Kyogo was the difference for Celtic as they fended off a Rangers fightback to retain the Viaplay Cup in a breathless final at Hampden.
The Japanese star put the holders 2-0 up before Alfredo Morelos pulled one back and a 2-1 final score. The thunderous atmosphere lent itself to a nervy start as both sides settled into the occasion. Daizen Maeda sent a wayward cross behind for a goal-kick in a dangerous position and John Lundstram had a chance at the other end but couldn't force his shot through a sea of green and white.
Rangers found their feet quicker than their rivals and were the better side for the first 20 minutes, seeing more of the ball than Ange Postecoglou's team who were uncharacteristically slack in their passing. Michael Beale's team were there to take advantage of every slip too and their quick, decisive counter-attacks looked like the best bet for where the first goal would come from. Once the Hoops did find their feet though, Allan McGregor found himself a busy man. He was quick off his line to deny Kyogo after a long ball caught Connor Goldson and Ben Davies napping and was in action again just seconds later to push a powerful Jota effort wide.
Rangers were getting plenty of joy down Greg Taylor's flank and they were inches from the opener when James Tavernier fizzed one across goal. Carter-Vickers had to deal with it and cut it out at the front post and hearts were in mouths as directed it behind, just past Joe Hart's near post.
Kyogo was looking increasingly dangerous as the interval approached and after spurning two big chances, it was him who found the opener. He sent one into the side netting after Aaron Mooy picked Ryan Kent's pocket and headed another over the bar from an Alistair Johnston cross before a beautiful move down the left saw Taylor's cross find Daizen Maeda, who selflessly laid it off for a tap-in.
As the smoke settled, literally, after the half-time break, Ryan Kent thought he had an equaliser after bursting in behind but his dragged effort across goal agonisingly hit the post. Fashion Sakala looked dead-set to bury the follow-up, but he failed to adjust his feet and scooped it into the side netting, to that familiar chorus of disbelieving groans at one end of the ground and ironic cheers at the other that only a 50/50 split at the national stadium can bring.
It was a missed chance they were left to rue just five minutes later. Kyogo might not have been 100 per cent fit but he was 100 per cent up for it and busted a gut to get in front of Borna Barisic and bundle Reo Hatate's low cross home.
But as Aberdeen found out so brutally early on in the Michael Beale era, isn't a Rangers team, this isn't a Rangers team who know when they are beaten. They were given a chance to get back into the game after Alistair Johnston handled Borna Barisic's cross and clutched it with both hands, Morelos reacting quickest after James Tavernier's set-piece delivery caused all sorts of carnage and bringing the blue half of Hampden back to life.
The skipper then hit the wall with a free-kick from the edge of the box as the Ibrox side frantically chased an equaliser but the comeback ultimately wasn't to be for Gers who came up short against a Celtic team who just know how to get it done on this stage.
Here are Record Sport's 5 talking points...
Topsy turf-y
Much was made of the turf heading into this one after heavy criticism for the state of it during the Scottish Cup semi-finals last month, and while the managers said ahead of the game that it looked better, it still wasn't great at all. And then, as pitches do, it got worse as the game went on.
By half-time, it was visibly affecting the play with unpredictable bobbles making it difficult for players to string passes together. Beale said in his press conference during the week he was relieved there wasn't a game on before them this time around but if this is how it's going to be when it's fresh then huge improvements are needed before those Scotland games next month.
Worth the risk?
How do you stop someone when you don't know what he's going to do, and couldn't do anything about it even if you did?
We've seen Kyogo score the same four-yard tap-in countless times and while his two strikes here fell into that category, the key difference between them just about summed him up. His first goal came from a clever checked run that left Ben Davies in no man's land. His second came from pure determination, wanting the ball more than Barisic and making it count.
Kyogo went off after just 19 minutes against Aberdeen but if there was any risk for Postecoglou in starting him then it was a risk that paid off here. It's now 26 goals for the season for a man who couldn't stop scoring if he tried.
The status quo
Given how Rangers have matched Celtic blow for blow since Beale took over from Gio van Bronckhorst, there was never going to be too much in this one and so it proved in another even derby clash. Both teams had chances and the nine-point gap between the sides certainly wasn't reflected in the play as they went at it hammer and tong - one of the positives Beale will undoubtedly take when the dust settles.
But while Rangers are in a phase of transition, Celtic are more settled, established and used to winning trophies. That ultimately showed as they won the League Cup for the sixth time in eight years and kept the winning momentum ticking over.
The two sides of Alfredo Morelos
Oh yes, Alfredo Morelos is back and in more ways than one. From the first whistle, the Colombian was straight into it with Cameron Carter-Vickers and gave the American more of a game than virtually any striker in the SPFL has since his move from Spurs 18 months ago. He got his goal to show for it too, only his third against Celtic and one that will do his rapidly returning confidence the world of good.
He'd run himself into the ground and Beale gave Antonio Colak a run out for the final 15 minutes. That led to the sight of Morelos storming off the pitch and kicking a suitcase in frustration.
Given the high emotions that come with such an intense fixture, it won't have been too much of a concern for Beale who will know the striker needs a fire in his belly to play at his best. But it was a sign that the hotheaded Morelos who Gio van Bronckhorst didn't fancy hasn't quite gone away.
Battle down the left
James Tavernier vs Daizen Maeda was always going to be one of the key battles here and it didn't half play out that way. The Rangers skipper had to be on his toes to keep his electric pace under wraps but that's a tall order for just about anybody.
A darting run inside from Maeda led to the opening goal and at times he had too much space - particularly with Greg Taylor overlapping and Fashion Sakala in front of him not giving the skipper the cover he needed to handle the onslaught at times.
The Rangers right-wing duo often gave as good as they got. Sakala was no stranger to an explosive charge of his own that left Taylor with plenty of running to do. But it was a battle Celtic won in the end and arguably the reason it's green and white ribbons on the trophy.
READ NEXT
