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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

World media reacts as Rangers served up crushing Celtic truth from Croatia to Malaysia amid madcap new moniker

It's the game which garners attention across the globe and Sunday's latest encounter didn't disappoint.

The action from Hampden between Rangers and Celtic was beamed across the globe – after the plumes of smoke cleared from all the pyro – and it was relished on every continent as punters and the world media kept a keen eye on the Scottish Cup semi final. And they watched Ange Postecoglou's side outlast their rivals with a gritty effort highlighted by Jota's winner.

The only strike was pure Postecoglou. His 'Never Stop' mantra was in full view as Rangers snoozed and Celtic didn't lose when Maeda produced an incredible cross for the his fellow wing king to nod past the helpless Allan McGregor. The Treble is on and now Michael Beale's mega rebuild can begin. But how did the watching eyes from elsewhere view it? Record Sport runs the rule over the best reaction.

Voetbal International (Netherlands)

Rangers and Celtic matches have been called plenty but hated fellow townsman? That's a new one but the almost whimsical nature of it gives it potential staying power. They wrote: "Celtic have qualified for the final of the Scottish Cup. The Bhoys settled with the smallest difference on Sunday with their eternal arch-rival Rangers. The game unfolded as you expected it: a lot of tension in the legs, few flashes of class, fighting spirit for starters and a deafening noise in the stands of Hampden Park. Celtic showed themselves to be the better team.

"Celtic held on and took revenge for last season, when it was the hated fellow townsman who went on to win the cup semi-final. Since then, Celtic have not lost to Rangers, and this game also provides scenes of joy in East Glasgow. The final against Inverness is on Saturday 3 June. Ange Postecoglou's team, already record winner with forty Scottish Cups, then has an excellent opportunity to win another cup."

Trivela (Brazil)

South America was on alert as well. The Brazilian outlet wrote: "The atmosphere at Hampden Park would already be spectacular, with the stadium divided by the two fans. The parties in green and blue would win the air behind each goal. Celtic took a step forward in the first half, with the goal in the 42nd minute. Nicolas Raskin only stopped the body to stop the green and white attack, but Rangers' defence also dozed off and Daizen Maeda punished. The attacker took advantage of the loose ball in the area and crossed to Jota's header, alone on the second stick, towards the net. The Teddy Bears pressed for an equaliser in the second half, to no avail. Joe Hart made two decisive saves and even got lucky when James Tavernier stamped the post. It was important in the classification."

Sport 1 (Germany)

It's good to put a number on it and this outlet remind us just how many times these great rivals have locked horns. They wrote: "In the 435th edition of the Old Firm Derby in a sold-out Hampden, the Portuguese Jota scored the decisive goal (42nd) and seal a win over arch-rivals and defending champions Glasgow Rangers."

HRT (Croatia)

If Rangers fans weren't already feeling the blues then this quick synopsis of their predicament and Celtic's domination will do it. They said: "As Celtic have already won the League Cup earlier this season, and five rounds before the end of the championship they have 13 points more than second-placed Rangers, Celtic will have a chance to win the triple crown in Scotland this season against the second division Inverness."

Pro Sport (Romania)

A Hagi-centric view which summed up the woe for Beale and Co. They wrote: "The 24-year-old Romanian international was unable to do much to avoid failure for his team. For Rangers, this defeat against their great rival is all the more painful as they also lost the duel with them in the championship, where Celtic currently has a lead of 13 points after 33 stages. Moreover, they were defeated by the this season and in the final of the League Cup at the end of February, score 1-2.

(SNS Group)

"On the other hand, for Ianis Hagi there is also a good part after this defeat in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup. The Romanian attacking midfielder is starting to tick off minutes game after game at Rangers, a sign that he could soon return to the regular player he was in the group at Ibrox Park before that terrible knee injury."

Nemzeti Sport (Hungary)

The outlet bigged up Rangers' desire to find a way back but they were left with no doubt who Scottish football's top dogs are. "The two long-established clubs met at Hampden Park, Scotland's national stadium. In the first half, Rangers did not hit Celtic's goal once, the rivals on three occasions, and Jota's header also scored a goal. In the second half, the picture of the game changed, Rangers created more and more opportunities, while Celtic had much less success reaching their rival's goal. Despite this, they managed to hold on to his advantage, thus advancing to the final with a 1–0 victory."

Sinar Harian (Malaysia)

You wouldn't blame Daizen Maeda for letting out a sigh for not getting a mention in the description of Jota's goal. They wrote: "Celtic scored the opener minutes before half-time after Jota scored with a simple header. A struggling Rangers put up a fierce second-half fightback, but Celtic calmly held on to book their place in the final against Second Division club Inverness Caledonian Thistle next."

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