Rangers regroup Celtic and fly to final: Scottish Cup Old Firm to the Gers

The image of Hampden Park at the time of the two teams’ entry is the best synthesis of what the old firm has always been and always will be: Irish flags on one side waving behind a tricolor formed by smoke bombs, the Union Jack on the other. On the one hand, so to speak, fans of CelticOn the other hand, their Rangers. pure show.

Before we continue we should reference: Why Irish Flags? Why they from UK? In short: hoops for people’s Irish roots and for those who protest, wink at Kingdom of the Gers fans. In fact the question will be deeper: it is because Celtic-Rangers is so much more than just a football match.

Hampden Park is the fourth firm of the season: after the regular season “split” there will be another one, but it is worth reaching the Scottish Cup final. At stake is the prospect of a trophy, which in such a special year means a lot.

Also because Celtic and Rangers have split the stakes in half: the Hoops are at the top of the Scottish Premiership and have won 2 of the previous 3 old firms of the championship. It didn’t go well in Europe: dropped from the Champions League, dropped from the Europa League and dropped from the Conference League.

The story is different for the Gers, you know: in Scotland they have managed to keep up with Celtic during the current season despite a change on the bench. The departure of Steven Gerrard could have deterred him, but he did not: Giovanni van Bronkhorst, in a very intelligent way, was able to amass the Englishman’s legacy, making his way to the Europa League semi-finals after eliminating Borussia Dortmund, Stella Rossa and led the team. Braga. A dream that continues, the trap of Morelos’ injury.

The challenge in the cup was a bit of synthesis: if not a seasonal “showdown”, almost. Rangers are close to the advantage in the first half with a blow from outside Lundström, but it is in the second half that the match is unlocked. at 64′ Tailor Collects a ball in the field and kicks it toward the goal, detecting Bassi’s decisive deviation that displaces McLaughlin 1-0.

Postecoglu’s team goes 2-0 up with a crossbar hit by Carter-Vickers, already scoring in the league’s last Old Firm, but the game remains open: mourning for leaving these challenges open . and he really thinks about it arefield Sending the ball past Hart with a perfect right, to bring the score back into a draw in the 78th minute.

The extra time prolongs an already very stressful race, resulting in a feeling of fatigue. In the second half, Rangers hit two poles in the same action: this is a peludio of Gers’s winning goal. Bassi bowls a cut from the left gross which is estimated at 114 starfelt Who beats his goalkeeper by 1-2.

Rangers eliminate Celtic by reaching the Scottish Cup final where the Hearts are waiting for them: the Hoops Championship remains in place, opening a cycle of decisive matches for Van Bronkhorst’s boys that could, in eternal terms, mark the season. Is.