Rangers beat Celtic 3-0 in cup semifinal after tactical plan

Rangers delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semifinal at Ibrox on Sunday, September 13, 2026, securing a place in the final four against Aberdeen. The win, achieved in front of a home crowd with no away supporters present, was built on a specific tactical plan executed to perfection, according to manager Derek McInnes and his players. Goals from captain Dan Neil, who scored twice, and new striker Kevin Kelsy sealed the result. Neil opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a fine finish from the edge of the box, Kelsy added the second in the 59th minute, and Neil completed the scoring with another strike from a similar position in the 75th minute. McInnes revealed the team's strategy involved an aggressive, man-for-man press and a tactical shift that saw left-back James Penrice move into midfield. This created an overload in the center of the park and allowed Rangers to target a specific area of weakness. "That space at the edge of the box, we knew we could occupy that space at times if we attacked properly and we looked after the ball," McInnes stated. "If we forced Celtic back in that space.