Celtic and Rangers Set for Scottish League Cup Semi-Final Showdown
Scottish League Cup Semi-Final: Celtic vs. Rangers
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday, November 2 Kick-off: 14:00 GMT
Coverage: Match commentary will be available on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds, with live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app.
Martin O'Neill, who famously led Celtic to a 6-2 victory in his Old Firm debut, is now preparing for a different challenge as he returns as interim manager. This time, he would be content with a modest 1-0 win against Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
The 73-year-old reminisced about that iconic match from 25 years ago, which propelled Celtic toward a domestic treble after a period of relative struggle in the 1990s. Since then, the club has secured 19 out of 25 titles and 23 cup competitions.
“Replicating that might be extremely difficult—scoring six goals against that side,” O'Neill remarked. “I’d settle for a really lousy 1-0 victory if we could get it. Obviously, fond memories, it was great. And it did give us a real springboard for that season. In November, Rangers defeated us at Ibrox, but we had enough self-belief to withstand that, and that’s what happened.”
O’Neill stepped in after Brendan Rodgers resigned on Monday, leaving the team trailing behind Heart of Midlothian in the league standings and amidst protests against the Celtic board regarding a disappointing summer transfer window.
During his first tenure, O'Neill won 16 of his 27 Old Firm fixtures, drawing three and losing eight. However, he only achieved one victory in his four previous encounters at Hampden against Rangers and secured just one League Cup success during his initial five years at Celtic Park.
Reflecting on his derby experiences, O'Neill shared, “There’s just a nervousness for about 72 hours leading up to the match, and if you get the result, a great relief.” When asked if he felt different this time, he replied, “Absolutely not. No, no, worse.”
O'Neill's first derby match came after “five or six games” in charge, whereas this Sunday’s match follows just one game—Wednesday’s 4-0 league victory over Falkirk. “I learned a great deal from the Falkirk game, which was great for us—a restoration of confidence,” he noted. “So we’ll go into this game with that confidence, and that’s the most important thing.”
In contrast, Danny Rohl, half O’Neill's age, will be in the opposite dugout for just his fourth game as Rangers head coach. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about him,” O'Neill added. “Many players at Sheffield Wednesday spoke highly of him. That was a significant win for them at Easter Road against Hibernian, so they’ll be heading into the game with plenty of confidence themselves.”