Rangers have crashed out of the Scottish Cup after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Celtic at Ibrox.
The quarter-final clash was marred by disgraceful scenes at the end of the match as Celtic supporters stormed out of the Broomloan Stand to celebrate. Hundreds of Rangers fans then followed. Police eventually restored order.
For the second time in a week, it was Celtic who left Ibrox buoyant. Daizen Maeda thought he had opened the scoring with Celtic's first attempt on target. A VAR check denied him that moment as the half ended goalless
The second period did, too. Rangers had most of the play and the best of the chances but 45 minutes elapsed with no breakthrough being found. Manny Fernandez saw his effort ruled out by VAR for handball and it was Celtic who progressed after winning 4-2 on penalties.
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A crushing blow for Rohl
Rangers paid the penalty in the Scottish Cup. What price will now be paid in the Premiership?
For the second time in a week, it was Celtic who celebrated at Ibrox. The draw they snatched here seven days ago has given them the upper hand in the title race as they look to haul down Hearts. This time, they had a victory for their efforts as Martin O’Neill’s side won on penalties.
James Tavernier missed the first in the shoot-out from the spot. When Djeidi Gassama put his effort over the target, that was that. Tomáš Čvančara had the decisive say. Will this be a defining day?
It would be disrespectful to the other sides still in the competition to label this fixture as a final before the semis. The winner here was always going to assume the tag of heavy favourites to go on and win the cup this term, though. Hampden now awaits Celtic. For Rangers, it is the Premiership title that is now the be-all and end-all in the coming weeks.
Rohl downplayed the psychological factor on Friday, insisting that there would be no longer-term ramifications of what unfolded here. There will be a physical toll. This was a war of attrition, two hours of blood and thunder rather than passing and moving.
This was a crushing blow for Rangers. Somehow, Rohl must regroup this squad. They have thrown everything at Celtic in successive weekends and been unable to beat them. It doesn’t bode well for what is to come.
Rangers blow their big chance
The ambition for Rangers would have been to replicate what they achieved the first period seven days ago. This was a very different encounter, though. Rangers still had the possession and the chances, but they returned up the tunnel without a lead on this occasion.
Nasser Djiga headed over and Youssef Chermiti couldn’t find the target from a Dujon Sterling cross. With the last chance of the half, the Portuguese was thwarted by Sinisalo before seeing the offside flag raised on the far side. Chermiti’s shot hit Auston Trusty in the opening minutes but a VAR check rightly ruled out a penalty award.
Rangers had more control and more composed but carried less threat. Chermiti was largely starved of service and Ryan Naderi’s running came with no rewards. It was another low-key half from Andreas Skov Olsen, with the Dane significantly less effective than Mikey Moore on the other side. Up against Liam Scales, he simply had to offer more than this.
A corner that Skov Olsen scuffed along the line to the front post summed up his showing. Minutes later, a Manny Fernandez header was blocked on the line and somehow Rangers couldn’t scramble it home.
Once again, the flow of the match was one-way. Once again, Rangers couldn’t capitalise. Half chances came to nothing. Moore couldn’t get a proper connection on an attempt from distance.
Fernandez was denied by the technology. Chermiti connected with a James Tavernier cross but pulled the strike wide of the far post and Sinisalo saved from Nedim Bajrami. It was clear some way out that it was destined for penalties.
Celtic find a way to win it
Rohl spoke about the need for Rangers to improve their defensive record on Friday as he lamented the concession of too many goals, and very avoidable ones, in recent weeks. The first attempt at finding a solution to that issue was to drop John Souttar.
Any Celtic side without the influence of Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor is always going to be a weaker proposition. Sebastian Tounekti and Reo Hatate both started following their introductions at the break last week. Their influence was nullified this time around.
Indeed that was true for Celtic as a whole. Their first effort at goal arrived 34 minutes in and resulted in the ball ending up in the back of Jack Butland’s net. Thankfully for Rangers, a VAR check confirmed Scales was offside as he flicked on the cross that Maeda scored from. Butland would have been relieved and should have done better.
From that moment until the end of the 90, Celtic offered nothing. Rangers marshalled them well, the centre-back pairing impressive. The same could be said of the extra half hour.
When it mattered most, it was Celtic who kept their cool. All four penalties were dispatched. The win, the semi-final place and the bragging rights headed back across the city.
Lack of quality once again
What was more significant? Was the first half that impressive and emphatic that you just had to go with the same again? Or was the second half so unacceptable and worrying that you were almost forced to change it? Rohl showed his hand with his team.
Two changes – the removal of Souttar and Mohamed Diomande being introduced – would have been popular ones. Tochi Chukwuani was hard done by to miss out and Nico Raskin perhaps fortunate to make the cut. Aside from that, the main call was to go with two strikers once again.
It was a sign of intent from Rohl. The introduction of Diomande looked a shrewd move but the midfielder was walking a tightrope inside the opening minutes after a rash challenge on Julian Araujo was penalised.
That limited his game time to just 45 minutes. Rohl couldn’t run the risk with him and his withdrawal was no judgement on his performance. When Skov Olsen was subbed with 25 minutes remaining, it certainly was a judgement on his performance. He was ineffective.
Moore was the stand-out in blue. Bajrami replaced him and went to the left, with Gassama remaining on the right. Tavernier was behind him at the restart before the Frenchman switched wings.
Rohl could state without worry that his side were the better one. The bar was not especially high and this was far from a watch for the purists. Rangers just needed a hero. It never arrived.
Shameful scenes as supporters clash
The home crowd were a lot like Rangers last week. For 50 minutes, they were on top of their game and played their part. Like Rohl’s side, though, they were spooked when Celtic got themselves back into it. As the momentum on the park turned, the atmosphere changed off it.
The dynamic, of course, was different this time around. The Broomloan Stand housed 7,500 Celtic supporters. More importantly, the remainder of Ibrox was a sea of red, white and blue. A tifo display in the Copland Stand saw a lion rise into position.
There were few moments of quiet at either end. The green smoke bomb that was let off after Maeda scored was premature. The decision to disallow the goal was greeted with a roar louder than some that have celebrated goals here this term.
A shoulder challenge from Moore on Araujo got the same reaction. Soon, the nerves set in. It was a low-quality, scrappy affair but one that still captivated.
Celtic celebrated and then it turned nasty. Hundreds stormed onto the park from the Broomloan and Rangers fans quickly followed. Credit to those that stayed in their seats and avoided a bigger incident. There will inevitably be a fall-out at Hampden and Holyrood.
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