Celtic have booked another Hampden ticket, and downed Rangers once again along the way in the Scottish Cup quarter-final.
On Sunday, Martin O’Neill’s side toiled, toiled and toiled at Ibrox, forcing Rangers to a shootout after having to defend for the majority of the 120 minutes, before Celtic showcased their worth and won 4-2 on penalties.
67 Hail Hail will take a look at three things we learned from the Glasgow derby, with Benjamin Arthur featuring, Callum McGregor, as well as that massive Rangers bottle.
- READ MORE: Celtic’s Julian Araujo brutally dismisses Rangers’ antics as a ‘waste of time’ in perfect verdict
YOUR IMMEDIATE REACTION TO THAT SHOOTOUT WIN!
Benjamin Arthur gets Glasgow derby wake-up call
With Kieran Tierney injured and Liam Scales starting at left-back, and Dane Murray only fit enough for the bench, it opened the door for Arthur to start again for Celtic after his debut start at Aberdeen in midweek.
There were a few iffy moments from the on-loan Brentford player, including letting the ball run under his feet at the start of the second half, before the alert Viljami Sinisalo came to his rescue.
That’s probably why O’Neill subbed off Arthur after an hour, who got a wake-up call as to what life is like as a Celtic player, because this was a very physical and old-school derby game.
Celtic without Callum McGregor look lost
McGregor’s absence was the biggest talking point before the game, and it meant that Luke McCowan, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren started in the middle of the park.
Yes, the Celtic skipper has also blown hot and cold this season, but one thing he can provide is control, and the Hoops lacked that throughout the game, including extra time.
You just know that if McGregor were available for this match, then Celtic would have been able to create a few more chances than they did, and also put Rangers under more pressure.
What can be done to help provide more support for Callum McGregor?
Same old Celtic, same old Rangers
Yes, Celtic were woeful against Rangers for most of the 120 minutes, and they had to defend, defend, and defend again.
That’s where the backline deserves huge, huge credit, because they were immense of the highest order.
But from a mental standpoint, it’s the same old story in Glasgow. Celtic winning when it matters most, and Rangers fumbling under the pressure, again!
That was proven by the fact that the Gers had 24 shots to Celtic’s one.
During the shootout, James Tavernier set the tone for his side by slamming his spot-kick across the crossbar, and then Djeidi Gassama followed suit by blazing over.
All in the meantime, Celtic put away their spot kicks, proving that they are still on course to win the double, whilst Rangers are crumbling again.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
