Rangers manager Derek McInnes secured his first Old Firm victory after a relentless high-pressing setup dismantled Celtic 3-0 in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.
Captain Dan Neil dictated the middle of the pitch and delivered a decisive double. The midfielder opened the scoring from the edge of the box before curling a late strike past Sam Johnstone.
New forward Kevin Kelsy had earlier fired his first goal for the club to extend the advantage. The commanding triumph sustained the hosts’ domestic momentum following consecutive early European exits.
High Pressing Blueprint Established
McInnes deployed an aggressive press that consistently exposed structural flaws in the visitors’ buildup play. The tactical shift overwhelmed the opposition, leaving the visiting captain furious as they scrambled to regroup.
“As I say, the game demanded our full attention today, it demanded a big performance,” McInnes told Clyde 1. “Delighted we gave a performance for so many today, I don’t think we had a failure.”
The technical staff must now assess mounting first-team injury concerns after Ryan Naderi limped off in the 74th minute. The forward helped create the opening goal before Ben Godfrey took his place.
The Glasgow rivals meet again in the Scottish Premiership at Celtic Park this Sunday, where away supporters remain banned from attending.
