Celtic versus Rangers – Scottish League Cup Last-Four Showdown

Live Updates

The players head out amid the roar, Hampden divided in two with blue and green sections. For the right to face St Mirren here in December … here we go.

Additional Fixtures

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Turning to this match, approximately five minutes remain before the start at Hampden!

Officiating Team

Nick Walsh takes charge this match. He previously officiated the 2024 Scottish Cup final involving Celtic and Rangers plus a European fixture the previous campaign where he showed four dismissals and a dozen bookings. Avoid challenging him.

Manager Insights

The German coach: While this is his first Old Firm, the recently appointed boss has stated clearly recently that he's used to participating in other significant derbies in his coaching career, at Bayern Munich plus his stint at Wednesday.

I can remember when Hansi Flick assumed control, our subsequent fixture took place against Dortmund at our stadium. We secured a 4-0 victory. It is always a booster when you triumph in such matches. As well, in the Championship in the Steel derby, I participated there too. I know what it means for the fans. This is more than just a game.

The German manager has been complimenting the enduring career of 73-year-old Martin O'Neill.

I feel a big respect for that type of coaching legacy. I consider it consistently remarkable as a manager when you sustain your career over decades in this industry and accomplish your objectives.

I'm merely commencing my coaching path. I have a lot of work to do to reach that level however the positive aspect we commence evenly matched, separate eras and we'll discover what we can bring with our teams in this fixture.

I'm tremendously excited. I have had some experience though I anticipate an enormous event during Sunday's match. To be involved in this fixture, it's all or nothing. Victory means reaching the final, defeat means elimination. I believe all factors align for a magnificent contest.

Opposition Manager

Martin O'Neill: The Celtic interim manager has this week been reminiscing about his first meeting against Rangers 25 years ago, the famous 6-2 demolition.

Now, repeating that performance might be extremely difficult, putting six past them against those opponents. I would take a really lousy 1-0 victory if we could get it. Certain supporters approach and mention to me: 'That was an amazing match', and they weren't even born. They relate to me their grandfathers and fathers spoke about it regularly. It transformed into a crucial game for our team, not only during that campaign, but probably for continuing on.

The nervousness for about 72 hours prior to the match, and subsequently if you achieved victory, tremendous relief. And I think that's what the renowned Walter Smith often mentioned too, that relief outweighed other emotions. However these were magnificent contests genuinely. It's still a fantastic fixture.

This constitutes a significant fixture for our team. Honestly, don't conceal that fact. It's a semi-final, it's a crucial contest for our squad. Every Old Firm match is a big game, however specifically because of the situation of the recent days, possibly even months, absolutely.

Coaching Background

Two different coaches on the sidelines this afternoon yet there's a substantial disparity in derby experience between them. Danny Röhl faces his debut as Rangers manager whereas Martin O'Neill prepares to oversee his 28th such match.

This match's conclusion could have a major impact on the duration O'Neill's return as (interim, for now) Celtic boss persists, as Ewan Murray has been pondering.

The club might spend £5m in compensation to coax Kieran McKenna from Ipswich. They could take an even bigger gamble on Robbie Keane. The Scottish champions may opt to give Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen an initial experience within British soccer. These constitute chances in their own way. More than O'Neill? This remains questionable.

First XIs

Celtic (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Sarrachi; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.

Reserves: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, Yang, Osmand, McCowan, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Tierney.

Marcelo Sarrachi features instead of Kieran Tierney in the left-back position. James Forrest is additionally excluded from the starting lineup that defeated Falkirk in their recent match.

Rangers FC (3-4-3): Butland; Djiga, Souttar, Cornelius; Tavernier, Diomande, Raskin, Meghoma; Aasgaard, Chermiti, Danilo.

Reserves: Kelly, Aarons, Fernández, Rothwell, Antman, Moore, Gassama, Curtis, Miovski.

James Tavernier gets the nod instead of Max Aarons on the right, featuring Mohamed Diomande for the suspended Connor Barron in midfield with Thelo Aasgaard favored instead of Mikey Moore in offensive positions.

Match Preview

Greetings and welcome to this Old Firm clash. It's got to be better {than last time|compared to the previous meeting|versus