Celtic show ‘heart’ as Brendan Rodgers continues Old Firm dominance with cup win over Rangers
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A 3-3 thriller after extra time was settled by penalties as Celtic claimed the bragging rights. Brendan Rodgers hailed a classic Old Firm cup final at Hampden Park - but was glad his Celtic side emerged victors over Rangers in a 5-4 penalty shoot-out to lift the Scottish League Cup.
The 120 minutes that preceded the spot-kick drama began with Rangers taking the lead through Nedim Bajrami before the break. Goals from Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda early in the second half had the Hoops ahead but a 75th minute equaliser by Mohamed Diomande drew the Gers level.
Nicolas Kuhn restored Celtic’s lead in the 87th minute but Gers substitute Danilo equalised a minute later to make it 3-3 and take the game to extra-time and when penalties arrived, Maeda scored the decisive one after Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had saved substitute Ridvan Yilmaz’s effort.
Rodgers, with only one defeat in 20 Old Firm games in his two spells as Celtic boss, said: “I know the magnitude of this game. Celtic and Rangers worldwide, for both sets of supporters, and it means so much to people’s lives. “I think it’s maybe, what, my 20th game? But I always treat it like the first and prepare that way. But as I said, it’s all about coming out on the other side. And the guys showed a big heart to come back from being behind in the game and then to obviously show that composure in the penalties.
