Photo via Sky Sports

What we learned from first Old Firm clash of season

Derek McInnes guided Rangers to a commanding victory over Martin O'Neill's Celtic to book a place in the League Cup semi-finals. Dan Neil starred as player of the match, hitting two accurate edge-of-the-box efforts, alongside a back-post volley from Kevin Kelsy to cap the scoring.

The tactical setup proved decisive, as full-back James Penrice drifted centrally to swamp the middle, while wing-backs Djeidi Gassama and Minsu Kim supplied width and energetic running. Behind them, defenders Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Olwethu Makhanya successfully locked down Celtic's attackers in three-on-three duels.

The defeat highlighted ongoing defensive vulnerabilities for Celtic, who previously squandered a four-goal advantage in a shocking collapse against LASK. Without support in midfield, visiting skipper Callum McGregor struggled to match Neil's influence and pleaded with his backline to halt the scoring after Rangers netted their third.

With the rivals scheduled to meet again in Scottish Premiership action merely a week later, McInnes dismissed talk of a tactical clinic despite his plan completely overwhelming the opposition.