Former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady believes the quality of the recent derby clash at Ibrox fell short of expectations, even though Celtic came away with the result that mattered. The Scottish Cup quarter-final finished goalless after 120 minutes before Celtic held their nerve in the penalty shootout to knock Rangers out.
The match came only a week after the sides had drawn 2–2 in the league at the same stadium. That game carried more attacking football, yet the cup tie quickly settled into a tighter pattern. Rangers had spells where they pushed Celtic back but rarely worked the goalkeeper from close range.
Celtic struggled to build attacks of their own. Without a clear focal point through the middle, the ball often moved from centre-back to full-back before Rangers stepped forward to close the space. When the press arrived, Celtic were forced to send longer passes forward that Rangers’ defenders cleared with little trouble.
That left the game without much flow. The midfield rarely opened up and neither side produced sustained pressure near the penalty area. By the time the match drifted into extra time, it felt like the tie would be decided by a single moment rather than a spell of attacking football.
McGeady said: (Open Goal), “I know what you’re saying, the quality obviously was missing but I know they were over-egging the competitiveness and the passion.
“But you should be getting that anyway from an Old Firm game.
“I felt like Celtic were kind of in between styles. They were trying to play out because they never had that focal point up top, but then they realised they couldn’t play through Rangers’ press so it was going long and Rangers were just mopping the ball up.
“After a while Celtic realised that and thought it was fine, you can have the ball because we’ll get it back anyway, but they didn’t really have any shots on goal and that summed up the way they played.
“But if you’re going to win a game and play poorly, that’s what you want.”
Celtic still achieved what the afternoon demanded. Cup football away at Ibrox rarely allows for control or comfort. The game becomes about staying organised and waiting for the chance to finish the job.
The shootout required calm heads rather than flowing play. Celtic’s players stepped forward and delivered their kicks with confidence.
That was enough to send them into the semi-final while Rangers were left to reflect on another cup exit. The performance may not have pleased everyone, but the outcome keeps Celtic’s season alive in the competition.
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