Callum McGregor did something “you wouldn’t associate with him” against Rangers, according to Celtic.

Callum McGregor did something “you wouldn’t associate with him” against Rangers, according to Celtic.

Callum McGregor has never lost a major final in Celtic colours.

What a record that is for the 31-year-old, who has plenty more to offer Celtic, and is already regarded as one of the club’s greatest-ever players.

That was further proven when Celtic beat Rangers on penalties in the League Cup final on Sunday at Hampden.

These Glasgow derbies are usually dominated by McGregor and he finds that Rangers do everything in their power to stop him from running the game.

For the majority of the time, it has worked, but even he will admit that, over the weekend, it was rather different and he was asked questions never put forward to him before.

Celtic went 1-0 down and the build-up play was passive, predictable and error-prone, that’s why Brendan Rodgers subbed off Auston Trusty for Liam Scales.

In the second half, it changed on its head, with three goals from the champions and the man with the armband was at the heart of it, but not like you have seen him before.

Callum McGregor praised for ‘hooking’ the ball away for Daizen Maeda’s goal

It was a frantic game and that was proven by how congested it was in the middle of the park. It looked and felt like you had no time to breathe on the ball.

So much so that Scott Allan feels that McGregor did something ‘you don’t associate with him’ and that’s hooking the ball away, as he told Sportscene.

It occurred when he missed a header, had his back to Rangers’ goal, chased back after the ball, hooked it over his head and then, in next to no time, Maeda was putting the ball in the back of the net.

“The interception as well, he is always onto it,” said Allan about Maeda. “His first touch. He actually takes it away from Propper and it allows him to hit it into the ground and into the corner.

“But for me, seeing Callum McGregor in the middle of the park just hooking one on isn’t something you would associate with him. In a game like that, when it’s frantic in the midfield, that was decisive for them.”

McGregor hails Celtic ‘personality’ against Rangers

Celtic have Rangers’ number because, regardless of how the game pans out, there is always only one winner and they hail in the green and white.

Rangers boss Philippe Clement hasn’t beaten Celtic and Rodgers has only lost once on 20 occasions to further prove the dominance.

As McGregor told Celtic TV, the team had to ‘dig in’ and they did that by showcasing their ‘personality’ and no one displayed it better than the skipper himself.

“It was a tough game, an old-fashioned cup final and the game becomes a bit chaotic and, to be honest, we gave ourselves a lot of work to do by the way we started the game,” said McGregor.

“So the big takeaway is how well the players dug in and fought for each other, and then in the moments when we had to show quality, we did that to make sure we bring the trophy home. “If you want to win things you need a big personality in difficult moments and pressure situations. That’s so many penalties in a row we’ve scored, so it bodes well, it shows the work the boys are doing leading into these games.

“You know that anything can happen but then it’s about keeping your nerve and trusting yourself, trusting your technique and trusting your team-mates, and Kasper came up with a big save as well.”

Marco Tilio, a Celtic loanee, had yet another injury setback while playing for Melbourne City.

Celtic have several loanees out looking to impress Brendan Rodgers and one man that falls into that category would be Marco Tilio.

Last summer, the Australia international joined Celtic for £1.5 million, but a mix of injury problems and struggles adjusting to Parkhead life led him back to his homeland on loan at the start of the year.

Unfortunately, Tilio has endured further fitness issues at Melbourne City and is scheduled to be out for at least another few weeks due to a partial tear to his hamstring tendon.

After a long period on the sidelines, Tilio showed signs of promise by scoring against Newcastle Jets, but a familiar tale has put yet another spanner in the works in his bid to claim regular minutes on a weekly basis.

With his Celtic prospects seeming unlikely, Aurelio Vidmar has shed some insight on how the winger is faring on the comeback trail.

Marco Tilio suffers minor Melbourne City injury setback

Aurelio Vidmar recently spoke about his squad availability at Melbourne City and noted that Tilio has encountered some issues after returning to training alongside Kai Trewin.

He stated before his side’s 2-2 draw against Auckland: “Tilio started also this week and having some issues again.

“He’s had a little setback this week. Nothing major but might push him back four or five days.”

Later, he added on his potential return timeline: “Tilio is more likely against Central Coast I would say, and hopefully Leckie too.”

Melbourne City are set to take on Central Coast Mariners on Hogmanay, so it may not be too long before the Celtic man is back out on the pitch.

What Marco Tilio has said about his Celtic future

It has to be said, there feels like there isn’t much of a chance supporters will see Tilio add two his two Celtic substitute appearances.

Ultimately, he was never able to break into the first-team picture despite his talent and there are now several positional competitors further up the pecking order.

Addressing his future earlier this year, Tilio admitted a Celtic exit could be on the cards as he seeks to kickstart his career, stating: “I just want to play consistent games, do really well and put myself in a really good position to either return to Scotland or go on loan elsewhere in Europe.”

Hopefully, he can get back on his feet in Melbourne before the Bhoys come to a decision on his long-term future

Dundee United star Louis Moult is sent to a specialist due to an injury before their match against Celtic.

The Tangerines’ No.9 suffered a heavy knock to his shoulder.

Louis Moult is a Dundee United injury worry ahead of facing Celtic. Image: SNS

Dundee United face a nervous wait to learn the extent of a shoulder injury sustained by key striker Louis Moult against Motherwell.

Moult, 32, left Fir Park with his arm in a sling – a “precaution”, according to boss Jim Goodwin – following a heavy fall during Saturday’s 4-3 thriller in North Lanarkshire.

He has been referred to a specialist to assess the damage, with the results expected later this week.

Goodwin, whose side host Celtic at Tannadice on Sunday, is reluctant to speculate on the time-frame of any potential absence until he receives the prognosis on Moult’s setback.

Louis Moult, left, clutches his shoulder, and strike-partner Sam Dalby. Image: SNS

Goodwin said: “Moulty hurt his shoulder in the game on Saturday, unfortunately, so he is a concern.

“It (the sling) was more of a precautionary measure after the game, but his shoulder has definitely given him a bit of bother.

“So, he’ll get a scan on that this week, and we’ll see how that transpires. We won’t know the extent of things until we get those results.”

Goodwin: Another spell out is last thing Moult needs

Any sustained spell on the sidelines would be a hammer-blow for Moult, who only recently returned from a two-month absence due to a knee injury.

He has looked bright in his last two outings – finding the net against the Steelmen – and shows signs of cultivating a fine partnership with Sam Dalby in attack.

Goodwin has his fingers crossed that the striker’s momentum will not be too badly interrupted.

Louis Moult celebrates the opening goal against Kilmarnock prior to his previous injury. Image: SNS

“Moulty is a great finisher and both himself and Sam (Dalby) have played really well together in the last couple of games,” said the United boss.

“He’s already had a lengthy spell out with the fracture in his leg, so the last thing Moulty needs now is another stint on the sidelines.

“Hopefully, we can get him back and nothing too serious comes from it.”

 

Jim Goodwin provides an update ahead of the Celtic match, while Louis Moult struggles with Dundee United’s injuries.

The striker netted in the weekend defeat to Motherwell but left Fir Park with his arm in a sling

Louis Moult is a major doubt for Celtic with Dundee United sweating on his shoulder injury

Jim Goodwin has confirmed that Dundee United are sweating on the scan results of Louis Moult’s shoulder injury.

The experienced striker netted in the weekend defeat to Motherwell but left Fir Park with his arm in a sling. The Englishman now looks to be a major doubt for the visit of champions Celtic to Tannadice on Sunday. United boss Goodwin said: “He’s hurt his shoulder in the game unfortunately on Saturday, so he is a concern.

“It’s obviously a bit more of a precautionary measure after the game (with the sling) but his shoulder has definitely given him a bit of bother. So he’ll get a scan on that in the early part of the week and we’ll see how that transpires. We won’t know the extent of things until we get those results.”

The 32-year-old has netted four league goals already this term and it would be a blow if he was sidelined again. Moult has recently just come back from a leg fracture. Goodwin added: “Obviously, Moulty is a great finisher and both himself and Sam have played really well together in the last couple of games.

“He’s already had a lengthy spell out with the fracture in his leg so the last thing Moulty needs now is another stint on the sidelines. “Hopefully we can get him back and nothing too serious comes about.”

Defender Will Ferry will also come back into the United fold for the Celtic game after missing the Motherwell match because of suspension. United’s 4-3 defeat in Lanarkshire saw them slip down to fifth in the table.

Goodwin was disappointed with the uncharacteristic manner that his team conceded their goals but also believed his team showed a lot of good signs going the other way. He said: “I am disappointed with the result but the actual performance, taking out some of the goals that we conceded. The actual overall performance on the day was quite good.

“I am just disappointed because we scored three goals and if you do that in a game then you should be taking at least a point. We just shot ourselves in the foot, unfortunately, in one or two situations.

“I think sometimes you’ve just got to deal with a bad day at the office and I think that’s what it is. As I said after the game, I wasn’t going to over-criticise the defenders.

“Of course, we’ll watch the goals back and identify the bits that we could have done better but, in the main, the defenders, the backline, have been outstanding I’m not going to make too big a deal about it but we certainly felt that it was a game that we should have taken something from and I think all the games that we’ve played now against Motherwell.

“There’s only been one goal in it and they’ve been really tight games and you can’t afford to make the kind of mistakes that we made at this level because you will get punished. One thing the boys did was keep going and kept fighting and kept believing they could take something. We scored some good goals but ultimately we’re coming away with nothing to show for it.”

Stewart reveals that SFA has discussed Rangers’ penalty while he waits for clarification.

Patrick Stewart spoke with Rangers TV in his first interview as chief executive (Image: PA)

Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart has revealed he is waiting on an explanation from the Scottish FA over the major penalty flashpoint in the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic.

The new CEO has been in contact with the Scottish FA to demand answers over the decision-making process after Rangers were not awarded a spot-kick at Hampden.

Referee John Beaton had awarded a free-kick when Vaclav Cerny was hauled down by Liam Scales. However, replays showed the Rangers winger with his foot on the line of the box at the time of the incident.

🎙️ New Chief Executive Officer Patrick Stewart sat down with RangersTV to discuss his role with the club.

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) December 17, 2024

IFAB laws state:  “If a defender starts holding an attacker outside the penalty area and continues holding inside the penalty area, the referee must award a penalty kick.”

VAR official Alan Muir did not intervene with the free-kick being taken instead of any review of the incident or VAR involvement in upgrading the award to a penalty. As the call was a “factual” decision Beaton would not have been called to the pitchside monitor, rather a decision on whether it was inside or outside the box would be made by the VAR officials and then communicated to the referee.

Philippe Clement was left furious over the “weird situation” as he urged journalists to “dig in” to the decision in his post-match press conference.

Stewart only began as Rangers CEO on Monday but one of his first actions was to contact the Scottish FA and referee chief Willie Collum to seek answers over the incident.

“The performances in the SPFL have been really positive, we are scoring, not conceding, of course the Cup Final – I don’t want to dwell on it again, but it could have been such a memorable day,” said Stewart on Rangers TV.

“We have a lot to be positive about. The manner which we lost was hard to take, and as I think people will know, I have spoken with the SFA to ask for an explanation about the non-awarding of a penalty in extra-time, so I will wait to hear what the SFA have to say about that.

“Obviously it is somewhat bittersweet. Yesterday was my first day and we were licking our wounds from Sunday.

“It was disappointing in the manner of the defeat, but we can take a huge amount from it. There is a lot to be optimistic about, but yesterday was bittersweet.

“I was really excited to start the role, but I was disappointed it wasn’t with a trophy in the cabinet.”

The UWCL campaign of Celtic FC Women concludes with a 3-0 loss.

Women’s Football

By Lewis Laird in Enschede

UEFA Women’s Champions League
Tuesday, December 16, 2024
De Grolsch Veste

FC TWENTE…3
(van Dooren 20, Rodgers O.G 34, Ross O.G 40)

CELTIC…0

Celtic FC Women brought their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign to a close, slipping to defeat on matchday six against FC Twente.

Three first half goals inflicted defeat upon the Ghirls, who rounded off what has been a historic European campaign.

Despite not picking up any points, it has been a promising first ever European group stage campaign for the Ghirls, who have grown with confidence throughout the competition.

Elena Sadiku’s side headed into the game aiming to round things off with another strong showing and hoping to pick up a positive result.

The Celtic boss made four changes to her side, introducing both Lisa Rodgers and Mathilde Carstens for their first Champions League starts in the Hoops.

The match started off in a decent manner for the Celts, looking to cause some early trouble for the Twente goalkeeper.

Some nice invention from Carstens gave the Hoops the chance to throw an early free kick into the box, but it was ultimately cleared.

Both sides had chances to grab the first goal in the opening stages, with FC Twente striking the crossbar via a deflected effort, before Caitlin Hayes saw a shot well saved from close range.

However, it was the home side who would strike first in the match, opening the scoring 20 minutes into the game.

After being given a warning sign as the ball hit the back of the net, before the offside flag was raised, the Dutch side made the Celts pay, scoring from close range to make it 1-0.

Looking to play their way back into proceedings, the Ghirls were playing some decent football from the back as they tried to get forward.

However, as the game approached half time, it was the tale of two set plays that seen the Hoops slip three goals behind.

Conceding twice before the break, with two corners landing in the net via the aid of Celtic deflections, the Ghirls found themselves 3-0 down going into the break.

With her side three goals behind, the Celtic head coach introduced two changes at the break, bringing Hana Kerner and Jenny Smith into the action.

The American looked to use her pace to get the Hoops up the pitch, making a positive run in the Twente half just moments after being introduced.

As the game went on, the Celts continued to grow into proceedings, with Elena Sadiku’s side aimimg to drag themselves back in to the game.

Emma Lawton almost created a brilliant opening for one of her team-mates with a cutback on the right-hand side, but no one was there to meet the ball.

A corner into the box also almost created an opening at the back post for Caitlin Hayes. But it was cleared just in time before the Irish defender met the cross.

Ultimately, it would end in defeat for the Ghirls, with the three first half goals doing the damage.

Although they couldn’t take anything from the group, there will be plenty of learnings from what was another historic experience.

CELTIC: Rodgers, Lawton, Clark, Hayes, Barclais, Ross (McAneny 72), McGregor, M. Carstens (Smith 46), Ashworth-Clifford (Kerner 46), Gallacher (Luana 76), Noonan (Cross 64)

Subs: Logan, Daugherty, Richardson, Cavanagh, Bruna

Celtic star dismisses Cup final penalty protest as Paulo Bernardo slaps Rangers

The Hoops playmaker is ignoring the controversy surrounding Sunday’s showpiece as Celts celebrate another trophy success

Paulo Bernardo with Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda (Image: SNS Group)

Paulo Bernardo has told Rangers to pipe down with their Premier Sports Cup protests because Celtic deserved to lift the trophy.

The Hoops ace shrugged off the controversy that’s raged on in the wake of Sunday’s epic encounter at Hampden. Brendan Rodgers’s men secured the cup after a dramatic penalty shoot out on the back of six-goal thriller over 90 minutes and extra-time.

But Ibrox chiefs have raged at the flashpoint at Hampden when Vaclav Cerny was tugged back by Liam Scales right on the edge of the box – with several ex-officials claiming the Light Blues should have been awarded a penalty – and new Gers CEO Patrick Stewart has already written to the SFA demanding an explanation.

Bernardo insisted Rangers were not robbed – because he’s convinced Celts were worthy winners. He said: “We don’t focus on that decision. We just move forward now.

“We won the trophy after a very good game and that’s all we think about. It was a difficult game on Sunday.

“Both teams played well and it was a good game for supporters to watch. But we had almost 70 per cent of the ball and I think we deserved to win the cup.

“In the final moments, we had the quality to win the game and the players did so well in the shootout. When it came to the big pressure moments, we delivered. Our objective was to win the trophy and we managed to do that.”

Paulo Bernardo with the Premier Sports Cup Trophy during a Celtic FC Foundation Schools Party at Celtic Park

Bernardo savoured the cup success but he insisted the huge character shown at Hampden to secure the trophy with drive on the Hoops in their quest for a clean sweep this season. The Parkhead men are in a commanding position in the Premiership as they get back to business against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday.

Bernardo insisted no one at the club will take their foot off the gas. The Portugal Under-21 skipper – speaking at Celtic FC Foundation’s Christmas party – said: “Our mentality is to win every game and we did it again.

“All we wanted was to lift that trophy and it felt so good for us as a team and a club. The mentality is so strong within the squad.

“No matter what, we know that we have to find a way to win. We won the League Cup and now we move on to the next one.

“It was important to win on Sunday and we celebrated – but now we move on. We want to win all the trophies, of course, but we need to take it step by step and not look too far ahead.”

Billy Dodds expresses his opinions about Cameron Carter-Vickers’ behavior during Celtic’s victory over Rangers.

When Cameron Carter-Vickers isn’t playing for Celtic, you notice the difference.

The man brought in by Ange Postecoglou has been an incredible signing for the club and that was further showcased at Hampden on Sunday.

Celtic beating Rangers on penalties in the League Cup final came with its difficulties and Brendan Rodgers had to make some huge calls.

That included hooking off Auston Trusty at half-time for Liam Scales, with Celtic 1-0 down and simply not performing to their high standards.

That surely would have put Carter-Vickers under more pressure, but he stood up to it all.

Just before the Bhoys equalised, the USMNT international prevented Rangers from doubling their lead when he was four on one inside the penalty area.

Billy Dodds lauds Cameron Carter-Vickers’ interception against Rangers

After Daizen Maeda scored the trophy-winning penalty, the Japan star was rightfully lauded for remaining calm under pressure, including Kasper Schmeichel’s penalty save.

But Carter-Vickers’ interception was perhaps the pivotal moment because it prevented Rangers from giving themselves a cushion.

Billy Dodds reacted to the Celtic defender’s actions and how it ‘swung’ the course of the game, as he told The Scottish Football Podcast.

“It probably was the wrong pass, right,” said Dodds. “He could have probably gone on the two on the left.

“But see once he goes to the right of Bajrami. He has got to flash it back with pace. He just kind of faded it into an area.

“Great defending. He has to put himself in that position. You are right, it swung on that because, although Rangers picked the wrong pass and it was a four-on-one. They had to flash it across and Carter-Vickers doesn’t get a chance of it.

What Carter-Vickers did at the Darts after Celtic’s win over Rangers in League Cup final

With that League Cup final win, it now means that Celtic have won 119 trophies in their rich and illustrious history.

No other team in Scotland has more trophies as the Bhoys rightfully sit on top of the tree.

Carter-Vickers was celebrating Celtic’s win in London by watching the PDC World Darts Championships with a few of the players, and as you can see below, he was rubbing salt into the wounds.

🎯 Some of the Celtic team celebrating their League Cup final win at the darts in London tonight.

#119

— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) December 16, 2024

SFA give in to Ibrox Club pressure

The fallout from Celtic’s Premier Sports Cup Final victory over Rangers is continuing, with the SFA axing VAR duo Alan Muir and Frank O’Connor for this weekend’s fixtures.

Soccer Football – Scottish League Cup – Final – Celtic v Rangers – Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – December 15, 2024 Rangers manager Philippe Clement REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

This decision appears to be a direct response to pressure from Rangers and their manager, Philippe Clement, following Sunday’s derby at Hampden Park.

In a move that smacks of poor handling, news of the officials’ sidelining was seemingly leaked to the media, which is really poor, especially given that no official word has come out.

Rangers’ reaction to the Cup Final defeat has been nothing short of petulant. The level of outrage and the lack of dignity shown in defeat have been astounding to witness. Instead of accepting that Celtic were simply better on the day, Rangers have resorted to throwing toys out of the pram, focusing on a single VAR incident involving Liam Scales and Vaclav Cerny.

On-field referee John Beaton awarded a free-kick for the foul, judging it to have occurred outside the box. VAR did not intervene to review the call — a decision that left Clement and Rangers incensed.

Celtic’s victory in the Cup Final not only secured silverware but also moved them ahead of Rangers in the all-time trophy count. This milestone appears to have been a bitter pill for those at Ibrox, who seem unable to accept defeat with grace. Instead of acknowledging Celtic’s superior performance, Rangers have deflected attention with complaints and accusations.

The SFA’s decision to cave under pressure from Rangers sets a troubling precedent. Instead of supporting their officials and maintaining consistency, they’ve opted for knee-jerk reactions that undermine the authority and credibility of referees. This approach does little to address the real issues facing Scottish football and only serves to encourage more whining and finger-pointing when results don’t go a club’s way.

Ultimately, this episode reflects poorly on both Rangers and the SFA. While Celtic continue to focus on success and silverware, their rivals seem content to engage in blame games and deflection tactics.

Perhaps the time has come for some at Ibrox to realise that the solution lies on the pitch — not in the VAR room.