Celtic sink Rangers in shoot-out, Ibrox erupts into post-match violence | OneFootball

Celtic booked their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals after defeating Rangers 4-2 on penalties following a tense goalless draw at Ibrox that ended in chaotic scenes after the final kick.

The quarter-final produced tension and controversy throughout before the decisive moments arrived in the penalty shoot-out.

Rangers captain James Tavernier stepped up to take the first spot-kick, but his effort crashed against the crossbar to hand Celtic an early advantage.

Substitute Djeidi Gassama then fired his penalty high over the bar, leaving the hosts trailing and placing Celtic firmly in control of the shoot-out.

That miss left Tomas Cvancara with the chance to seal victory for the visitors.

The striker calmly converted his penalty beyond Jack Butland to secure Celtic’s passage into the semi-finals of the competition.

Celebrations quickly turned chaotic as Celtic supporters flooded onto the pitch moments after the decisive penalty.

Rangers fans soon followed onto the field, leading to an alarming confrontation between both groups of supporters.

Police officers and stewards moved quickly to form a barrier between the rival sets of fans as tensions escalated.

Projectiles and flares were reportedly thrown during the disorder before officials regained control.

The Scottish Football Association later confirmed that a formal investigation would be launched into the incidents at the final whistle.

Before the dramatic conclusion, the match was fiercely contested but lacked attacking quality for long periods.

Rangers dominated possession and created the majority of the chances across both normal time and extra time.

Celtic were forced into a defensive performance as they absorbed sustained pressure from the home side.

The visitors believed they had taken the lead in the first half when Daizen Maeda headed into the net from close range.

However, the goal was ruled out following a VAR review that identified an offside in the build-up.

Rangers also had a goal disallowed during extra time when Emmanuel Fernandez forced the ball into the net from a corner.

The effort was chalked off after the referee ruled that the ball had struck the defender’s hand before crossing the line.

Despite registering 24 attempts on goal across the match, Rangers struggled to seriously test Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo.

Celtic rarely threatened in attack and did not record a single shot on target during the 120 minutes of play.

Their focus instead remained on defensive organisation and determination as they resisted wave after wave of Rangers pressure.

That resilience allowed the contest to reach a penalty shoot-out where Celtic held their nerve.

By converting all four of their spot-kicks, they secured a remarkable victory and a place in the semi-final draw.