Celtic's cup dreams ended in Ibrox on Sunday with a heavy 3-0 defeat to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final. Dan Neil scored twice, Kevin Kelsy added the third, and manager Martin O'Neill admitted his side were "well beaten on the day", acknowledging that too many players fell well below the required standard.
Celtic's Premier Sports Cup campaign ended in defeat at Ibrox on Sunday 13 September, with Rangers winning 3-0 at noon UK time. Dan Neil scored twice (59' and 75') with Kevin Kelsy adding a third in between. Celtic were out-thought and out-fought throughout, never matching Rangers' intensity in midfield.
Source: The 42
Speaking after the defeat, manager Martin O'Neill accepted Rangers' dominance without excuse. "We were well beaten on the day," he said. "Rangers were stronger than us and deserved to win. We had players today who were below par, and well below par, and that's not a great mix."
Source: Celts Are Here
67 Hail Hail's match ratings reflected the magnitude of the performance failure, with Kasper Hogh, Callum McGregor and Sebastian Tounekti all receiving 0/10 scores. Haissem Hassan was the sole performer to receive a pass, earning a 7/10 for his impact off the bench.
Source: 67 Hail Hail
Pundit Chris Sutton slammed Celtic after the match, describing the side as "bullied" and "mauled" by Rangers—a stark departure from the pre-match optimism despite injury concerns and the away-fan restrictions.
Source: 67 Hail Hail
Celtic entered the Rangers match without Alistair Johnston (hamstring) and several others ruled out, while Cameron Carter-Vickers was recalled after resting midweek. Kasper Hogh led the line but made little impact in a performance that disappointed across the board.
Source: Sky Sports
Fan channels expressed dismay at the scale of the defeat and the gulf in intensity between the sides. Rather than dwell on what was lost, supporters quickly shifted focus to the Premiership clash at home to Rangers on 20 September, viewing the league as the priority with European football beginning midweek.
Source: Celtic fan channels
The depth of the defeat prompted fan commentary on whether Martin O'Neill had adequately strengthened the squad despite summer signings. Discussion centred on whether the new arrivals—Hassan, Hogh, Mvuka and others—were genuinely up to competing at the required level against Rangers' intensity.
Source: Celtic fan channels
Observers noted that Haissem Hassan, brought on off the bench, was one of the few Celtic players to show endeavour and intensity in the second half. His cameo contrasted sharply with the largely anonymous displays from those who started, raising questions about the team selection.
Source: 67 Hail Hail
Before 13 Sep matches
| # | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic | 6 | 11 | 18 |
| 2 | Hearts | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 3 | St Mirren | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | Rangers | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Motherwell | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 6 | Dundee | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | St Johnstone | 5 | -1 | 7 |
| 8 | Hibernian | 5 | -2 | 6 |
| 9 | Dundee United | 6 | -5 | 5 |
| 10 | Aberdeen | 5 | -5 | 4 |
| 11 | Falkirk | 5 | -4 | 2 |
| 12 | Kilmarnock | 5 | -10 | 1 |