders also tend to arrive late to second balls. Rangers exploited precisely that space, especially as the match opened up.
Neil’s freedom told in both boxes
Neil’s two goals were different finishes but carried a similar message. For the first, he was afforded sufficient room around the edge of the area to choose his strike. For the third, he again received possession in a central shooting position and bent the ball into the top corner.
In a derby of this intensity, allowing an opponent time on the edge of the box is rarely survivable. Celtic did have spells of counter-attacking promise before half-time, but they did not turn those transitions into sustained possession or clear chances. Once Rangers had their lead, they were able to defend higher up the pitch and attack with greater confidence.
Celtic introduced Haissem Hassan at the break and he provided some direct running, first from the right and later from the left. His crosses gave Rangers moments to manage, and he was involved in the late confrontation after being pulled back by Sterling. Yet the pressure was intermittent rather than collective. Reports noted that Rangers goalkeeper Pandur had little of consequence to do during the second half.
That distinction matters. Celtic were not entirely without forward movement, but they lacked the final connection between wide progress and a meaningful attempt at goal. Rangers, by contrast, converted territorial dominance into repeated shots, corners and dangerous entries.
A controlled derby rather than a chaotic one
Pre-match coverage had stressed the tension surrounding an Old Firm tie played without visiting supporters, following the decision that no away fans would be admitted. On the pitch, though, this was not a match shaped by prolonged disorder or a frantic exchange of blows.
There was a flashpoint in the 77th minute when Sterling fouled Hassan and Penrice kicked the ball towards the Celtic player while he was on the ground. Both Hassan and Penrice were booked amid a brief scuffle. But it arrived after Rangers had effectively settled the tie with their third goal, rather than altering its direction.
The absence of an away section may have intensified the home atmosphere, particularly as Ibrox celebrated Rangers’ late control, but it cannot explain Celtic’s technical and positional shortcomings. Rangers earned the margin through sharper structure, more productive wide play and better use of the spaces around the box.
Questions remain over Celtic’s response
The pre-match picture was of two teams entering the tie on encouraging runs, with McInnes having recovered from an awkward start at Rangers and Martin O’Neill preparing Celtic after rotation in midweek. The match itself overturned any suggestion of evenly matched momentum.
For Rangers, the performance offers a convincing template: use width aggressively, make the central players arrive into scoring positions, and give Kelsy support rather than isolating him. His goal and overall role as the attacking focal point gave their possession a clear destination.
Celtic’s more urgent concern is whether this was a single poor afternoon or evidence of a vulnerability opponents can reproduce. They did not merely lose a close knockout tie; they were unable to contain Rangers’ preferred route of attack and were beaten twice by a midfielder operating in the same dangerous central territory.
The scoreline was severe, but the reports suggest it was deserved. Rangers were more coherent from the opening stages, became stronger after the interval and still had a disallowed goal to underline the gap. Celtic’s domestic unbeaten record has gone, while Rangers take both the semi-final place and the derby’s tactical bragging rights.