The Scottish League Cup has given us an early season Old Firm derby as Rangers and Celtic face off in the quarter-finals. There will be no away fans inside Ibrox this afternoon, following a SPFL ruling, but there will be no shortage of tension and ire between two teams who head into the game off the back of impressive winning runs.
For Rangers manager Derek McInnes, he has shaken off a poor start in the job to win four on the bounce ahead of a reunion with Martin O’Neill for the first time since Celtic denied former side Hearts a famous title win on the final day of last season. Rangers have not won a trophy since 2024, while the League Cup was the only piece of silverware to elude Celtic last season.
O’Neill rested some players in midweek in preparation for today’s game, while Rangers have a decision to make in attack due to a spate of injuries. Bragging rights are, once again, on the line, ahead of these two doing it all again in the league next Sunday. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis!
Rangers vs Celtic latest news
- GOAL! Neil at the double with Rangers in dreamland
- NO GOAL! VAR rules out a Rangers third
- GOAL! Kelsy drills home a second!
- GOAL! Neil breaks the deadlock with deserved opener
13:53 , Alex Young
Rangers are into the League Cup semi-finals. And it was never in doubt, from the first minute.
Rangers 3-0 Celtic
13:53 , Alex Young
95min: Full-time! It’s a drubbing!
Rangers 3-0 Celtic
13:51 , Alex Young
93min: Rangers fans are cheering every pass.
Rangers 3-0 Celtic
13:48 , Alex Young
91min: Four minutes added on.
Rangers 3-0 Celtic
13:44 , Alex Young
85min: Neil off to a heroes’ reception, replaced by Dragojevic.
Rangers 3-0 Celtic
13:36 , Alex Young
77min: Oh, here we go. Scuffles on the touchline between the players after Hassan is dragged back by Sterling and then has a football kicked at him when on the floor.
GOAL!
13:34 , Alex Young
76min: Neil has done it again! The captain, in his first Old Firm derby, curls home from the edge of the area!
Again, like his first, he is just given far too much time to pick his spot.
Highlights: Kelsey fires home Rangers' second
13:30 , Alex Young
A bullet finish!
"What a moment for the Venezuelan!" 🎙️
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 13, 2026
Kevin Kelsy doubles @RangersFC's lead and the home side have tightened their grip on this Quarter Final now 🔵#PremierSportsCup | @spfl pic.twitter.com/nj4EkKG0gf
Rangers 2-0 Celtic
13:28 , Alex Young
70min: Rangers should have a third but Fernandez cannot get enough of a touch on a smart ball across the face of goal.
Rangers 2-0 Celtic
13:28 , Alex Young
69min: Celtic haven’t laid a glove on Rangers this half.
Rangers 2-0 Celtic
13:22 , Alex Young
65min: Double change for Celtic as Oxlade-Chamberlain and Forrest are on for Hogh and Nygren.
NO GOAL!
13:22 , Alex Young
63min: Rangers were in dreamland briefly as Gassama heads home, but Raskin is offside in the build-up.
Rangers 2-0 Celtic
13:20 , Alex Young
62min: A VAR check confirms the goal after suggestions of an offside.
Ibrox is rocking!
GOAL!
13:18 , Alex Young
60min: That might be that as Kelsey drills home on the volley at the back post!
A great cross from Penrice is half-cleared by Carter-Vickers, and the ball falls to an unmarked Kelsey.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
13:16 , Alex Young
59min: Better!
This is becoming a Sam Johnstone play-by-play, as he first denies Kim one-on-one, and then is alert to the follow-up.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
13:15 , Alex Young
58min: Rangers fans are jeering Johnstone every time he gets the ball.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
13:12 , Alex Young
54min: Rangers still look the most likely to score the next goal.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
13:09 , Alex Young
49min: Argh, again poor from Johnstone who flaps at a Rangers cross under little pressure and concedes a corner. He surely could have caught that.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
13:08 , Alex Young
48min: Much better from Johnstone as he saves well from a blistering Kim Min-Su shot.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
13:06 , Alex Young
47min: One change for Celtic as Tounekti is replaced by Haissem Hassan.
Second half
13:05 , Alex Young
46min: What do Celtic have in response?
12:53 , Alex Young
A fully deserved half-time lead for Rangers, who took advantage of a nervy Celtic side... and should probably be further ahead.
Celtic need to make changes at the break, and one in goal would be unthinkable but potentially necessary.
Half-time!
12:47 , Alex Young
47min: There’s the whistle.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:46 , Alex Young
45min: One minute added on.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:43 , Alex Young
42min: Nygren, on a booking, collides with Raskin in the centre of the pitch,
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:42 , Alex Young
38min: Johnstone is not enjoying his first Old Firm derby.
He gets closed down by Naderi after a poor back pass from Carter-Vickers, and gets about survives by hitting his rushed clearance off the striker.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:35 , Alex Young
34min: Gassama races down the left flank, looks up, opts against a cross and then runs the ball out of play.
Highlights: Rangers opener
12:34 , Alex Young
Watch Dan Neil’s goal below.
It's @RangersFC who take the lead! 🔵
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 13, 2026
A brilliant finish from Dan Neil and Ibrox ERUPTS! 💥#PremierSportsCup | @spfl pic.twitter.com/h0k7QkKiSl
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:29 , Alex Young
28min: Free header for Fernandez from the free kick, but heads well over.
That was a real chance.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:28 , Alex Young
27min: Donovan is now booked for wiping out Gassama on the left-hand side of the penalty area.
Rangers 1-0 Celtic
12:28 , Alex Young
25min: Duran tries to hit back immediately, but his weak shot from the edge of the area is straight at Pandur.
12:27 , Alex Young
First Old Firm derby, first Old Firm derby goal.
GOAL!
12:24 , Alex Young
22min: It’s been coming, and it’s the captain!
Neil has all the time in the world to pick his spot and fire home from the edge of the area.
Really bad defending from Celtic. Really bad.
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:20 , Alex Young
19min: First booking of the game goes to Nygren, who is late on Kelsy. Looks fairly cut and dry, that one.
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:17 , Alex Young
16min: Another error from Johnstone who flaps at a cross, gets nowhere near it and Kim quickly fires at goal only for Scales to clear off the line!
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:13 , Alex Young
12min: Fantastic pass from Donovan to find Hogh on the edge of the area, but the striker slips when trying to control the ball. Duran pounces and does well to carve open a shooting opportunity, which rolls wide.
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:10 , Alex Young
9min: Duran tries to start a counter but hits a ball forward off Gassama and out for a throw.
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:08 , Alex Young
7min: Celtic are wobbling as McGregor gives the ball straight to Kelsy, who is then wiped out by McGregor.
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:06 , Alex Young
5min: The press almost works as Johnstone fluffs his lines and passes straight to Kelsy inside the area, but he flashes the follow up wide.
Rangers 0-0 Celtic
12:05 , Alex Young
3min: A blistering atmosphere from the home fans, urging their team on early doors as the hosts press their visitors.
Kick-off!
12:01 , Alex Young
1min: Here we go!
12:01 , Alex Young
Right then, shall we?
11:56 , Alex Young
‘Fight and never fear’ reads the huge pre-match banner as the players wait to enter the pitch.
11:50 , Alex Young
It will be a very interesting atmosphere at Ibrox today, with no away fans. How will the Celtic players react? Will it affect the Rangers players?
11:45 , Alex Young
Just 15 minutes to go.
Fernandez to Premier Sports
11:41 , Alex Young
“The main thing is staying together and sticking togethering throughout the game.
“We know Celtic’s threats, it’s about being a team and stopping any opportunities for them.
“It’s a derby, it’s a big game. Players know we need to be at our best to win the game but the manager gives us the trust and confidence to go out there and do that."
McInnes on Rangers XI
11:34 , Alex Young
"Minsu Kim is ahead of Badredine Bouanani on fitness and match sharpness. It's important we take the crowd with us.
“[The fans have] got to see a team on the pitch who believes they can win, set out to win and are aggressive in what they do."
11:25 , Alex Young
Just over half an hour until kick-off.
11:09 , Alex Young
Rangers fans are arriving. There will be no Celtic fans, with all away supporters banned from Old Firm derbies this season.
Rangers formation questions
10:59 , Alex Young
What formation has Rangers gone for today?
With Kevin Kelsy and Ryan Don Naderi both starting, Rangers could line up in a 4-4-2 formation. However, Derrek McInnes could instead stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 system, with Naderi operating behind Kelsy as no10.
Djeidi Gassama would provide width on one flank, with Kim Min-Su potentially occupying the other attacking position.
Celtic have a new No1
10:57 , Alex Young
Camilo Duran and Sebastian Tounekti start either side of Kasper Hogh in attack for Celtic. The decision means Haissem Hassan drops to the bench.
Sam Johnstone now appears to be first-choice goalkeeper after making his Celtic debut against St Johnstone.
Confirmed team news in full
10:52 , Alex Young
Rangers XI: Pandur, Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice, Neil, Raskin, Minsu, Gassama, Kelsy, Naderi
Subs: Kelly, McCrorie, Godfrey, Dragojevic, Devlin, Chukwuani, Curtis, Bouanani, Miovski
Celtic XI: Johnstone, Donovan, Carter Vickers, Scales, Tierney, Baur, McGregor, Nygren, Tounekti, Duran, Hogh
Subs: Sinisalo, Lotomba, Trusty, Sørensen, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hassan, Mheuka, Murray, Forrest
Celtic XI
10:48 , Alex Young
...and the visitors!
📋 Your Celtic team for the #PremierSportsCup Glasgow Derby ⤵️#RANCEL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/96CUSDhUxx
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 13, 2026
Rangers XI
10:47 , Alex Young
Here’s how the hosts look!
💙 Our Starting XI at Ibrox.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) September 13, 2026
📋 Team News | https://t.co/8EWpveSBva pic.twitter.com/I1M5ats4H9
Martin O'Neill on what he expects from Rangers
10:34 , Alex Young
“They’ll be strong. I think they’ll be robust.
“I think they’ll be ready to go and we need to be able to match that.”
'We’ve got to bring the crowd with us'
10:22 , Alex Young
Derek McInnes wants Rangers to “bring the crowd with us” in Sunday’s Old Firm clash at Ibrox.
Only Rangers fans are allowed in the 50,000-capacity Ibrox for the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Celtic at the order of the authorities amid a ticket allocation spat between the two Glasgow giants.
"We’ve got to bring the crowd with us," said McInnes. “You’re not going to play Celtic and dominate the game for 90 minutes. We’ll have spells, they’ll have spells, it’s just the way it is.
“I think it’s important that we tap into having that 50,000 behind us and be behind the players, support them, have their backs, not be on their backs and really make it as tough for Celtic as possible.
“We recognise Celtic are a good team who have been the main title winners and the team that’s picked up more trophies than any other club in recent years.
“We just want to make sure that we give ourselves a chance to be relevant domestically again in terms of winning trophies, and Sunday gives us a chance to take a step towards that.”
Score prediction
10:10 , Alex Young
Rangers may have finally found their feet this season, with four wins on the spin, but still look unconvincing at times and remain a work in progress.
Celtic, meanwhile, are unbeaten in domestic competition this season and have avoided defeat in each of their last three meetings with Rangers.
With the visitors carrying greater momentum and boasting the stronger recent record in this fixture, Celtic should have enough about them to beat their Old Firm rivals.
Celtic to win, 3-1
Predicted XIs
10:00 , Alex Young
Rangers predicted line-up: Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Bouanani, Naderi, Gassama; Miovski
Celtic predicted line-up: Johnstone; Donovan, Murray, Trusty, Scales; McGregor, Baur; Hassan, Nygren, Duran; Hogh
Early Celtic team news
09:51 , Alex Young
Celtic will also be without Callum Osmand, Alistair Johnston and Jota, with the trio continuing to recover from injury problems.
Kasper Hogh returned to the starting line-up in midweek after missing three matches through injury. The summer signing is expected to keep his place in attack when Celtic travel to Ibrox on Sunday.
Martin O'Neill will hope Hogh can provide a focal point in attack as Celtic look to maintain their strong run of form and secure a place in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals.
Early Rangers team news
09:43 , Alex Young
Rangers will be without Tuur Rommens, Youssef Chermiti, Jose Cifuentes and Lawrence Shankland, with the quartet continuing to recover from injury problems.
Bojan Miovski could be handed a starting role after scoring the late winner against St Mirren in Rangers' previous outing. The striker may partner Ryan Don Naderi in attack as manager Derek McInnes looks to maintain his side's winning run.
Badredine Bouanani and Djeidi Gassama are expected to retain their places on the wings, with Rangers hoping their attacking options can make the difference against Celtic in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final.
How to watch Rangers vs Celtic
09:35 , Alex Young
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Premier Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11am BST ahead of a 12pm kick-off.
Live stream: Premier Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Premier Sports app and website.
Rangers vs Celtic LIVE
09:29 , Alex Young
Hello and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage as Rangers host Old Firm rivals Celtic at Ibrox in a Scottish League Cup quarter-final.
The Gers beat St Mirren 5-1 in the previous round, while Celtic defeated Dundee United 4-0.
Rangers have recovered from a difficult start under Derek McInnes, winning their last four matches after failing to win their opening four games of the season.
Celtic are also enjoying a four-match winning run following their disappointing Champions League exit. Martin O'Neill's side suffered a dramatic 5-4 aggregate defeat by LASK Linz after surrendering a four-goal advantage, but that remains their only loss this season.
Celtic will be confident despite their recent struggles at Ibrox, where they have failed to win on their last six visits. No away supporters will be permitted at the fixture this season following disorder at last term's Scottish FA Cup meeting.
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