Celtic secured their spot in the Scottish League Cup final with a 3-1 win over Rangers after extra time at Hampden Park. Despite being down to ten men, Rangers managed to push the game into extra time.
However, Danny Rohl's team couldn't hold on, conceding goals in both halves of the additional period.
Rangers had a chance to take the lead when Youssef Chermiti missed a clear opportunity. Celtic capitalised on this miss as Johnny Kenny headed Arne Engels' corner past Jack Butland shortly after. The situation worsened for Rangers when Thelo Aasgaard received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Anthony Ralston in the 38th minute.
Celtic initially thought they had scored in the 19th minute when Nasser Djiga's clearance hit Nicolas Raskin and looped into the net. However, Daizen Maeda was offside during the build-up, nullifying the goal. Later, James Tavernier equalised for Rangers from the penalty spot after Ralston handled the ball.
In extra time, Callum McGregor put Celtic ahead again with a spectacular long-range shot that beat Butland. Both McGregor and Kasper Schmeichel made crucial saves to keep their teams in contention. Eventually, Callum Osmand sealed Celtic's victory by sliding in Kieran Tierney's cross.
See you in December, Celts #CELRAN | #PremierSportsCup | #CelticFCpic.twitter.com/CaLrtAFvVFCeltic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 2, 2025
Martin O'Neill is familiar with this fierce rivalry from his previous tenure at Celtic, where he won 16 out of 27 Glasgow derbies. Under his guidance, Celtic dominated with 22 shots compared to Rangers' 12. This victory marks O'Neill's second consecutive win since returning to replace Brendan Rodgers.
The win sets up a final against St. Mirren in December. Despite Rangers' efforts, they only managed four shots on target throughout the match. O'Neill's tactical acumen played a significant role in securing this important victory for Celtic.
