Jota sinks Rangers to send Celtic to final

Jota heads Celtic in front at Hampden just before half-time

A first-half header from Jota was enough to settle a tense Old Firm encounter at Hampden, sending Celtic into a Scottish Cup final against Inverness Caley Thistle.

A catalogue of Rangers errors led to the only goal on 42 minutes, with Daizen Maeda profiting from hesitancy to provide the telling cross.

Jota simply had to nod on target from a few yards out.

Celtic will be firm favourites to complete a treble against Championship opposition on 3 June, while Rangers, the defending champions, face up to a season without a trophy.

The holders had chances to level in the second half, with James Tavernier hitting the woodwork and Fashion Sakala guilty of a bad miss from the rebound.

This was the fifth Old Firm meeting of the campaign, with Celtic well on top in the head-to-heads, winning four, with one league draw at Ibrox, where the Glasgow rivals meet again in a fortnight.

Celtic, who beat Rangers in the League Cup final in February, could well have the title wrapped up by then since they need just one more win to secure the Premiership crown.

Neither goalkeeper had much to do in the first half as a deflected shot from Nicolas Raskin fizzed wide of Joe Hart’s post in the opening minute, while Allan McGregor thwarted efforts from Alastair Johnston and Jota without too much fuss.

Celtic were attacking with more menace amid the continued chaos of blocks, hacks and last-ditch tackles, but it was a collective lack of focus from Rangers that allowed Jota to score – along with quick thinking from Maeda.

Borna Barisic and others in blue stopped, anticipating a foul near the edge of the penalty area, and that allowed Maeda to steal in and whip the ball across goal. Jota couldn’t miss with his close-range header as he ghosted away from Tavernier.

Rangers had 45 minutes to salvage their season and started the second period with increased intensity, although it needed a sprawling save from McGregor to keep out a sharp shot from Kyogo Furuhashi.

Hart matched his fellow veteran’s athleticism soon after, tipping wide a raking strike from Scott Arfield.

The Celtic keeper was beaten by a Tavernier shot from 18 yards but the ball crashed against the post, with Sakala wasting a glorious opportunity by firing the follow-up into the side-netting.

A header from Tavernier thumped into the turf and over and Hart had to look lively to push a low cross out of Arfield’s path before the Rangers midfielder swept over from the edge of the penalty area.

With Rangers growing more desperate in search of a way back, Celtic sat deeper and deeper, absorbing everything their old foes could throw at them in the closing stages.

Player of the match – Cameron Carter-Vickers

There wasn’t much between Carter-Vickers and his defensive partner Carl Starfelt but the American just shades it for his leadership and a series of important interceptions and brave blocks

Postecoglou ready to break new ground – analysis

Ange Postecoglou now has the chance to go one better than he did in his debut campaign. If Celtic do see off Caley Thistle, it will be the club’s eighth domestic clean sweep, with the Old Firm locked on seven apiece.

There wasn’t much in the way of the flowing football associated with the Celtic boss, but he will be delighted with the grit shown by his players, with captain Callum McGregor at the heart of the midfield battle and Carter-Vickers at his formidable best in the centre of defence.

Postecoglou said the American, who has been carrying a knee injury, won’t play again this season and Johnston may not been seen for a while either after celebrating on crutches at full-time.

Kyogo, Jota and Maeda were not afforded much in the way of time and space but never stopped running for their team, with the latter two having the speed of thought to capitalise on a collective lapse from the Rangers defence.

Michael Beale was again left to rue “fine margins” on the big stage.

The Ibrox manager faces a major rebuild over the summer as a season that promised so much with a long-awaited return to the Champions League fizzled out at a damp and dissonant national stadium.

Raskin and Todd Cantwell, overlooked for starting places in the League Cup final, added energy, but right-back Tavernier was yet again Rangers’ most dangerous presence in the final third, with Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, drifting out of contract, not looking like players determined to say their farewells on a high.

There was plenty of endeavour from most of Beale’s men but, in the decisive moments, they fell short against their main adversaries once more.

What they said

Summer rebuild will be ‘biggest in years’ for Rangers – Beale

Rangers manager Michael Beale told BBC Scotland: “We shot ourselves in the foot again. We kept Allan [McGregor] pretty much safe the whole game.

“We’ve made a big mistake in a huge game. It’s a repeat of what’s happened. Right now, it’s massive disappointment. When our opportunities came, we weren’t able to take them.”

Postecoglou ‘proud’ of Celtic resilience

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou told BBC Scotland: “It’s a semi-final, there’s a big prize at the end so we knew it wouldn’t be easy. Dare I say it, we never stop. We’re always alert. We force the opposition into mistakes.

“The progress we’ve made has been immense. It’s credit to everyone involved.”

What’s next?

Celtic have the chance to clinch the Premiership title away to Hearts on Sunday (14:15 BST), while Rangers host Aberdeen 45 minutes later.

Line-ups

Rangers

Formation 4-2-3-1

1McGregor

2Tavernier6Goldson26Davies31Barisic

4Lundstram43Raskin

13Cantwell71Tillman14Kent

20Morelos

• 1McGregor
• 2Tavernier
• 6Goldson
• 26Davies
• 31BarisicBooked at 27minsSubstituted forYilmazat 74’minutes
• 4Lundstram
• 43RaskinSubstituted forMatondoat 74’minutes
• 13CantwellBooked at 82mins
• 71TillmanSubstituted forArfieldat 36’minutes
• 14KentSubstituted forSakalaat 45’minutes
• 20MorelosSubstituted forHagiat 83’minutes

Substitutes

• 3Yilmaz
• 7Hagi
• 16Souttar
• 17Matondo
• 18Kamara
• 23Wright
• 30Sakala
• 33McLaughlin
• 37Arfield

Celtic

Formation 4-3-3

1Hart

2Johnston20Carter-Vickers4Starfelt3Taylor

33O’Riley42McGregor41Hatate

17Neves Filipe8Furuhashi38Maeda

• 1Hart
• 2JohnstonSubstituted forRalstonat 54’minutes
• 20Carter-Vickers
• 4Starfelt
• 3Taylor
• 33O’RileySubstituted forMooyat 65’minutes
• 42McGregorBooked at 88mins
• 41HatateSubstituted forIwataat 66’minutes
• 17Neves FilipeSubstituted forHaksabanovicat 66’minutes
• 8FuruhashiSubstituted forOhat 84’minutes
• 38MaedaBooked at 81mins

Substitutes

• 9Haksabanovic
• 13Mooy
• 14Turnbull
• 18Kobayashi
• 19Oh
• 24Iwata
• 29Bain
• 56Ralston
• 69Vata

Live Text

1. Match ends, Rangers 0, Celtic 1.

2. Second Half ends, Rangers 0, Celtic 1.

3. Attempt saved. Tomoki Iwata (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daizen Maeda.

4. Ben Davies (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

5. Foul by Oh Hyeon-Gyu (Celtic).

6. Foul by Rabbi Matondo (Rangers).

7. Greg Taylor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

8. Hand ball by Oh Hyeon-Gyu (Celtic).

9. Attempt missed. Ridvan Yilmaz (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by John Lundstram.

10. Callum McGregor (Celtic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

11. Ianis Hagi (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

12. Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).

13. Foul by Fashion Sakala (Rangers).

14. Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

15. Todd Cantwell (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

16. Foul by Anthony Ralston (Celtic).

17. Connor Goldson (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

18. Foul by Oh Hyeon-Gyu (Celtic).

19. Substitution, Celtic. Oh Hyeon-Gyu replaces Kyogo Furuhashi.

20. Attempt missed. Scott Arfield (Rangers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Rabbi Matondo.

Player of the match

Carter-VickersCameron Carter-Vickers

Rangers

1. Squad number6Player nameGoldson

2. Squad number13Player nameCantwell

3. Squad number1Player nameMcGregor

4. Squad number2Player nameTavernier

5. Squad number43Player nameRaskin

6. Squad number37Player nameArfield

7. Squad number26Player nameDavies

8. Squad number31Player nameBarisic

9. Squad number4Player nameLundstram

10. Squad number71Player nameTillman

11. Squad number3Player nameYilmaz

12. Squad number30Player nameSakala

13. Squad number7Player nameHagi

14. Squad number20Player nameMorelos

15. Squad number17Player nameMatondo

16. Squad number14Player nameKent

Celtic

1. Squad number20Player nameCarter-Vickers

2. Squad number17Player nameJota

3. Squad number38Player nameMaeda

4. Squad number4Player nameStarfelt

5. Squad number42Player nameMcGregor

6. Squad number8Player nameFuruhashi

7. Squad number56Player nameRalston

8. Squad number3Player nameTaylor

9. Squad number2Player nameJohnston

10. Squad number1Player nameHart

11. Squad number33Player nameO’Riley

12. Squad number41Player nameHatate

13. Squad number13Player nameMooy

14. Squad number9Player nameHaksabanovic

15. Squad number24Player nameIwata

16. Squad number19Player nameOh Hyeon-Gyu

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