Borna Barisic has urged Rangers to do whatever it takes to beat Celtic on Sunday and banish the regrets of their 2019 Hampden heartache.
The Old Firm square off in this weekend’s Viaplay Cup final - just as they did a little over three years ago at the same stage of the competition. It proved to be a harrowing night at the national stadium for the Ibrox outfit as they dominated the 90 minutes yet still ended up empty handed after Christopher Jullien’s controversial winner snatched the trophy back to Celtic Park. Now as they prepare to do it all over again, Barisic hopes his side have learned from that past anguish as he revealed he is determined this time the outcome will be different.
Barisic - one of 10 survivors from Steven Gerrard’s line-up still on the Light Blues’ books under new boss Michael Beale - said: “The lesson is this – it’s not about a pretty game. It’s not about who has played better - it’s just about winning. We can talk now about how we played better, which is true - but they won the trophy and we didn’t, so it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is winning the trophy on Sunday. This way, or another way. I hope we have learned from the last time.
“We knew that before, but when you experience that on your skin then you figure out that the only thing that is important is winning the game. As you can see we are still talking about this game, three years after.
“It doesn’t matter that we played well, they won the trophy.”
Gers were looking to break their eight year trophy duck as former boss Gerrard lead them out at Hampden. His side had more than enough opportunities to rage ahead but when they failed to land a telling blow, the Ibrox side left themselves open to a sucker punch as Jullien’s strike header put Neil Lennon’s Hoops in front midway through the second half.
Even then, Rangers should have forced the 10-man Parkhead outfit to go the distance through extra-time after Jeremie Frimpong was sent-off But they came up short as Alfredo Morelos blew another chance to level from the penalty spot, with man of the match Fraser Forster fulfilling the role as Celtic’s saviour in between the sticks.
It was a bitter experience but Barisic insists Rangers are full of confidence as they build up to this season’s first domestic showpiece. The Croatian ace - whose side are unbeaten in 14 games since Beale’s appointment - said: “I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s obviously a very big game for us. For the team, for the club and for the fans, it is a big game.
“It’s an opportunity to win another trophy, we have experience, It’s hard to say the last time and blame people for not having the experience.
“It happens, sometimes you don’t score and you don’t take your chances, they scored with their one chance, it's not the first time you have seen that in football.
“The perspective from that game, the thing you can learn the most is that it doesn’t matter who plays better. It only matters who brings the trophy home.”
