Jota saluted Celtic’s entire unit after his strike edged Celtic closer to a dream Treble.
The Portuguese star nodded his 14th goal of the season to surge his team into the June showpiece against Inverness. Jota’s first-half header sank Rangers just three weeks after he had bagged the winner against the Light Blues in the Premiership. The winger has made a habit of delivering on the big occasions since arriving at Parkhead from Benfica and came good when it counted once more at Hampden.
Potentially, Celtic are now just two games from a Treble triumph with one more win guaranteeing the title before the Scottish Cup Final with the Highlanders. Jota is taking one step at a time and said: “There are still games to play and we need to keep winning to achieve that. We know every time we win we are closer to achieving that.”
He praised the group and said: “I’m very happy. The most important was to achieve the win to give us a passage to the final and I’m just proud of the boys. It’s a real achievement and we go again.
“I know the most important is always the win and as long as we keep doing our thing and stick with our principles we will be a very good quality team inside the pitch.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we were well prepared. We put in a shift and I am proud of the boys. In the big games we show the best version of ourselves and this was no different.
“For the goal, that’s the moment of the game, but we knew what positions we have to occupy in the pitch and thankfully I was there to finish. I think sometimes people only look at the guys who score or get the assists.
“But CCV [Cameron Carter-Vickers] and Carl [Starfelt] have been fantastic and people don’t know the sacrifices Cameron makes to play games for us. I am proud to have him in the team and he is someone that I like playing with and he helps us a lot. A Treble? We just worry about the next game and then what will come will come.”
Captain Callum McGregor played a key part in the goal with a quick free-kick which got Celtic on their way before Daizen Maeda and Jota punished Rangers sloppiness.
The winning skipper said: “We had a quick restart, we have been really successful with them. We tried to set up Matt O’Riley, one against one. Another thing is counter-press for us. The Rangers boy was on his heels, but Daizen was alive and he stood up a brilliant ball for Jota.
“We want wingers to get into the back post trying to read the next pass and it is so difficult to defend when you arrive at pace and it was a brilliant finish. During the chaos of the game we implemented three aspects of the game you look for for a goal.”
Celtic’s win means they are now six unbeaten against their biggest rivals and McGregor continued: “It makes you confident, but it doesn’t count for much when the occasion comes. You have to turn up, be competitive and be aggressive to try and play your football.
“If you don’t play well you won’t progress to the next round. You can take confidence from being unbeaten, but you have to go again.
“We tried to implement our style and in the second half we had to show something different. We were so good defensively and we defended the box so well. Rangers changed their shape a little bit which was difficult to deal with.
“They hoped for a second-ball situation, get some shots off, so it was different for us and we had to adapt. When it is tough like that you have to dig in.
“You can talk about pretty football but sometimes you have to dig in and get through them and it shows another side to the group.”
Manager Ange Postecoglou was animated at full-time as he celebrated and McGregor admits the current run of success is all down to the boss who has been sensational since taking charge almost two years ago.
He said: “Everyone was wondering who he was, he wasn’t renowned in European football and people were asking questions. The minute the gaffer came into the club you could see his quality. He has that authority, he speaks so well and calmly.
“That’s what you need as players. The game is emotional but you need him to be calm and he is. For players the clarity of it is so important.
“In these games we are ready to play. The gaffer said to us to stay in the game. In the latter stages of the first half we were getting through the spaces and the message was more of the same.
“We had to show what we were about by winning duels and tackles and doing the other side of the game. Sometimes it can be chaotic and you have to stand up for the group.”
