22 TROPHIES IN 11 YRS | CHAMPIONS AGAIN

 

Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice as Celtic got the better of Glasgow rivals Rangers at a raucous Hampden Park to retain the League Cup.

The striker took his season tally to 24 goals with two close-range finishes either side of half time, repeating his double from last season's final.

Rangers' beefy forward Alfredo Morelos pulled one back for the Huns but other than that they were out of ideas and couldn't find a way past their more assured opponents and Celtic missed several more opportunities to increase the margin of victory in a frantic finish.

With a healthy nine-point lead in the league and just one domestic defeat all season, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is well placed to match the double of his debut campaign, while fans will be dreaming of five glorious trebles in just seven years. Unheard of anywhere else in modern day football.

For Michael Beale, it was a first loss in 15 games in charge of Rangers, which still leaves the Ibrox club without success in this tournament. Only the old Rangers last won this trophy back in 2011, a year before the old club was effectively liquidated by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

• How it went

Amid the sound and fury from the stands, Celtic started in composed fashion as Rangers struggled to find a way into the game.

The biggest cheers from the febrile crowd were reserved for full blooded challenges until Kyogo almost found a way through on 20 minutes.

The Celtic hero stumbled slightly as he stole in behind and then found his path blocked by an antique Allan McGregor. The old goalkeeper's hips appeared to be holding out as he got up swiftly off the deck to push away a low shot from Jota.

Fashion Sakala, who told before the game how he was being cheered on by natives from his village in Africa, provided a couple of half decent runs for Rangers. However, along with a sizeable minority of Glasgow, there will also be much wailing and gnashing of teeth among villagers in some far flung African village. Such is the global appeal of this game.

Cameron Carter-Vickers also showed his authority in the Celtic defence as he slid in to clear a dangerous cross from Ibrox penalty king James Tavernier, the ball narrowly trundling by his own post.

Kyogo fired just wide of the top corner from 18 yards, slashed at a good chance and headed over the top in a flurry of attacks before making the breakthrough on 44 minutes.

Celtic patiently worked the ball down the left and, when Daizen Maeda missed Greg Taylor's driven pass at the front post, Kyogo was all alone to stroke in a simple finish from the middle of the 6 yard box.

Rangers came within a whisker of a leveller at the start of the second half when Ryan Kent drilled an angled shot against the base of the post, but big Joe had it covered. Sakala could only find the side-netting from the rebound. The angle was tight, but it was a bad miss from the winger, who had daft Morelos screaming at him to: "Give it to me, give it to me!"

Celtic made the most of that, with Kyogo knocking in his second goal of the day. Aaron Mooy and Reo Hatate combined to leave big Goldson & Co flat footed in the Rangers defence, with the latter delivering a pinpoint cross for countryman Kyogo to come sliding in to put the champs 2-0 up.

Rangers hauled themselves back off the deck in the 64th minute when Morelos was alert enough this time to finish as Celtic failed to deal with a lofted free-kick from the left.

That was an opportunity to give the Huns a platform to try and get back in the game, but they failed to seriously threaten Joe Hart's goal again.

The match grew a bit stretched and tempers were starting to flare, with little pocket sized referee Nick Walsh, fuelled on by his Wee Man Syndrome to start dishing out yellow cards left, right and centre in the dying embers of the match.

With Rangers leaving huge gaps at the back, McGregor made a good save to deny Matt O'Riley and fellow substitute Oh rolled a one-on-one chance wide, but there was to be no ruing of missed opportunities for big Ange Postecoglou's Celtic side. Hail hail, the treble's on - again!

Man of the match - Kyogo Furuhashi – Celtic