![\"Celtic's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/8a010fa6-9347-4f67-b8dd-d3aa12fec0cc.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWith former Hoops boss Martin O\u2019Neill back in the dugout as interim manager after taking over from Brendan Rodgers last Monday \u2013 along with Shaun Maloney \u2013 Celtic took the lead through Johnny Kenny after 25 minutes and then Gers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card by referee Nick Walsh for a reckless challenge on Anthony Ralston.<\/p>\n
The Ibrox side, with new head coach Danny Rohl taking charge of his first Old Firm game, fought back in the second half with captain James Tavernier levelling from the spot in the 81st minute to take the game to extra-time.<\/p>\n
However, McGregor thundered in a goal three minutes after the restart, before teenager Osmand scored his first Celtic goal 15 minutes later for a 3-1 win which sets up a meeting with St Mirren in the final on December 14 at the national stadium.<\/p>\n
An exhausting afternoon began with Celtic quickly into their stride.<\/p>\n
Japan striker Daizen Maeda was through and shot straight at Jack Butland but the Gers goalkeeper was as bemused as anyone seconds later when Ibrox defender Nasser Djiga\u2019s attempted clearance cannoned off midfielder Nicolas Raskin and ended up in the Rangers net, only for VAR to confirm Maeda was offside in the build-up.<\/p>\n
Moments later, Gers striker Youssef Chermiti missed the target from six yards after Mohamed Diomande had picked him out.<\/p>\n
However, when Kenny jumped highest in the box to head in an Arne Engels corner with barely a challenge from four blue jerseys around him, Celtic were deservedly ahead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Celtic’s Johnny Kenny celebrates scoring their side’s first goal of the game against Rangers. Photo: Andrew Milligan\/PA Wire<\/p>\n
Butland saved a powerful Kenny drive before Hoops keeper Kasper Schmeichel blocked a Raskin drive with his leg after a Gers counter, then Chermiti failed to connect properly with Tavernier\u2019s free-kick when only two yards from goal.<\/p>\n
When the hitherto anonymous Aasgaard was sent packing for a needless lunge at Ralston, Rangers\u2019 task became even more difficult.<\/p>\n
There were loud and angry Gers shouts for a red card when Celtic defender Auston Trusty left his boot on Butland\u2019s face after the keeper had gathered the ball but Walsh produced only a yellow.<\/p>\n
Engels came close with a 20-yard drive in the 53rd minute but then Rangers rallied and their fans roared in defiance.<\/p>\n
However, in the 63rd minute Butland brilliantly saved a Benjamin Nygren header from a corner, with the Hoops mifdielder soon lifting a shot over the bar, as did Hoops substitute James Forrest after he had crashed a drive from 14 yards off the bar.<\/p>\n
A brilliant saving tackle from Celtic defender Liam Scales thwarted Gers substitute Djeidi Gassama, who had raced clear and there was more drama when Walsh pointed to the spot when diving Ralston\u2019s elbow blocked Gassama\u2019s goalbound drive.<\/p>\n
Tavernier rifled the spot-kick low past Schmeichel and the Govan side sensed a winner.<\/p>\n
However, in the 85th minute Butland made another crucial save from Osmand as the Hoops began a late onslaught which Rangers survived \u2013 until the added 30 minutes.<\/p>\n
McGregor\u2019s drive from distance went straight through the hands of Butland to restore Celtic\u2019s advantage.<\/p>\n
The Gers keeper palmed away a header from Osmand, who then missed the target with a header from the resultant corner, but turned in a cross from fellow substitute Kieran Tierney to seal Celtic\u2019s win.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With former Hoops boss Martin O\u2019Neill back in the dugout as interim manager after taking over from Brendan…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159403,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[1187,18,19,17,9959,132],"class_list":{"0":"post-159402","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-celtic-fc","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-rangers-fc","13":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115482269026135359","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}