DAIZEN Maeda sealed victory for Celtic against Rangers in a penalty shoot-out at the end of a classic Premier Sports Cup final at Hampden this afternoon – and ensured the Parkhead club edged ahead of their Ibrox rivals in the all-time trophy table.
Philippe Clement’s defending champions edged in front just before half-time in the incident-packed encounter between the two Glasgow giants when Nedim Bajrami netted.
However, there were no fewer than five goals in the second half as the 49,420-strong crowd which crammed in the Mount Florida ground was treated to a pre-Christmas festive cracker.
Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda gave Brendan Rodgers’ team the lead only for Mohamed Diomande to haul his side back into the match.
Nicolas Kuhn thought he had wrapped up the victory for Celtic when he netted with three minutes of regulation time - but Rangers substitute Danilo forced an additional half an hour when he headed home just a minute later.
It went down to penalties and Maeda clinched it after Kasper Schmeichel had saved from Ridvan Yilmaz.
Celtic have now won 119 trophies in their 136 year history – one more than Rangers - and James Forrest is now the joint most decorated player in Scottish football history along with Bobby Lennox with 25.
Here are five talking points from a incredible final.
Rope-a-dope Rangers
Rangers sat back, invited Celtic on to them and looked at attack on the counter when they stole possession once the game got underway. It was, with their opponents unable to hold onto the ball on the slick surface when they had possession, a good game plan.
Their opponents had their chances. Kuhn outsprinted Robin Propper, got on the end of a long ball upfield and cut inside before Jack Butland dived at his feet and averted the danger. Reo Hatate ran onto the rebound but his attempt was blocked. Kyogo Furuhashi also had a shot saved.
Clement’s men had had a few half-chances on the break before they finally edged ahead four minutes before half-time. Bajrami intercepted a pass that was intended for Cameron Carter-Vickers inside his own half. The playmaker advanced upfield before feeding Hamza Igamane inside him.
The Moroccan striker, despite the close attentions of Carter-Vickers and Taylor, got a shot on target. Kasper Schmeichel kept it out with an instinctive one-handed save. But his Albanian team mate was perfectly positioned to slot into an empty net.
Taylor redemption, rash Raskin
Rangers should have forged further in front after Taylor lost the ball to Vaclav Cerny. They broke up field in numbers and looked certainties to score. They had a four on one numerical advantage. But Carter-Vickers somehow averted disaster by blocking a Bajrami pass.
The Celtic left back was a mightily relieved man when the centre half slid in and denied the Govan outfit another goal. But he atoned for his mistakes at a Paulo Bernardo corner after Liam Scales had headed it to the edge of the area.
He got his shot on target only for Nicolas Raskin to stick out a foot and divert it beyond Butland.
Things went from bad to worse for the Belgian midfielder of whom so much as expected in the build up. His soft header back to his defence was pinched by Maeda and the Japanese winger did superbly to advance upfield and fire beneath Butland.
Drama at the death
But Rangers were not done yet. Clement threw on Yilmaz for Jefte and Sterling for Balogun, and Diomande, who had just seen a fingertip Schmiechel save deny him a leveller, restored parity with 15 minutes remaining when he controlled the ball well and netted from an acute angle.
Celtic reclaimed the lead with three minutes of regulation time remaining when Kuhn linked well with Arne Engels, who had come one for Bernardo, and added his name to the scoresheet.
But their supporters' joy was short-lived. Danilo, who had replaced Igamane, headed in a Cerny cross just a minute later.
Late, late show
Both managers took full advantage of their bench to keep their teams at full tempo for the 120 minutes – Clement threw on Yilmaz, Sterling, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Connor Barron and Kieran Dowell and Rodgers pitched Liam Scales, Anthony Ralston, Engels, Adam Idah, Alex Valle and James Forrest into the fray.
If it was exhausting watching the end-to-end, frenetic and nail-biting duel between the two biggest clubs in Scotland from the stands what must it have been like for those on the park?
Extra-time was a little less frenzied than normal time had been as tired legs and nerves increasingly came into play.
Celtic possibly had the better of extra-time. But they were unable to notch a fourth and so it went down to penalties. The only other occasion when a shoot-out had decided a meeting between these two clubs was in the Scottish Cup semi-final back in 2016 when Rangers edged it. Would history repeat itself?
It would not. Tavernier, Hagi and Danilo all netted for Rangers and so did Idah, Callum McGregor and Engels for Celtic. But then Schmeichel saved a weak Yilmaz attempt. Hatate converted and then so did goalkeeper Butland.
It fell to Maeda to bring an end to the madness and he found the bottom left corner.
It was an excruciating way for the game to end for the losing finalists. They had given so much during the previous three hours or so. They could hold their heads up high as they made their way down the tunnel. Their followers fought back tears as they headed for the exits.
Clement, who had lost four and drawn one of his previous encounters with Celtic, got his team selection, his tactics and his substitutions spot on. Unfortunately for him, his side was just lacking the quality of their rivals.
But what a way for the victors to triumph. Fans jumped over the advertising hoardings to celebrate with their heroes at the end of what was an incredible afternoon's entertainment. Rodgers has still not lost a game at Hampden.
Pyro warning ignored
The ultra groups who follow Celtic and Rangers home and away had shamed their clubs long before the final kicked off.
They were involved in running battles on Argyle Street. Videos of terrified Christmas shoppers huddling in shop doorways as balaclava-wearing yobs set off pyrotechnics and were tackled by baton-wielding police offers went viral on social media.
Matters did not improve at Hampden. Both clubs were issued stern warnings by the SPFL, who have initiated disciplinary proceedings against them for their fans’ conduct at their semi-finals last month, this week.
But there were mass coordinated displays at both ends before kick-off and the start of the match was once again delayed. The Union Bears lit flares once the action had finally commenced, at the start of the second half and after their goals. The Green Brigade did likewise after their strikes
The authorities need to start punishing offenders to snuff out a dangerous practice which is spoiling these showpiece occasions for ordinary punters and putting them at risk of injury.
