Double treble is on as Celtic crush Rangers 4-0 in Scottish Cup semi-final

Brendan Rodgers cited humility as a Celtic character trait in the build-up to this match but it was Rangers who were humbled yet again by an emphatic Old Firm derby defeat. Tempting as it is to declare that Celtic strode into the William Hill Scottish Cup final against Motherwell next month, the truth was that their progress was a stroll.

For all of Graeme Murty’s talk of using the pain of defeat in last month’s derby at Ibrox as a motivational tool for this encounter, the Ibrox manager was at an utter loss to explain why his players stood off a Celtic side who were visibly gratified to be allowed unwanted time and space to assert their domination. 

The cost to Murty of this setback will be the loss of his place on the shortlist of candidates when the Ibrox board considers who should be in charge next season but, despite the assertion by the Rangers chairman, Dave King that ‘immediate success’ is required, it will not be delivered by the club’s current squad.

Only Celtic exceed them in financial clout in Scotland but a gulf remains and, for as long as the Hoops’ advantage is pressed by a manager as driven as Rodgers, Rangers will struggle to emerge as plausible contenders for domestic honours.

This occasion presented them with their last chance to interfere with Celtic’s push towards a second clean sweep of the Scottish prizes but Murty’s players looked timid and apprehensive from the start.

His deployment was a 4-2-3-1 match-up with Celtic, but Rangers’ advanced midfielder stood off their opposite numbers, a fatal error which permitted Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham, and Tom Rogic to dominate the hearty of the pitch, with James Forrest and Callum McGregor allowed to roam the flanks, all to the advantage of Moussa Dembele, who demonstrated his predatory qualities after only five minutes, when he volleyed a lofted pass from Ntcham off the post.

In fact, the most significant interruption of Celtic’s rhythm was caused by an influx of dozens of balloons released by spectators, which blew about the pitch until Bobby Madden called a halt and instructed the players to burst them, a spectacle that resembled a mass trampling of grapes in a vineyard. It did not take long after the resumption of proceedings for Rangers’ hopes to be punctured.

Dembele and Forrest combined to find Rogic in the Rangers’ box and the Australian spun Ross McCrorie off balance before shooting past Wes Foderingham with a rare use of his right foot for such a purpose. 

McCrorie had a chance of redemption when Craig Gordon slipped at a corner kick but, with the goalkeeper out of the equation, the Rangers defender headed wide of the mark.

Celtic’s domination was so emphatic that when Russell Martin could do no better than turn a Kieran Tierney cross in the path of Callum McGregor, who promptly drove it beyond Foderingham, the notion of a Rangers comeback virtually defied the imagination. Murty reacted by replacing Andy Halliday with Josh Windass for what remained of the first half.

Halliday, on his 100th appearance for the club, responded by treating the Rangers bench to a volley of imprecations as he left the pitch. Whatever hope Murty retained of diverting fortune disappeared within five minutes of the restart when Dembele got goal-side of McCrorie who had three yanks at the striker’s jersey before finally toppling him inside the box.

The outcome was McCrorie’s dismissal and a cool conversion from the spot. Rangers’ task was now the avoidance of humiliation, a prospect that loomed when Jason Holt fouled Patrick Roberts – who had replaced Forrest – for another penalty kick which was tucked away by Ntcham for Celtic’s fourth.

Between times, incredibly, Rangers might have scored three times, but Gordon produced spectacular one-armed blocks on headers from Alfredo Morelos and Bruno Alves. The goalkeeper was, however, beaten by a wild slice from his right-back, Mikael Lustig, which ricocheted from the crossbar. The rebound, though, fell to Morelos, who extended his impeccable record of missing gift chances in Old Firm derbies, by shooting straight at Gordon from six yards.

Celtic’s devotion to humility was not evident in Brown’s response to victory, when the Parkhead captain was reminded that the Rangers had cheered the semi-final draw which paired them with Celtic. “I don’t think they’ll be cheering tonight,” he said. “We just knew as soon as we turned up that we’d win it.”

Murty, meanwhile, was mired in frustration. “We just didn’t get close to anyone, it took half an hour to make a tackle,” he said. “I’ll apologise for the first half. It’s a lonely place out there, but we need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

“I won’t talk about my role at this time, it’s not about me.”

For Rodgers, the focus is upon closing two imminent deals. “The important thing now is to close up the league,” he said “The final will be a tough game. You saw Motherwell yesterday [against Aberdeen]. They work hard and won’t make it easy.”

4:27PM

We will have report and reaction ASAP

Well done Celtic. Hard lines Rangers.

4:23PM

Full time: Celtic 4 Rangers 0

Brendan Rodgers shakes hands with Graeme Murty, in all probability for the last time in an Old Firm match. This was a complete walloping, only one team ever in it, and it is Celtic who will face Motherwell in the final on May 19th.

4:21PM

90 mins

Alves is back on. Tavernier has had a booking. 

4:19PM

89 mins

Alves needs treatment. Aye, on his hair. 

Rangers have used all three of their subs so are playing with nine men at the moment. 

4:16PM

86 mins

Still all Celtic. McGregor and Tierney combine for a great move, nice movement, and the shot at the end is just a couple of feet too high.

4:14PM

84 mins

Some seats now available in the Rangers end...

4:09PM

80 mins

More good news for Rangers: Leigh Griffiths, who always scores against them, is coming on. Dembele the man who makes way. Dembele roasted the Rangers defence in the first half an hour, and the game was long over by half time.

4:07PM

GOAL! Ntcahm (78p) and it's Celtic 4 Rangers 0

Perfect penalty! Keeper guessed correctly, but it was right in the corner.

4:06PM

Another penalty

Holt this time. Ridiculous swing of the leg upends Roberts in the area. Clear penalty, once again. Absolute humiliation this. Holt looked totally clueless there.

4:05PM

75 mins

Sinclair bright as a button since coming on, stretching the shellshocked Rangers defence with his pace.

4:01PM

71 mins

Forrest off, Roberts on.

3:59PM

70 mins

Game meandering to a close already, I can only assume that Rangers fans are soon to be meandering out of Hampden. Not sure anyone could blame them.

3:58PM

68 mins

I tried to have a bet before the match on total yellow cards but could not find a price. I make it five so far plus a red.

3:54PM

Scott Brown involved in Old Firm argy-bargy shocker

Sticking up for McGregor after Morelos shoved the player.

Booking for Morelos for that. Booking for Dorans as well, who tried to hack down Celtic runner McGregor. Booking for Scott Brown for being Scott Brown.

3:49PM

60 mins: Celtic 3 Rangers (ten men) 0 

Scott Sinclair is coming on, Tom Rogic comes off.

3:46PM

56 mins

Suddenly it is all Rangers!  A wild attempted clearance from Celtic's Lustig hits the bar and Morelos has bungled the chance from the rebound.

3:44PM

53 mins

Suddenly, against the run of play, Rangers fashion a great chance. Tavernier from the right, superb cross. Morelos rises to meet it with a superb header. Brilliant save Craig Gordon. Somehow he tips it over.

From the resultant corner, another good header. Another superb save from Gordon. Poor old Rangers. Not their day.

Bruno Alves comes on to replace Daniel Candeias.

3:42PM

GOAL! Dembele penalty

And a great penalty it is too, a cheeky wee Paneka, beautifully done, and that will get right up the pipe of the Rangers players and supporters. And what is the point of an Old Firm game if not for that?

3:41PM

Red card for Ross McCrorie

Dembele has the run on him down the left. McCrorie is pulling at his shirt the whole while. Two tugs at least, all of this outside the box but Dembele waits until he is into the area to haul him down. Penalty and a red card. Clear as day.

3:37PM

48 mins

Corner cleared easily. Docherty has been booked for pulling back Callum McGregor 

3:36PM

47 mins

Still. They have an early corner.

3:35PM

46 mins

Any hope for the blue team? I would not think so, no.

3:20PM

Half time: Celtic 2 Rangers 0

Total mismatch. Rogic and McGregor the scorers. Celtic hardly off the bridle, Rangers just totally outplayed. We'll seriously have to rethink the term 'Old Firm' if there's a couple more seasons of this. Men against boys, this is.

Packie Bonner on the BBC: "It's a big, big task and a huge half-time for Graeme Murty if he is going to save his job."

3:18PM

45 mins

Wee moment from Rangers, Tavernier picks out Candeias and he crosses. No. Far too close to the keeper and that is the last action of an utterly one-sided first half.

3:15PM

40 mins

Never fear, Rangers fans: Josh Windass is here.

3:14PM

39 mins

Rangers manager Graeme Murty responds by taking off Andy Halliday. It's a bit like the England cricket team dropping a bowler after a batting collapse. Sure, Halliday has barely had a kick, but the defending has been terrible.

Halliday is pure raging as he comes off.

3:12PM

GOAL! Celtic have the second. McGregor

It's awful from Rangers, no more than Celtic deserve however. Candeias beaten way to easily, and Tierney has it all his own way as he delivers a ball from the left. Terrible bit of defending from Russell Martin, no athleticism at all as he slowly, clumsily sticks out a leg. Cushions the ball nicely into the path of Callum McGregor, who slots it home. Men against boys today I am afraid and this game is surely already over. Celtic 2 Rangers 0 (McGregor 38) 

3:07PM

Leigh Griffiths did not start

3:06PM

34 mins: Celtic 1 Rangers 0

Candeias and Murphy, the nominal wide attackers for Rangers, have barely had a kick. The former now, though, tries a long lofted ball to the latter. Celtic, safety first, head it behind for a corner.

From that corner, there is a brief moment of alarm for the Celts when Gordon lies on the turf... but he had been fouled.

3:04PM

32 mins

Ntcham! Rogic tries a shot, it comes back off Dorrans, who is back defending as indeed is everyone else. The rebound drops for Ntcham, not a bad dig.

3:01PM

29 mins

We are having our first yellow of the afternoon, somewhat later than one normally expects. Murphy gets the better of Lustig who sighs and hauls him back, already expecting the booking.

2:56PM

24 mins

Oi oi though, here is Candeias on the break, totally out of the blue. And Rangers have a corner.

2:55PM

23 mins

Rogic again! Desperate block. Rangers are getting a roasting. Only TWO PERCENT of the action in the Celtic half!

2:54PM

22 mins

And Rogic has another chance! This one probably easier than the goal. Cannot place it properly.

Celtic rampant, Dembele tearing Rangers apart.

2:53PM

GOAL! Rogic gives Celtic the lead!

It's that man again. Rogic bursts into the box, great composure in the box, he twists away from his marker and slots it home. Celtic 1 Rangers 0 (Rogic 21) 

Dembele had done well with a knock down to Forrest, who picked out Rogic. He shifted the ball and struck a nice shot.

2:51PM

20 mins

Corner for Celtic. Foderingham palms it away for another corner. Boyata! Arriving late, great movement but a poor header.

2:51PM

19 mins

Rangers pinned back entirely. They cannot keep the ball. On the upside, Celtic have had few if any chances of note with the exception of Dembele hitting the post.

2:50PM

16 mins

Bit of a delay while players from both sides stamp on some balloons.

2:43PM

11 mins

Another nice move from Celtic sees Tierney, who I think will play for a top six English side within the next 18 months, deliver a hard low cross that is kept out, just. It's all hands to the pump for Rangers.

2:42PM

10 mins

Ntcham with a powerful run, but the shot is disappointing to say the least. 

Celtic well on top in the first ten minutes, the men in Blue have scarcely been past halfway.

2:41PM

9 mins

Rogic with a nice little prompting ball through to Dembele, who is starting to dominate the Rangers defence with his movement. Just about bundled clear. McCrorie the player who nipped in.

2:38PM

5 mins

Good ball in from the right by Ntcham and Demebele meets it with a sweet contact! It hits the post with Foderingham well beaten. Really well struck snap effort, shades of offside I would suggest but it matters not.

Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Ajer, Boyata, Tierney, Brown, Ntcham,  Forrest, Rogic, McGregor, Dembele. Subs: Simunovic, Roberts,  Griffiths, Sinclair, Edouard, Bain, Eboue. 

Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, McCrorie, Martin, John,  Docherty, Halliday, Candeias, Dorrans, Murphy, Morelos. Subs:  Cummings, Miller, Windass, Hodson, Bruno Alves, Holt, Alnwick.

Referee: Bobby Madden (Scotland) 

2:34PM

3 mins

Morellos has a run down the channel that is hampered by the presence of balloons. True of this fixture as a whole.

2:33PM

2 mins

No football to speak of just yet.

2:31PM

1 mins: Celtic 0 Rangers 0

Various flares and smoke things go off. Celtic kick off.

2:30PM

Rangers

Another specialist, Kenny Miller  also on the bench.

2:29PM

Celtic formation

 Dembele has six in eight Old Firm games, but another specialist, Leigh Griffiths, sits on the bench.

2:27PM

Rod!

2:19PM

Hampden looks pretty full

I never enjoy going there for semis, think it spoils things, but I suppose a neutral ground is fair enough. Be quite cool if these could do a deal to go play in Old Trafford or Villa Park or something.  Actually that is probably a terrible idea.

2:00PM

Strong words from Lee McCulloch

on the BBC

"Rangers know they need to win this game to stop Celtic getting that treble.

"That's all the motivation you need right there if you are a Rangers player.

"That's what I would be saying in the dressing room. I don't want to be a Rangers player when Celtic win the double treble. There's lots of shame in that for me."

1:58PM

Opportunities

for pundits not called Kris are limited in Scotland. 

Boydy does not appear to have a snack to hand; that could be a problem. 

1:44PM

Rangers players

Oh Jason. 

1:39PM

Here's the team sheet

1:32PM

Here are the boys in blue

1:27PM

Well, Celtic's is

Where is the Rangers team?

1:25PM

Good afternoon

Tyers here. British football's most hate-filled derby is here! What a Sunday treat! And now, the team news is here.

1:19PM

Brendan Rodgers: We are looking no further than this game

Brendan Rodgers insists his Celtic side are focused on today's William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden Park as they look to rewrite history.

The Hoops are one win away from clinching their seventh successive Ladbrokes Premiership title and that could come at Hibernian in the first post-split fixture.

And while both Celtic and Rangers sides of the past have reached nine in a row and won domestic trebles, a victory over their old rivals will take the Hoops to within a win of a second successive clean sweep which has yet to be done in Scottish football.

Rodgers, who has won six out of six games at Hampden since taking over at the Glasgow club in 2016 and is unbeaten in nine Old Firm games, is aware of what could be achieved, but is looking no further than the weekend.

"The history is enormous at this club and what we did last year was historic," said the Parkhead boss.

"But we want to keep writing our own history and that means being really focused on the next game.

"They are always tough games. I have been involved in nine of them and they are always complicated in their different ways so this will be no different.

"However, we go to Hampden with a team that have not only won there but played very well.

"Obviously that gives us faith and confidence but not taking away from it being a tough game."