Rangers 3-0 Celtic: Executive Match Summary & Scoreboard
Dan Neil scored twice as Rangers swept Celtic aside 3-0 at Ibrox on Sunday to book their place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
Wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of Lawrence Shankland, Neil set the tone with a low finish from the edge of the box after 23 minutes and the Gers added a second before the visitors had any answer. A third goal, Neil’s second, completed the scoreline and confirmed a thoroughly one-sided afternoon for Derek McInnes’ side against their oldest rivals.
It was, by any measure, one of the most complete cup performances Ibrox has seen in some time, built on Rangers’ control of the central midfield zone just outside the Celtic box – the area McInnes had specifically identified before kick-off.
Neil, Nicolas Raskin and James Penrice dictated the tempo throughout, denying Celtic any foothold and giving Rangers’ forward players a steady supply of possession in dangerous areas.
The result sends Rangers into a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, with the last four also featuring an Edinburgh derby.
Attention now turns quickly back to league business: Celtic host Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday before welcoming Rangers to Celtic Park the following Sunday in the Scottish Premiership, a fixture that will carry considerable weight given what has just unfolded.
First Half: Neil Sets the Tone at Ibrox
Rangers arrived at this fixture needing a response after a difficult recent run, and it was their captain for the day who provided it.
With Shankland unavailable, the armband passed to Neil, who had signed a three-year contract at Ibrox in July and been placed directly into McInnes’ leadership group, a decision that looked entirely vindicated inside half an hour.
The platform for Neil’s influence was tactical as much as individual.
McInnes set his side up specifically to occupy the space on the edge of the Celtic box, trusting Neil, Raskin and Penrice to control that zone rather than sit deeper and invite pressure. It gave Rangers a consistent route into dangerous territory and starved Celtic of the space they typically look to exploit through the middle.
That plan paid off in the 23rd minute. Neil received possession on the edge of the area and, with the composure of a player fully trusted by his manager, drilled a low finish beyond the Celtic goalkeeper to give Rangers the lead. It was the kind of finish that instantly changed the complexion of the tie, forcing Celtic to chase the game against a Rangers side who had already established control of the midfield battle.
Former Ibrox winger Peter Lovenkrands, watching on for BBC Radio Scotland, was in no doubt about the scale of Neil’s early impact. “Dan Neil ran the show from the start,” he said, before detailing the specifics of his passing range and decision-making.
“On the ball he never lost a pass, simple things, he was doing everything right.” It was praise that set the tone for what became an increasingly effusive assessment as the match went on, with Lovenkrands’ full reaction covered in our piece on how the Dane paid the highest compliment to Dan Neil.
Rangers took that 1-0 lead into the interval having comfortably had the better of the opening 45 minutes, with Celtic unable to find a foothold in the areas McInnes had pre-planned to dominate.
Second Half: Dominance Sealed and Semi-Final Secured
Whatever adjustments Celtic attempted at the interval, Rangers’ control of the game only deepened after the break.
Kevin Kelsy secured his first goal for the club, giving McInnes’ side a cushion that Celtic never looked capable of overturning.
Rangers added a third when Neil doubled his personal tally with a second goal that emphasised his afternoon,to complete the scoring and turn a comfortable lead into a statement result against their fiercest rivals.
This was a rout.
McInnes was quick afterwards to frame Neil’s brace within the context of the collective plan rather than pure individual brilliance, even while acknowledging the quality of the finishing.
“Dan is going to get highlighted for his goals – two different types of finishes – but we knew we could occupy that space on the edge of the box if we attacked properly,” he said. It was a pointed reminder that the platform for Neil’s goals had been built by design, not chance.
The Rangers manager was equally keen to spread credit to the other two central figures in that midfield triangle.
“You still need people to step up and show their quality and Dan did that. His performance was really strong as well, as was Nico and wee James in there,” McInnes said, before summarising the collective impact of the trio.
“The three of them were terrific and it played a big part in us getting some sort of ascendancy in the game.”
Neil himself was reluctant to dwell purely on his own contribution when he spoke to Premier Sports afterwards, instead pointing to the team’s execution of a specific plan built around the Ibrox atmosphere.
“It was a great team performance,” he said.
“We fully deserved the victory out there.”
Asked about the approach that had unsettled Celtic so thoroughly, he added: “In the last few games we’ve done well without the ball. Today we wanted to use the crowd and get after them – the lads executed it perfectly.”
He also credited the collective belief within the squad heading into the contest: “We all believed in the plan,” and praised McInnes’ preparation directly: “The gaffer is good before games and he made sure we were ready to run through brick walls.”
Neil pointed too to a wider shift in atmosphere behind the scenes, noting: “That togetherness and cohesion has really come on recently.” More of his reflections on the tactical approach and the Ibrox crowd’s role are covered in our report on Dan Neil credits Rangers fans and intense tactical shift for Celtic victory.
McInnes was open about the context behind that renewed togetherness, referencing a difficult recent spell before this victory.
“I love the togetherness, I need to have this team who cares for each other, has love for each other.
“When things aren’t going well you sometimes see the true strength. We’ve had some soul searching and tough times the past few weeks,” he said.
McInnes also stressed the broader significance of beating Celtic in this manner, saying: “It gives so much encouragement to the club, fans, the board as to what we’re capable of.
With Rangers now handed a semi-final against Aberdeen and an Edinburgh derby also on the other side of the draw, McInnes was already turning attention to the quick return fixture at Celtic Park in the league.
“It’s up to us to keep reinforcing the message that when you play at Rangers there’s another big game round the corner and that’s what we’ve got next Sunday,” he said, with Celtic first occupied by a home Europa League tie against Ferencvaros on Thursday before that Premiership meeting.
Selected Rangers Player Ratings: Neil Leads Outstanding Team Effort
Dan Neil (Captain, CM): 9/10. A captain’s performance in every sense. Opened the scoring with a low 23rd-minute finish from the edge of the box, added a second in the second half, and controlled the game throughout. Lovenkrands compared his display to Barry Ferguson – as high a compliment as Ibrox has to offer.
Nicolas Raskin (CM): 8/10. Central to Rangers’ occupation of the space in front of Celtic’s box, helping give Rangers the platform McInnes had planned around. Singled out by name by his manager afterwards as central to the team’s ascendancy over Celtic.
James Penrice (CM): 8/10. Completed the midfield triangle off the ball that McInnes credited with turning the game in Rangers’ favour. Described by his manager as terrific alongside his midfield partners. Also played his part on the left flank for all three goals.
