Celtic vs Rangers LIVE: Scottish League Cup final team news and ...
The first silverware of the Scottish season is on the line as the Old Firm rivals collide in the Scottish League Cup final.
Celtic and Rangers meet at Hampden Park as the competition’s two most successful clubs renew hostilities in Glasgow. Philippe Clement may be yet to test victory in this fixture since arriving at Ibrox but it is his side who are the defending champions after a narrow win against Aberdeen last December. Their hopes of victory today were also boosted by a highly encouraging showing in the Europa League, with a draw against Tottenham the latest in a string of good performances in Europe.
Domestically, though, it is the defending Scottish Premiership champions who are streaking clear. Celtic are yet to lose in the league this season and are already nine points clear of their closest challengers with a game in hand. Having missed out on this trophy last year, Brendan Rodgers will be looking to keep his hopes of winning a third treble at the club alive having previously achieved the feat in both 2017 and 2018.
Follow all of the latest from the Scottish League Cup final in our live blog below:
Rangers boss Philippe Clement has made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Spurs in the Europa League.
In defence, John Souttar drops out for Leon Balogun, while on the wing, Rıdvan Yılmaz has been replaced by Ianis Hagi.
Chris Wilson15 December 2024 14:30
Celtic line up with the exact same 11 as that which drew 0-0 to Dinamo Zagreb in midweek.
It’s a 4-3-3, with Callum McGregor playing as the more central midfielder and Paulo Bernardo and Reo Hatate on either side of the captain.
Up front, Kyogo Furuhashi starts centrally with Daizen Maeda on the left and Nicolas Kühn on the right.
Chris Wilson15 December 2024 14:25
Rangers XI: Butland, Tavernier, Balogun, Propper, Jefte, Diomande, Raskin, Hagi, Bajrami, Cerny, Igamane.
Subs: Kelly, Ridvan, Barron, Dessers, Dowell, Sterling, King, Danilo, McCausland.
Chris Wilson15 December 2024 14:19
Celtic XI: Schmeichel; Johnson, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor, McGregor, Bernardo, Hatate, Kuhn, Maeda, Kyogo.
Subs: Sinisalo, Scales, Palma, Valle, Idah, Yang, Engels, Forrest, Ralston.
Chris Wilson15 December 2024 14:17
Both these sides were in midweek action in Europe, with Rangers’ tie perhaps the more eyecatching one despite being in the lower competition.
As for Celtic, they also drew, with their 0-0 scoreline at Dinamo Zagreb meaning they sit 21st in the Champions League, above the likes of Man City and level on points with Real Madrid. Another positive result in their remaining two games is still required to ensure they make the playoffs - they need top 24 for that.
Karl Matchett15 December 2024 14:15
Celtic have again been the dominant force in Scottish football of late, winning the title in 12 of the last 13 seasons. Since 2017 they’ve also won the Scottish Cup six times and the League Cup the same amount, which naturally means Rangers’ own trophy cupboard has had fewer additions recently.
The 2020/21 SPL title was theirs, so too the 2022 Scottish Cup and as mentioned, last season’s League Cup.
They finished runners-up in the Europa League too in ‘22 but there’s no trophy for that. They’d certainly like to add more silverware today to skew the balance a little more.
Karl Matchett15 December 2024 14:00
The League Cup route this season for both teams:
Celtic
Rangers
Karl Matchett15 December 2024 13:45
So, 2024/25 then: The sides met in the SPL derby back in September and it was a very routine win for Celtic that time, 3-0 with Maeda, Furuhashi and McGregor all scoring. Rangers had a few out injured but the gulf in the sides was evident.
That was the 442nd meeting between the sides, with Celtic now winning 170, Rangers 169 and 103 finishing draws.
In this competition, the League Cup, it’s 25 wins for Celtic, 24 for Rangers and two draws from 51 meetings.
What will the 52nd bring?
Karl Matchett15 December 2024 13:30
Before we get into this season, worth remembering these two met in the Scottish Cup final at the end of last term - Celtic emerged victorious that day to complete a league and cup double.
Adam Idah scored a last-minute goal to settle the match 1-0, with 12 yellow cards shown - but no reds.
That was the first Old Firm meeting in a Scottish Cup final since 2002; now a few months on we’ve got another in another competition.
Karl Matchett15 December 2024 13:15
In the Scottish Premiership this season, there’s a bit of a gulf between the two sides.
Celtic are top on 43 points having drawn once and won 14 times from 15 games - that relentlessness has them a massive 12 points ahead of Rangers, who have lost three times this season.
The Gers are also only third in the table, as they trail Aberdeen by two points, though they do have a game in hand on the Dons.
They’ve won their last three in the league, scoring ten and conceding none in the process, to mark a definite uptick in consistency of late, but Celtic can merely point to their win streak currently standing at seven in the SPL.
In all competitions Rangers are nine unbeaten including a 1-1 draw with Tottenham in midweek, while Celtic are 14 unbeaten since a 7-1 thrashing - their only loss this term - at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Karl Matchett15 December 2024 13:00
