BRENDAN RODGERS has earned the honour of being Celtic’s most successful manager in Glasgow derby encounters in history.
The relentless Hoops gaffer has masterminded 16 victories, managed three draws and suffered just two defeats in his 21 games against Ibrox foes.
After the 3-0 rout in the opening derby of the 2024/25 season, Celtic were favourites to overcome Philippe Clement’s Ibrox side again in the Premier Sports League Cup Final at Hampden in mid-December.
However, Rodgers’ men were made to fight all the way for the silverware before the trophy switched from the Ibrox trophy room to join the Premiership title and Scottish Cup, won in the previous campaign, in the east end of Glasgow.
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE, we have been charting the Irishman’s crusades in thew all-Glasgow tussles.
Please enjoy!
AIR WE GO…Nicolas Kuhn celebrates his strike for number three.
December 15 2024: Premier Sports League Cup Final:
CELTIC 3 RANGERS 3 (aet; Celtic win 5-4 on pens)
KASPER SCHMEICHEL plunged to his left to repel a penalty-kick from Ridvan Yilmaz and Daizen Maeda stroked home a perfectly-placed effort to propel Celtic to the Premier Sports League Cup at Hampden this evening.
The combination from the Danish keeper and the Japanese winger was enough to give the Hoops their 119th trophy in their history, a silverware haul that beats all others.
It was a tumultuous and topsy-turvy encounter before the silverware was bedecked yet again in green and white ribbons to set up the Hoops for another treble-winning campaign.
It ended 3-3 after extra-time before the Hoops won 5-4 in a nerve-shredding penalty-kick shoot-out.
Celtic came back from a goal down to go 2-1 ahead with strikes from Greg Taylor and Maeda and were then pulled back to 2-2.
Nicolas Kuhn replied when he rifled in a third in the 87th minute, but, incredibly, Rodgers’ men, who were never at their best in this confrontation, allowed their opponents to equalise inside two minutes to take the showpiece to extra-time.
The extra half-hour passed without a goal that took the game to a dramatic and nerve-racking penalty-kick decider.
HAMPDEN HEROES…Kasper Schmeichel and Daizen Maeda celebrate Celtic’s penalty-kick shoot-out success against Rangers.
The pressure was all on the Hoops as Rangers won the toss to take the spot-kicks in front of their own fans and they also elected to take the first kick.
James Tavernier netted the opener with an expertly-taken effort, but that was wiped out immediately by Adam Idah who tucked his effort in the corner.
Ianis Hagi then put the Ibrox side ahead before skipper Callum McGregor made no mistake with his attempt.
Next up, Danilo tucked his drive away with precision and then all eyes were on Arne Engels who showed his class with a confident finish.
Left-back Yilmaz was next in line and the Turkish defender elected to go for precision as he picked out a corner, but Schmeichel was alert and agile and got down to his left to push the ball away.
Advantage Celtic!
Reo Hatate made it 4-3 in favour of the champions before keeper Jack Butland elected to take the next kick for Clement’s side.
To be fair, the netminder made a superb job of his kick as he left his opposite number helpless.
UP FOR THE CUP…matchwinner Daizen Maeda is hailed by jubilant Kasper Schmeichel, Adam Idah and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Then it was all eyes on Maeda who strode forward and whipped a right-foot effort low into the keeper’s right-hand corner as Butland took off in the opposite direction.
The trophy was heading home after an encounter that see-sawed from the first minute to last.
A strangely-subdued Celtic were bossed in a low-tempo approach during a disconcerting first-half as they performed in slow motion against opponents who had set up to play an aggressive game all over the pitch.
The Hoops were sloppy in possession and their fairly dire performance in the open period was highlighted by a blunder from Greg Taylor to gift the opposition the interval lead.
The left-back was under no pressure in the 41st minute as he decided to play a suicidal pass across the pitch. It was seized upon by Nedim Bajrami who was quick to release Humza Igamane who had a clear look at Schmeichel.
With the Hoops rearguard in disarray, the Ibrox forward fired in a low drive to the keeper’s right, but the Dane dived full length to push the effort away.
Alas, it dropped straight in front of Bajrami who had the freedom of Hampden to knock the ball into the gaping net.
NUMBER ONE…Greg Taylor fires in the equaliser.
NUMBER TWO…Daizen Maeda slips the ball behind Jack Butland.
NUMBER THREE…Nicolas Kuhn thumps the Hoops into a 3-2 lead.
Liam Scales replaced Auston Trusty at the start of the second-half that went goal crazy. Taylor sparked it off in the 56th minute with a low drive from the edge of the box after a Paulo Bernardo right-wing corner-kick.
The defender, attempting to atone for his earlier howler, smashed in a shot that took a nudge off Nico Raskin before wrong-footing Butland on its way to the back of the net.
Inside three-and-a-half-minutes on the hour mark, Rodgers’ men were ahead after Maeda snapped onto a loose clearance from Propper, hurtled away from Leon Balagun, drew Butland from his line and then stroked the ball home with unerring accuracy.
Eleven minutes later, Rodgers introduced Anthony Ralston and Arne Engels to the action as they replaced Alistair Johnston and Paulo Bernardo.
Schmeichel then produced two excellent saves to deny Mohamed Diomande and Vaclav Cerny before some astonishingly slack defensive play allowed Diamande time and space to twist and scored a second goal in the 78th minute.
SILVERWARE CELTS…captain Callum McGregor and boss Brendan Rodgers proudly hold aloft the newly-won Premier Sports League Cup.
Rodgers reacted immediately to send on Idah for Kyogo and three minutes from time he saw his team take the lead for the second time. Engels expertly teed up Kuhn as he arrived in the box and the winger fired past the stranded Butland.
Celtic’s flaws on this occasion were exposed with two minutes when Danilo was allowed space in front of Schmeichel to head in a right-wing cross from Cerny.
That forced extra-time, James Forrest came on for Kuhn and added to his impressive medal haul thanks to the heroics of Schmeichel and the spot-kick expertise of Maeda.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston (sub: Ralston 71), Carter-Vickers, Trusty (sub: Scales 46) Taylor; Bernardo (sub: Engels 71), McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn (sub: Forrest 106), Kyogo (sub: Idah (78), Maeda.
GOVAN AND HELL…Brendan Rodgers seethes as he watches an x-certificate performance from Celtic.
January 2 2025: Premiership:
RANGERS 3 CELTIC 0
THE only positive Celtic can take from this truly awful performance at Ibrox this afternoon is that they cannot be so bad again for the rest of 2025.
Right from the start, the champions were off the pace, predictable and picked off by eager opponents with something to prove.
It was hardly a surprise that the hosts were allowed to take a sixth-minute lead after a horrendous pass forward by Scales. His wayward ball was intercepted and Nico Raskin brushed aside a puny challenge from Bernardo as he surged forward.
He knocked a pass in front of Ianis Hagi and his crisp, low left-foot drive from 20 yards crept in at Kasper Schmeichel’s left-hand post as the Dane threw himself across his line.
The nearest the Hoops came to a goal came in stoppage-time when Hatate first-timed a clearance at goal, but Liam Kelly was well placed to push the drive to safety.
It didn’t get much better after the turnaround. Kyogo did have the ball in the net in the 53rd minute after a lovely touch and turn to leave Kelly helpless, but, alas, the Japanese striker had strayed just offside before Bernardo pitched in his pass.
In the 66th minute, the hosts scored a second goal after some deplorable defending at a right-wing corner-kick from Cerny. Raskin was allowed a free header that was cleared off the line straight to Robin Propper who was unmarked in front of goal to thump the ball in.
Nine minutes from time, Luke McCowan allowed Jefte to take the ball off him, race forward and have a shot at goal.
Carter-Vickers blocked the drive, but it ricocheted to Danilo and, with practically his first kick of the ball, he belted No.3 past the stranded Schmeichel.
Unfortunately, it must be said Celtic got what they deserved – zilch.
They will just have to console themselves with an 11-point advantage at the Premiership pinnacle.
But Brendan Rodgers and his players have some questions to answer after this totally unacceptable performance.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; Bernardo (sub: McCowan 64), McGregor, Hatate (sub: Engels 75); Kuhn, Kyogo (sub: Idah 64) and Maeda.
