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Celtic make it 10 trophies in a row after magnificent Fraser Forster frustrates Rangers
Rangers 0 Celtic 1
Celtic extended their run of trophies to an unprecedented 10 in succession by carting the Betfred Scottish League Cup back to Parkhead after Christopher Jullien scored the only goal of the first Old Firm final for almost nine years. It was the Hoops’ single effort on target.
Had VAR been operative in Scotland, the French defender would have been denied his moment of glory by an offside call - and he was not the only Celtic player in an illegal position - but any grievance Rangers might nourish must be outweighed by the knowledge that they ushered themselves out of a victory which was entirely at their own disposal.
Steven Gerrard has much to ponder when he reflects upon the failure to secure his first trophy as a manager. His players were so resolute that the opening 45 minutes had a claim to be their best of the season – and Celtic’s, arguably their worst – but they squandered a succession of chances and those which were on the mark were thwarted by Fraser Forster.
The pattern was repeated in the second half until Jullien put Celtic in front but, even then, Rangers were immediately presented with their outstanding opportunity of the afternoon. Jeremie Frimpong’s teenage brio exceeded its bounds with a challenge on Alfredo Morelos which Willie Collum ruled was both a penalty kick and a red card offence.
An equaliser at this stage against depleted opponents would have represented a potent change of fortune, but Rangers found themselves at the confluence of two adverse flows of recent history. One was James’ Tavernier’s poor record from the spot this season, with misses against Progres Niederkorn, Feyenoord and Motherwell which cost him his status as first-choice penalty taker.
The other was the failure of Alfredo Morelos to score in 10 prior outings against Celtic. The attraction of allowing him to attempt the conversion was both obvious and risky. Success would dislodge a gorilla from his back but failure would infuse his record with the sense of unalterable destiny.
Despite having found the net on 25 occasions this season, Morelos looked fragile on his run-up, an impression confirmed by an indecisive delivery that Forster blocked with ease. It was the crowning frustration of an afternoon that had already seen Forster block two point-blank efforts from the striker before the break and thwart his bounced header with another after the interval. Even when Morelos got a shot beyond the goalkeeper, it bobbled agonisingly along the goal line and out of play beyond the far post.
The Colombian could draw no comfort from the fact that Mikey Johnston, a half-time replacement for Mohamed Elyounoussi, contrived an almost equally unbelievable miss when clean through on Allan McGregor.
When the teams first emerged from the tunnel one parity at least had been restored. In a spectacle sadly absent from derbies at their respective home grounds, the 50/50 split of the supports at Hampden ensured a cacophony that seemed to rebound from the leaden low clouds which dumped relentless stinging rain squalls on to an unheeding crowd.
From kick-off, Celtic found themselves blown this way and that by the sheer force of will demonstrated by Gerrard’s players who, in the opening three minutes alone, forced two corner kicks and a free kick, all from Tavernier, from which Filip Helander and Connor Goldson twice headed wide.
If this set the pattern of a steady flow of Rangers pressure, it also established the impotence that would render their efforts fruitless. Viewed from Neil Lennon’s perspective, it was a success for character in the absence of accustomed guile.
“Yes, we were fortunate today - I'll admit that - but that's what happens in cup finals,” said the Celtic manager. “We needed that resilience and quality to get over the line. Kristoffer Ajer was unbelievable and so was Jeremie Frimpong until the sending off.
“I didn't even celebrate the goal. I was too wrapped up in how we were playing and how we were going to get a proper foothold in the game. We are talking 10 major trophies now in a row. We don't want to give anything up. We weren't great today but we still won.”
How many more chances will Alfredo Morelos get?!
Forster is keeping Celtic in this...#BetfredCupFinalpic.twitter.com/0BaqdtpBYc— Fitba on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 8, 2019
Gerrard was visibly sore about the outcome but candid about Rangers’ shortcomings.
“We performed well but we got one big moment wrong when we didn’t defend a set-piece. There's a good possibility that two or three Celtic players are offside but we've still got to defend it better.”
As for Morelos, Gerrard said: "Alfredo was the nominated penalty taker. It was a very, very big moment in the game with the red card. If you score the penalty with the man advantage there's a big chunk of the game left.
"It always seemed as though the action was where we wanted it to be but that doesn't win you football matches. You need to take your chances. You need to score the penalty. Those were the big moments that we didn't execute today – and Fraser Forster had one of the best games of his career today, unfortunately for us."
Match details
Rangers McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Helander (Katic, 84), Barisic; Aribo (Barker, 74), Jack, Kamara (Defoe, 71), Arfield, Kent; Morelos.
Substitutes Foderingham, Flanagan, Stewart, Ojo. Booked Kamara, Aribo, Arfield.
Celtic Forster; Frimpong, Ajer, Jullien, Hayes; McGregor, Brown; Forrest (Bitton, 66), Christie, Elyounoussi (Johnston, h-t); Morgan (Edouard, 59).
Substitutes Gordon, Bolingoli, Rogic, Ntcham. Booked Ajer, McGregor Sent off Frimpong.
Referee Willie Collum.
Steven Gerrard speaks
I can't really ask any more from my players in terms of the performance and what they tried to do today. I thought we were really good.
But we got one big moment wrong. We never defended the set piece. There's a good possibility two or three of them are offside but we've still got to defend it better.
Over the 90 minutes we were superior. It always seemed as if the action was where we wanted it to be, but that doesn't win you big football matches.
Alfredo was the nominated penalty taker. It was certainly a big moment for him from a personal point of view. In terms of what was going through his mind, you'd have to ask Alfredo."
Neil Lennon speaks
I’m delighted. Disappointed with the way we played at times, because that’s not the standard we set ourselves. We had to ride our luck, there’s no question of that. I shook the Rangers players’ hands because they made the final a good spectacle. But we’ve come through it again.
That’s 10 major trophies in a row. It’s a brilliant day. To go down to 10 men, and the resilience we showed. We were better with 10 men than we were with 11.
Fraser was awesome today, and he needed to be, we just looked really off it first half. You have to give Rangers credit for that. But we galvanised ourselves, showed a lot of mental strength, scored a great goal and had a chance to make it two. It doesn’t stop here. We’ve got a lot of games between now and the end of the month to forge ahead in the league, but that’s a first trophy in the cabinet.
Fraser Forster speaks
It went my way today. I'm just buzzing for the lads, just buzzing for everyone at the club, buzzing for the fans. It just shows how clinical we are. It’s something special. We played some terrible football, but we’ve won the game and as long as you win a final, that’s all that matters.
Full time Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Fraser Forster wins the Scottish League Cup for Celtic after making nine saves, four of them outstanding, as well as Morelos's penalty. And they complete the smash and grab raid with Jullien's winner from a position that looked suspiciously offside. Rangers should have been over the hill and far away at half-time.
90+6 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Celtic free-kick in their own box for Morelos's pointless shove. Forster goes down with cramp and guzzles a gel when the physio comes on.
90+4 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Forster, the man of the match by a country mile, comes out of the six-yard box to claim Tavernier's vicious, dipping cross.
90+2 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
And Arfield feeds it up to Morelos down the inside-right channel and he opens his body to fire a shot across goal that whistles past Forster and inches beyond the far post.
90+1 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
The first of six minutes of added time begin with Rangers attacking through Kent up the left but Edouard is back to whip it away. But then he give sup possession instantly.
89 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Morelos goes down when Johnston challenges him in the box. Chris Sutton says he should be booked for diving but Johnston fell on top of him and had his hands on his back. Some falls are not dives even though Alfredo Morelos is the one going down.
87 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Defoe meets Tavernier's cross at the near post and Jullien closes the angle to block and concede the corner which Celtic defend well. It was Rangers' ninth effort on target from 18 attempts on goal. Celtic have had one on target from nine.
84 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Arfield slices a shot from 25 yards on to the apron behind the goal. Celtic defending well with 10 men, squeezing the space by shuffling across to make two banks of four in possession and a five and a four without the ball.
82 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Heavy touch from Ajer controlling a ball dropping out of the sky but he recovers to whip it away from Barker who tried to round him. Helander is injured and will be replaced by Katic. Apologies for the error earlier. Barker was the second not the third substitute.
80 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Jullien is back on as Celtic defend a corner, pushing Rangers back to halfway. Morelos catches Christie when the ball is played up to the 18-yard line and Celtic breathe.
79 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Rangers don't give the ball back to Celtic after Hayes had put it out following Morelos's nasty foul. Celtic are down to nine men and escape when Morelos spanks a shot into orbit. Neil Lennon goes tonto on the touchline.
78 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Morelos steps on Jullien's achilles tendon after the ball has gone. The referee doesn't see it and he escapes unpunished.
76 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Christie sends Tavernier off for an Evening Times, bursts past him and centres for Edouard who can't nip in in front of Helander.
74 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Morelos trips Brown pointlessly, hacking away his right leg as he dribbled past him. Rangers make another sub: Brandon Barker replaces Aribo.
71 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Reckless foul from Aribo on Hayes, planting his foot on the top of Hayes'. Yellow card. Wrong colour. Hayes has been hobbled by it, temporarily possibly.
70 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Defoe comes on for Rangers, replacing Kamara.
68 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
What a chance wasted by Mikey Johnston one-on-one with McGregor. He was played through by Edouard's superb diagonal pass with Rangers over-committed in pursuit of the equaliser. McGregor bounds out of his box, inviting Johnston to take it early, which he does. He opens his body and screws his shot the wrong side of the left post.
66 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
It wasn't a very good penalty, not close enough to the corner, but Forster gambled on going early and got there with time to spare.
65 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Nir Bitton replaces James Forrest and Ajer goes out to right-back.
Forster saves!
Hell's teeth. This is a ridiculously magnificent performance from the goalkeeper. He dives low to his right and blocks Morelos's drive with his arms.
Rangers penalty
Morelos is yanked back by Frimpong who wraps his hand around his biceps. Red card for Frimpong.
62 min Rangers 0-1 Celtic
Daylight robbery from Celtic. Goldson needlessly gave away a free-kick on the left, spooked by Edouard. It's whipped into the box and Jullein, who looked marginally offside, meets the ball on his instep to volley it past McGregor who has hardly touched the ball all game.
GOAL!!
Rangers 0-1 Celtic (Jullien)
60 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Enter Edouard. Lewis Morgan makes way. He cushions the ball on his chest and spins Goldson 35 yards out down the left who takes him out at the knees.
59 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Edouard is getting stripped but won't be on before Rangers take the free-kick awarded for Christie's trip on Kent. It's 35 yards out on the left and Jullien heads it clear and then nuts Helander.
57 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Rangers' free-kick whipped beyond the back post by Tavernier. Morelos nips in and heads it into the ground from five yards and Forster, ITMA, claws it away with a slap of the left hand.
55 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Now Hayes runs straight into Hayes and knocks him off his feet before he can leap for a header. Again no card, though Kamara was issued a yellow a few moments before half time.
53 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Seconds after that chance Forster is forced to save with his feet from Aribo's stabbed shot at the back post. From the corner Brown kicks Morelos up the tuchas or at least the back of his thigh and Willie Collim waves play on instead of awarding a stonebonker penalty.
51 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Morelos meets Tavernier's deep right-wing cross at the back post and meets it on the lunge that diverts it past Forster and skittering a few inches in front of the goalline before Celtic hack it clear.
49 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
A smart one-two between Barisic and Kamara. Barisic burns past Forrest and whips over a cross that Jack meets on the half-volley and sends into the crowd.
47 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Christie whips the free-kick into the box and it parts Ajer's hair, a couple of inches too high for the centre-back who had beaten Helander to it.
46 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Celtic start on the attack and Tavernier drops his shoulder to bodycheck Hayes as he scuttled up the left. Free-kick to Celtic, still no cards.
Celtic make a half-time substitution
Mikey Johnston is coming on for Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Fraser Forster with an incredible save early on!
The Big Man with a big hand to deny Ryan Jack ��
"He had no right to save that!"#BetfredCupFinalpic.twitter.com/VLhp40o4wT— Fitba on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 8, 2019
Half time Rangers 0-0 Celtic
But for Fraser Forster Celtic would be buried by now. As one-sided a half in a Cup final still level at 0-0 as you would ever see. Celtic need to change personnel and tactics. Rangers need to cap all their aggressive work in attack and pressing with a goal.
Fraser Forster with an incredible save early on!
The Big Man with a big hand to deny Ryan Jack ��
"He had no right to save that!"#BetfredCupFinalpic.twitter.com/VLhp40o4wT— Fitba on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 8, 2019
45 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Tavernier spurns a decent shooting chance and then Forster races out to beat Morelos to a ball hooked over the top. Rangers have bullied Celtic so far but will they be able to sustain this for 90 minutes. Celtic will be elated at keeping it a 0-0 after such a poor performance.
43 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Callum McGregor leaves his studs on Arfield moments after Tavernier broke up Celtic's attack with a fine tackle on Hayes. Gerrard thinks it was a yellow-card offence, which it was ... or would have been anywhere else in Europe.
41 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Forster saves Celtic again with a smart save from Morelos's close range shot. Hayes played the centre-forward onside as he stole in from the right. Excellent from Forster who got down low and smothered it when the ball broke loose after his block.
39 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Kent steps in off the left touchline having been fed a pass into his stride by Aribo. He takes a touch to set up a shot which he spoons miles over. Gerrard kicks out in frustration.
37 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Edouard is warming up in the downpour - Celtic need to get him on at half-time if things don't improve imminently.
35 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Jack limps off with blood coming from his knee, must have also been caught by Morgan's studs, but he's back on within 30 seconds.
32 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Morgan's inability to hold the ball up is at the root of Rangers' attacking onslaught. But now Celtic do break, 4 v 3 and Jack recovers his mistake by nicking in from the side and toeing the ball away from Morgan. In doing so his left leg plants in the turf and he hyper-extends his knee and collapses in agony. On come the doctor and physio.
30 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Brilliant from Morelos who outraces Ajer on halfway with the help of a shove then hares down the right, diddles the Denmark defender with a ball down the line, which sits Ajer down as he tries to lunge in. Morelos rounds him and sprints into the box, taking on a shot from an angle of about 30 degrees and tries to squeeze a shot in at the near post that Forster saves with his legs. Rangers should be a couple of goals to the good and because they haven't scored, Celtic have a far better chance of mugging them than they should have.
27 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Morelos is penalised for grabbing Frimpong who has been Celtic's best player so far, perhaps in retaliation for the below unpunished foul. The Colombia striker is penalised a second time in a minute for backing into Ajer to disrupt an aerial battle he had no hope of winning.
24 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Hayes is played in round the back of Tavernier by a cute Elyounoussi pass. The left-back tries to cut it back for Christie but Arfield nips in ahead of him. Celtic corner taken by Christie, met by Ajer to the right of the penalty spot but he booms it high, wide and hideous.
22 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Forster saves from Morelos from 12 yards on the left of the box. The ball is parried into the ground from where it spins under him and towards the back post. Hayes beats Aribo to it and wellies it behind as the winger closed to tap it on from three yards. Goldson wins the header from the corner for what seems the umpteenth time but Celtic win the second ball
20 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Celtic are being smothered by Rangers' aggressive pressing. Brown has not had much ball and only Frimpong and Hayes. so far, have looked threatening to Rangers. Arfield tries to pick a pass that lances the gap between Julien and Hayes but he overhits it and it skips away and beyond Aribo.
18 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Hayes exploits a jammy bounce of the ball in midfield to fizz in a low left-foot cross, begging Morgan to meet it with a diagonal dart ahead of Goldson but the former Brighton centre-half nips in first.
16 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Tavernier takes his fourth corner so far and again Goldson wins the header by the penalty spot but knocks it straight into Jullien.
14 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Ryan Jack strikes a 22-yard screamer arrowing towards the top right corner but Forster makes a sensational save, soaring and slapping it away at full-stretch with his left palm. Celtic can't make the ball stick up front and wave after wave of Rangers attacks are flooding their box.
13 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Rangers waste a free-kick juts inside their own half when Kamara plays a hospital pass. Back come Celtic, shifting it up the left but Tavernier robs Christie and Rangers head towards the Celtic box where Ajer makes a decisive intervention and knocks it out. Christie complains he was fouled and deposits a flea in Willie Collum's ear.
10 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Morgan has a snap shot from a couple of yards inside the box when he meets Forrest's pull-back. But he was running away from goal and would have had to have double-jointed ankles to wrap his foot round it from that angle. Instead he belts it wide.
8 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Rangers once more win the header in the box but Celtic bundle it clear. The pace is compelling as it always is in these games.
7 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Frimpong races at Barisic, seems to give him the slip and get to the byline but the Rangers left-back slides in to make a crisp and vital tackle. Up the other end Hayes does the same, crunchingly, on Kent at the price of a corner.
6 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Barisic arcs in a cross from out by the left corner flag and again it's a blue shirt that wins the header in the box. This time it's Arfield who meets it at the wrong angle and balloons it tamely wide off the back of his head.
5 min
Elyounoussi strokes a pass down the outside left channel for Morgan to chase. Helander manages just to stay ahead of him and goes down when Morgan leans into him.
3 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Callum McGregor runs across Morelos who was bounding down the right and clips him on the knee. The free-kick is about five yards out of the box by the right-angle. It's whipped into the area and Goldson easily wins the header but bullets it miles wide.
2 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Rangers corner after Morelos hounds the throw-in and is shepherded out. Tavernier takes and Helander's header is blocked behind for another that Goldson meets and powers wide. Should have scored. Ajer was all over the place defensively from the back-to-back corners.
1 min Rangers 0-0 Celtic
Celtic finish their huddle. The flame spurters plus rain has left the ground enveloped in a fug of smoke. Rangers kick off with five players overloading the right wing but the ball launched for them to chase goes out of play. Terrific din. Brilliant volume.
The players are in the tunnel
Celtic in white trackie tops. Rangers, in this unrelenting rain, in their match shirts.
The pundits
Messrs Strachan, Sutton, McCoist and Rae think if Edouard is fit for the bench then he's fit to start and the word 'niggle' emits a foul stench as it leaves Sutton's mouth. And yet:
The press are giving SO much focus to @Oedouard22 not playing today when they should probably be focusing on Davis not starting for Rangers. That's a far bigger blow to them, as we can get goals from anywhere, while they've lost their midfield general! #RANCEL#HailHail
— Dom Oliver (@DominicOliver82) December 8, 2019
Steven Gerrard on the dressing room atmosphere
You know what dressing-rooms are like now, they have this music on blasting. It’s like a nightclub in there. They’re in a good place, they just need to go and grasp it now. We’ve got to defend well, first and foremost, and when the game presents itself to us to show how good we are from an attacking point of view. It’s important we play the game, rather than the occasion. We have to be the best Rangers if we want to win this trophy.
And for those of you watching in black and white
Rangers McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Barisic; Aribo, Jack, Kamara, Arfield; Morelos, Kent.
Substitutes Foderingham, Flanagan, Katic, Barker, Stewart, Defoe, Ojo.
Celtic Forster; Frimpong, Ajer, Jullien, Hayes; McGregor, Brown; Forrest, Christie, Elyounoussi; Morgan.
Substitutes Gordon, Bitton, Rogic, Johnston, Ntcham, Edouard, Bolingoli Mbombo.
Referee: Willie Collum.
Odsonne Edouard is on the bench after missing the last three games following his injury against Livingstone.
Rangers team
�� Today's #RangersFC team to face Celtic at Hampden Park. pic.twitter.com/WIS0s8qA9M
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) December 8, 2019
Celtic team
�� Our team for the #BetfredCupFinal.
�� COYBIG! ⚪ pic.twitter.com/GYdHd5kqW3— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 8, 2019
Good afternoon
From a dreich Hampden Park where Rangers and Celtic will meet in the League Cup final for the first time in eight years at 3pm. Back in 2011 Neil Lennon was in the first full season of his first spell as Celtic manager and they were runners-up in the League Cup by virtue/transgression of Nicola Jelevic’s extra-time winner and in the SPL too, where they finished a point behind Rangers, but won the Scottish Cup.
Today Lennon leads Celtic’s bid for their 10th successive domestic trophy, a run that began with the League Cup in 2016 in Brendan Rodgers’ first season in charge. Rangers, as we all know, have not won a trophy since their defenestration in 2012, but are in their most competitive state under Steven Gerrard. They may have lost 2-0 at Ibrox in the first Old Firm game of the season, but they won the last meeting of last season and have won nine of 14 League Cup finals against Celtic.
Paul Hayward heard from both managers on Friday and Gerrard spoke of how the prospect of cup finals had inspired him since he was a boy.
“It’s either in you or it’s not,” he said. “I was someone who, even at seven or eight, was all about the cup final. It was all about getting to the cup final with your school team, your amateur team. I remember I was playing for Whiston juniors, seven or eight years of age, and if we didn’t get to the cup final it was tears. And if we didn’t win the cup final it was more tears. You play football to be involved and be around cup finals because that gives you the opportunity to be a winner.
“Surely - I can’t speak for every footballer - but surely that's got to be inside you and you want to be part of that?”
Lennon, for his part, praised Rangers but remains confident that his side will make it 10 trophies on the bounce: “They’ve definitely improved, Rangers - but then so have we. We have our own targets and objectives for the game. They’re good that way, the players. They don’t listen to the outside noise. They keep everything nice and calm, and that experience is invaluable for these games.”
Stay tuned for the team news.
