Celtic secured their place in the Scottish League Cup final after a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Rangers in extra time. The match, held at Hampden Park on November 2, 2025, saw Celtic progress to the final where they will face St Mirren.
The game took a dramatic turn in the first half when Rangers' Thelo Aasgaard received a straight red card for a high challenge on Anthony Ralston. Despite being down to 10 men, Rangers showed resilience throughout the match. Celtic capitalized on their advantage early on, with Johnny Kenny scoring a header to give them the lead. A bizarre Nico Raskin own goal was ruled out by VAR for offside in the build-up.
In the second half, Rangers fought back, and their efforts were rewarded when Djeidi Gassama's shot was blocked by Ralston's hand, resulting in a penalty. James Tavernier converted the penalty, leveling the score and sending the game into extra time.
As the game wore on, the 10 men of Rangers began to tire. Celtic regained the lead in extra time when Callum McGregor's shot beat Rangers' goalkeeper Jack Butland. Teenage substitute Callum Osmand then sealed the victory for Celtic, scoring his first senior goal. Osmand tapped in a cross from Kieran Tierney to make it 3-1.
Celtic's interim manager, Martin O'Neill, celebrated his first Old Firm game in charge in over 20 years with the win. O'Neill returned to the club on Monday following Brendan Rodgers' resignation. Danny Rohl, Rangers' manager, experienced his first defeat in the Old Firm derby.
The match was a tale of two managers, with O'Neill's experience proving decisive against Rohl's Rangers side. Celtic displayed the characteristics of O'Neill's past teams, playing with an exciting, direct, and unforgiving style. Celtic will now face St Mirren in the League Cup final on December 14th.
