Celtic beat fierce rivals Rangers to secure their place in the Premier Sports Cup final.
The Hoops made a bright start as Johnny Kenny continued his rich vein of form by heading home Arne Engels’ corner.
Rangers were then reduced to 10 men as Thelo Asgaard was dismissed for his late tackle on Anthony Ralston.
Martin O’Neill’s side then came under pressure in the second half and Rangers’ persistence paid off as they won a controversial penalty following an alleged handball from Ralston.
James Tavernier scored from the spot but the Hoops’ extra man advantage paid off as they ran riot in extra-time.
Callum McGregor’s long-ranged effort gave the reigning champions some breathing room before Callum Osmand picked the perfect time to score the first goal of his professional career and ensure the Bhoys would be returning to Hampden Park.
So, with that, here are five things that 67 Hail Hail learned from that huge win.
- READ MORE: Celtic player ratings vs Rangers as Callum McGregor shines in Premier Sports Cup semi-final win
Martin O’Neill’s Johnny Kenny decision pays off
The Celtic manager had a huge decision to make in the strikers position but decided to stick with Kenny following his midweek brace against Falkirk.
That decision was vindicated from the very first whistle as the Sligo man harassed the Rangers backline all afternoon.
His goal, albeit from a set piece, was a proper striker’s finish as he leapt above the rest of the challengers and fired his header past Jack Butland.
Celtic are playing simple but effective football
O’Neill has never held back his thoughts on the way football is going, particularly when it comes to data-driven stats, but in a world dominated by laptops, he is showing that doing the basics can go a long way.
Every player ran through brick walls for one another, from minute one to minute 120 and didn’t give up.
Additionally, the intensity and purpose in Celtic’s play was night and day to what we had seen under Brendan Rodgers.
The ball moved quicker, the tempo remained high and it was a joy to see.
Celtic subs made the difference
One of Rodgers’ big criticisms was that his substitutes never left huge marks on the game, but the same can’t be said for the win here at Hampden Park.
All five that came on played a role, no matter how big or small, and were brought on at the right time as well.
Those sorts of decisions are what make winners and a lot of credit goes to the manager for that.
Callum Osmand is a Celtic star in the making
A lot was made of Osmand’s move to the Hoops this summer, but he has had to be patient.
Since the change of manager, the youngster has been given an opportunity and took it with both hands.
Osmand was electric when he came off the bench and showed no fear, even choosing to pick arguments with some of the opposition players.
He claimed that this was the best day of his life, but he is likely to have many more days like this if he carries on playing like this.
O’Neill for the permanent job?
Since day one of his return, O’Neill said that this is a short-term gig and that he won’t be in the dugout long-term.
However, it is impossible to ignore the impact he has made in such a short space of time.
Players look more confident, look like they’re enjoying their football and are delivering results.
The longer he is here, the greater the chance that his arm could be twisted into staying.
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