Celtic versus Rangers FC – Scottish Cup Semi-Final Clash

Live Updates

The teams emerge to a thunderous reception, Hampden separated evenly into blue and green. For the right to play St Mirren FC in this stadium next month … the action begins.

Other Matches

Additional games: John Brewin is on our minute-by-minute coverage for West Ham v Newcastle in the Premier League; Yara El-Shaboury delivers fresh updates from the early kick-offs in the women's top division.

Turning to this match, there's just over five minutes until kick-off at Hampden Park!

Match Officials

Nick Walsh is the man in the middle this match. He also refereed last year's Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Rangers plus a European fixture the previous campaign during which he issued four dismissals and 12 yellows. Avoid challenging him.

Dugout Views

The Rangers manager: While this is his first Old Firm, the recently appointed boss has made it clear this week that he's familiar with participating in other major rivalries in his coaching career, with Bayern Munich plus his stint at Wednesday.

I recollect when Hansi Flick assumed control, our following match was versus Dortmund at home. We won 4-0. It consistently offers motivation if you win such a game. Furthermore, in England's second tier during the Steel City derby, I was involved in that as well. I know what it means among the followers. This represents more than a simple match.

The German manager has been praising the enduring career of 73-year-old Martin O'Neill.

I hold great admiration for that type of coaching legacy. I think it is always great as a manager when you work so long in this industry and achieve success.

I'm merely commencing of my career. There's much work remaining to achieve similar status though the encouraging factor we commence evenly matched, different generations and we'll observe what we can demonstrate with our teams in this game.

I am very excited. I've accumulated certain experiences though I anticipate an enormous event on Sunday. To be part of such a game, everything is at stake. You win, you go into the final, you lose, you're out. I believe all factors align for a magnificent contest.

Opposition Manager

The experienced boss: The stand-in manager has been reflecting this week concerning his debut match with Rangers two and a half decades past, the famous 6-2 demolition.

Well, replicating that might be extremely difficult, putting six past them versus that team. I'd settle for a scrappy single-goal triumph if we managed to secure it. Some lads come up and mention to me: 'That was an amazing match', despite not being born at the time. They inform me their grandfathers and fathers discussed it frequently. It evolved into a decisive encounter for our team, not merely in that term, but possibly for sustained development.

The tension for nearly 72 hours prior to the match, and subsequently if you achieved victory, significant comfort. And I feel that's precisely the legendary Walter Smith often mentioned too, that it was relief more than anything else. But they were fantastic fixtures really. It's still a fantastic fixture.

This constitutes a significant fixture for us. Really, don't disguise that at all. It's a semi-final encounter, it's an important game for our side. Any Celtic-Rangers game constitutes a significant occasion, though especially considering the circumstances of the recent days, possibly even months, definitely.

Coaching Background

Two new managers on the sidelines this afternoon though there's a significant difference in derby experience among them. Danny Röhl encounters his inaugural as Rangers manager while Martin O'Neill gets ready to manage his twenty-eighth.

The outcome today could have a major impact on the duration O'Neill's second spell as stand-in Celtic coach continues, as Ewan Murray has been pondering.

They could potentially invest substantial compensation to persuade Kieran McKenna away from Ipswich. They might consider an even bigger gamble with Robbie Keane. The reigning champions could decide to provide Club Brugge's Nicky Hayen an initial experience in British football. These are all gambles to varying degrees. Beyond O'Neill? This remains questionable.

Team Selections

Celtic (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ralston, Trusty, Scales, Sarrachi; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Maeda, Kenny, Tounekti.

Reserves: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, Yang, Osmand, McCowan, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Tierney.

Marcelo Sarrachi begins preferred to Kieran Tierney on the left defensive flank. James Forrest is also omitted from the starting lineup that overcame Falkirk in midweek.

Rangers (3-4-3): Butland; Djiga, Souttar, Cornelius; Tavernier, Diomande, Raskin, Meghoma; Aasgaard, Chermiti, Danilo.

Reserves: Kelly, Aarons, Fernández, Rothwell, Antman, Moore, Gassama, Curtis, Miovski.

James Tavernier is selected over Max Aarons in the right flank position, including Mohamed Diomande replacing the banned Connor Barron in central areas and Thelo Aasgaard chosen to Mikey Moore in forward roles.

Preamble

Greetings and welcome to this Old Firm clash. It's got to be better {than last time|compared to the previous meeting|versus