Celtic and Rangers play out classic cup final
Celtic 3 - 3 Rangers
Celtic won 5-4 on penalties
The current Scottish champions were pushed to their absolute limits but ultimately prevailed in a dramatic Scottish League Cup final against Rangers, decided by a tense penalty shootout.
After both sides converted their first three penalties, Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz saw his low effort saved by Kasper Schmeichel. Although goalkeeper Jack Butland briefly kept Rangers' hopes alive by scoring their next spot-kick, Daizen Maeda calmly slotted home to secure the trophy for Celtic.
The victory came after an epic 3-3 draw following extra time, extending Brendan Rodgers' remarkable record of never losing at Hampden Park. Meanwhile, Rangers manager Philippe Clement is still searching for his first derby win.
This triumph also propels Celtic ahead of their old rivals in total silverware won — a milestone not achieved since the 1930s.
But those are just the headlines of what was a truly incredible cup final. While Celtic’s resilience saw them through once again, this was a match that could have gone either way.
A closer look at what happened
Rangers, fielding a side reminiscent of the one that faced Tottenham Hotspur midweek, delivered a spirited first-half performance, earning themselves a crucial lead at the break.
Greg Taylor’s mistake handed Rangers their opening, as they pressed and hassled Celtic relentlessly all over the pitch.
Nedim Bajrami pounced, collecting the ball and slipping it to Hamza Igamane. His shot was parried by Kasper Schmeichel, but Bajrami was quickest to the rebound, tapping in just before half-time.
At that point, Rangers looked to have nailed their game plan, leaving Celtic with all the questions to answer. What followed was sheer chaos – two sides trading blows like prizefighters, neither willing to back down.
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Taylor redeemed himself early in the second half, his shot from the edge of the box deflecting off Nicolas Raskin and wrong-footing Jack Butland to level the score.
The goal energised Celtic, who launched wave after wave of attacks. Their pressure paid off when Raskin’s careless header toward Leon Balogun was intercepted by a sharp Daizen Maeda, who coolly fired Celtic into the lead.
Rangers seemed rattled, but they regrouped. As Celtic eased off, Rangers pushed forward again, and Mohamed Diomande spun and fired into the net to bring the game back to 2-2.
From there, it was an intense, end-to-end battle, driven more by grit than finesse.
When Nicolas Kuhn linked up with Arne Engels to create space and lash in what appeared to be the winning goal for Celtic, it felt like the game was finally decided.
But Rangers had other ideas. Within a minute, Danilo – finally finding form after a frustrating spell with injuries – soared to meet Vaclav Cerny’s cross and nodded in a dramatic equaliser.
Rangers’ gruelling match against Spurs earlier in the week began to show during extra time, as Celtic, with fresher legs, penned them back. Even so, neither side could find the decisive breakthrough. Rangers had a late penalty shout when Liam Scales pulled back Cerny, but the referee waved it away.
And so, it came down to penalties – the ultimate test of composure, where heroes and villains are made. Kasper Schmeichel was Celtic’s saviour, denying Ridvan Yilmaz, while Maeda kept his nerve to seal another famous victory for the Hoops.
