Key points
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Celtic have won the League Cup after one of the most dramatic Hampden finals in recent memory against Rangers.
Rangers took the lead just before half-time after a mistake by Greg Taylor allowed the Ibrox club to take the lead through Bajrami.
Brendan Rodgers rallied his players at half-time as Celtic came out of the traps to equalise in the 56th minute as Taylor redeemed himself and Daizen Maeda put the Hoops ahead four minutes later.
Celtic thought they had clinched the cup after Nicolas Kuhn put Celtic 3-2 up in the 87th minute after Diomande equalised for Rangers in the 75th minute.
However, it wasn’t to be as Rangers equalised 21 seconds after the restart as Danilo headed past Hampden hero, Kasper Schmeichel to force extra-time.
The extra 30 minutes petered out without any real incident as Celtic wrapped up the trophy after Schmeichel saved Ridvan Yilmaz’s spot kick and Maeda tucked away the final penalty to wrap up the first piece of silverware this season.
Thanks for joining us!
That ends our LIVE coverage of Celtic’s League Cup triumph. Enjoy your night Celtic fans!!
[Link]Last time Celtic vs Rangers went to penalties
Celtic fans will be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself after the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final was decided from 12 yards.
[Link]FULL TIME – Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers
It’s all down to penalties now as neither team could find the breakthrough in extra-time.
[Link]Rangers look spent as Celtic pile on the pressure
The Bhoys continue to probe as Rangers look to hang on for penalties.
[Link]Pinball in the Rangers box!
Idah has two attempts at a shot but the ball rattles off the Rangers defender as the danger is cleared.
[Link]Celtic fans in fine voice
The Bhoys support getting right behind Celtic to push the team over the line.
KICK OFF
The final fifteen minutes of this classic League Cup final gets underway as Celtic look for a winner against Rangers.
[Link]Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers – HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME
The stalemate continues as penalties become a possibility in this League Cup final.
[Link]Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers – 1 minute added
One minute will be added on at the end of the first half of extra-time inside Hampden.
[Link]BOOKING – Dessers
The Rangers striker’s first contribution since coming on as a sub is a late challenge on Cameron Carter-Vickers.
[Link]Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers
End-to-end in the last 90 seconds as Arne Engels’ poor control denies him a one-on-one with Butland as Rangers break soon after but Tavernier launches a cross that headed into Row Z.
[Link]Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers
The tempo of the game has dropped as both teams still search for a breakthrough.
[Link]BOOKING – Liam Scales
Sloppy from the Celtic defender as a slack first touch almost lets Czerny through until the Irishman tugged him down at the edge of the penalty area.
[Link]KICK OFF – Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers
First half of extra time begins as Celtic look to get that elusive winner.
[Link]Celtic 3 v 3 Rangers – EXTRA TIME
Extra time is now on the cards after Danilo’s late equaliser forces another 30 minutes at Hampden.
[Link]Brendan Rodgers will be hoping these two combine again as the clock ticks down
Daizen Maeda haunts Rangers again!!
Watch Maeda put Rangers to the sword again as the Celtic winger puts the Bhoys ahead in Hampden.
Greg Taylor’s Celtic redemption
Watch Taylor equalise for Celtic as he makes up for his first-half mistake that allowed Rangers to take the lead.
Celtic’s big players ‘turn up’
Neil Lennon praises Celtic’s players for this second-half turnaround. Lennon said on Premier Sports, “The touch is brilliant. How’s the finish? It’s magnificent from Maeda.
“The big players have turned up in the big moments.”
[Link]VAR CHECK COMPLETE
Rangers appeal for a penalty rejected as John Beaton awards a free kick to Celtic after a foul on Cameron Carter-Vickers.
GOAL Celtic 2 v 1 Rangers
Celtic go ahead as Daizen Maeda puts Celtic in front with two goals in five minutes!!!
[Link]GOAL – Celtic 1 v 1 Rangers
Greg Taylor makes amends for his first-half mistake as the Celtic defender’s shot is deflected past Jack Butland!!!
CHANCE – Nicolas Kuhn forces save from Butland
The Celtic winger fires directly at the Rangers ‘keeper and wins a corner. Celtic wasteful again with the set-piece.
[Link]Celtic mistakes continue
Celtic almost go two behind as McGregor loses possession in Rangers’ final third. The counter-attack had four v Carter-Vickers and the Celtic defender was superb as he clears the danger.
Early chance for Celtic
Bernardo floats in a free-kick and the ball is headed over the bar by a Rangers defender.
[Link]Brendan Rodgers has a big half-time talk to get Celtic going
The Celtic boss has a big job on his hands to deliver instructions to his Celtic team who have been slack and passive in a frustrating first 45 minutes at Hampden.
[Link]HALF TIME: Celtic 0 v 1 Rangers
A late attack by Rangers ends a first half where Celtic’s sloppiness has put Brendan Rodgers’ side in at the break behind.
[Link]GOAL – Celtic 0 v 1 Rangers
A mistake by Taylor allows Rangers to break as Bajrami opens the scoring.
[Link]Celtic sloppy
Some slack passing has given Rangers possession back on a number of occasions now. Brendan Rodgers with some food for thought.
[Link]‘Come on John!’
Neil Lennon unhappy with the referee after Alistair Johnston was clearly fouled just outside Rangers’ penalty area.
[Link]Celtic fans on the opening 20 minutes
“Midfield needs to get their finger out and start showing for the ball, having to play long balls up to 5’3 kyogo is a shambles.”
“Linesman having a shocker.”
[Link]KUHN & HATATE SHOULD SCORE!!
Counter-attack from Celtic with Bernardo setting Kuhn free on the right. Butland saves and Hatate fires the rebound straight at the Rangers goalkeeper!
[Link]Neil Lennon says Celtic and Rangers look up for the battle
“Both teams are up for it, they’ve been pretty physical and a few good challenges so far.”
Daizen Maeda causing Rangers early problems
The Celtic winger has caused Rangers problems in the early stages and mugs Leon Balogun from possession before the Ibrox defender made a good recovery.
[Link]Rangers apply the early pressure and win the first corner of the match
Auston Trusty stands firm and plays the ball out for a corner. The set piece fizzles out as Daizen Maeda draws the first foul of the match.
[Link]Callum McGregor takes in Hampden ahead of big Celtic vs Rangers kick-off
67 Hail Hail delivers Celtic vs Rangers score prediction on BBC Sportsound
67 Hail Hail’s very own Paddy Sinat appeared on BBC Sportsound to deliver his big score prediction ahead of the League Cup final.
Brendan Rodgers 100% focused on Celtic
Rodgers told BBC Scotland, “We’ve been in really, really good form throughout the season, the team have been consistently at a really good level.
“All you can control is your own performance. It’s always about having that calmness to play the level of game that we want to play.
“That opportunity is there for us. The starting point for us is always we have to work our socks off without the ball, press the game really hard, hard running and then when we have the ball show our quality, show the speed in our play and see where it takes us.
“There’s no doubt they’ll feel in a better mood, Rangers, coming into this game after the performance in midweek. We always respect the opponent and none more so than Rangers but really concentrate on our own performance level.”
[Link]30 minutes to go until kick-off
Fans start to pile into Hampden as they look to take their seats before the big kick-off.
The last time Celtic faced Rangers in the League Cup final, Kyogo Furuhashi had a big say
The last time Celtic played Rangers in a League Cup final Ange Postecoglou was the manager as he lifted the trophy on his way to a treble.
Kyogo Furuhashi was the man of the moment as his double put Rangers to the sword and set up Celtic for a historic season in Postecoglou’s last season as the Celtic boss.
BBC man seems surprised by Celtic boss, Brendan Rodgers’ pre-match demeanour vs Rangers
Brendan Rodgers will be keen to add the League Cup to the Parkhead trophy cabinet but it seems that the Celtic boss looked very relaxed in his pre-match interview on BBC Radio Scotland.
Reporter: “Brendan, if you don’t mind me saying so, you look very relaxed.”
Rodgers: “Always. I love these occasions. They’re amazing games to be involved in. I think it’s, what, my 20th game.
“So it always like it’s the first. It’s a great build-up, great atmosphere. And looking forward to the game.”
[Link]Just under an hour to kick-off and Pat Bonner shares his thoughts on Celtic’s starting XI vs Rangers
Bonner told BBC Radio Scotland, “When I was talking about Trusty, I think he’s done really well coming into the team. It took him a while to get up to match fitness and up to the speed of the game and up, but I think now he looks very comfortable now.
“He’s also good in the air, which is important I think against Rangers. From that perspective, I’m looking for a bit of an improvement in the performance from Kuhn and from Hatate in the middle. Hatate, especially in the middle of the pitch. He’s a really good player.
“Listen, on his day, he can be sensational. But I think at times, you know, this season, he hasn’t quite performed like we’ve seen in the past.”
[Link]Celtic record vs Rangers since Brendan Rodgers return
Brendan Rodgers has faced Rangers six times since he returned to Celtic last summer and boasts an excellent record against the Ibrox club.
– Sep 3, 2023: Rangers 0 v 1 Celtic
– Dec 30, 2023: Celtic 2 v 1 Rangers
– Apr 7, 2024: Rangers 3 v 3 Celtic
– May 11, 2024: Celtic 2 v 1 Rangers
– May 25, 2024: Celtic 1 v 0 Rangers (Scottish Cup final)
– Sep 1, 2024: Celtic 3 v 0 Rangers
[Link]Confirmed Rangers starting XI vs Celtic
Starting XI: Butland, Tavernier, Propper, Balogun, Jefte, Raskin, Diomande, Hagi, Cerny, Bajrami, Igamane.
Subs: Kelly, Ridvan, Barron, Dessers, Dowell, Sterling, King, McCausland, Danilo
[Link]Confirmed Celtic starting XI vs Rangers
Starting XI: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, Bernardo, Kuhn, Maeda, Kyogo.
Subs: Sinisalo, Scales, Palma, Idah, Valle, Yang, Engels, Forrest, Ralston.
[Link]Brendan Rodgers shares his thoughts ahead of Celtic facing Rangers League Cup final
Brendan Rodgers told Celtic TV, “It’s a really special game, a Celtic vs Rangers final. Obviously, we had one a number of months back in the Scottish Cup final, so there’s always a great build-up to them and always a real excitement at the games.”
“For us, it’s a special game, but it’s the next game and the next game that we want to win. So that is our mindset. going into it, we’ve enjoyed Hampden, we’ve enjoyed playing there.”
Watch the full interview above.
[Link]Celtic vs Rangers: TV channel, kick-off time, team news, referee & VAR
The big Celtic vs Rangers League Cup final is live on Premier Sports 1 with coverage starting from 3pm.
Overseas supporters need to access Celtic TV to witness their side at Hampden. Build-up commences at 2.30 pm, and there will be a full video replay at 10 pm.
Coverage and build-up has already begun on BBC Radio Sportsound.
[Link]Celtic predicted XI vs Rangers as Brendan Rodgers goes all out for cup final glory<br>
Celtic vs Rangers League Cup final LIVE: Team news, predicted line up & how to watch
Your predicted XI in full is as follows: Schmeichel, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, Engels, Kuhn, Maeda, Kyogo.
[Link]Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Celtic vs Rangers League Cup final at Hampden Park.
We’ll keep you up to date with all the developments from today’s game – starting with team news.
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