Rangers 0-1 Celtic: Jota header sinks Old Firm rivals in semi-final to keep treble dream alive

A first-half header from Jota was enough to settle a tense Old Firm encounter at Hampden, sending Celtic into a Scottish Cup final against Inverness Caley Thistle.

A catalogue of Rangers errors led to the only goal on 42 minutes, with Daizen Maeda profiting from hesitancy to provide the telling cross.

Jota simply had to nod on target from a few yards out.

Celtic will be firm favourites to complete a treble against Championship opposition on 3 June, while Rangers, the defending champions, face up to a season without a trophy.

The holders had chances to level in the second half, with James Tavernier hitting the woodwork and Fashion Sakala guilty of a bad miss from the rebound.

This was the fifth Old Firm meeting of the campaign, with Celtic well on top in the head-to-heads, winning four, with one league draw at Ibrox, where the Glasgow rivals meet again in a fortnight.

Celtic, who beat Rangers in the League Cup final in February, could well have the title wrapped up by then since they need just one more win to secure the Premiership crown.

• 'Celtic hung in there but have Rangers' number'

• Reaction & as it happened

• 'Only major surgery can halt Rangers' Old Firm cycle' - Tom English

• 'We've chance of something special' - Postecoglou

Neither goalkeeper had much to do in the first half as a deflected shot from Nicolas Raskin fizzed wide of Joe Hart's post in the opening minute, while Allan McGregor thwarted efforts from Alastair Johnston and Jota without too much fuss.

Celtic were attacking with more menace amid the continued chaos of blocks, hacks and last-ditch tackles, but it was a collective lack of focus from Rangers that allowed Jota to score - along with quick thinking from Maeda.

Borna Barisic and others in blue stopped, anticipating a foul near the edge of the penalty area, and that allowed Maeda to steal in and whip the ball across goal. Jota couldn't miss with his close-range header as he ghosted away from Tavernier.

Rangers had 45 minutes to salvage their season and started the second period with increased intensity, although it needed a sprawling save from McGregor to keep out a sharp shot from Kyogo Furuhashi.

Hart matched his fellow veteran's athleticism soon after, tipping wide a raking strike from Scott Arfield.

The Celtic keeper was beaten by a Tavernier shot from 18 yards but the ball crashed against the post, with Sakala wasting a glorious opportunity by firing the follow-up into the side-netting.

A header from Tavernier thumped into the turf and over and Hart had to look lively to push a low cross out of Arfield's path before the Rangers midfielder swept over from the edge of the penalty area.

With Rangers growing more desperate in search of a way back, Celtic sat deeper and deeper, absorbing everything their old foes could throw at them in the closing stages.

Player of the match - Cameron Carter-Vickers

There wasn't much between Carter-Vickers and his defensive partner Carl Starfelt but the American just shades it for his leadership and a series of important interceptions and brave blocks

Postecoglou ready to break new ground - analysis

Ange Postecoglou now has the chance to go one better than he did in his debut campaign. If Celtic do see off Caley Thistle, it will be the club's eighth domestic clean sweep, with the Old Firm locked on seven apiece.

There wasn't much in the way of the flowing football associated with the Celtic boss, but he will be delighted with the grit shown by his players, with captain Callum McGregor at the heart of the midfield battle and Carter-Vickers at his formidable best in the centre of defence.

Postecoglou said the American, who has been carrying a knee injury, won't play again this season and Johnston may not been seen for a while either after celebrating on crutches at full-time.

Kyogo, Jota and Maeda were not afforded much in the way of time and space but never stopped running for their team, with the latter two having the speed of thought to capitalise on a collective lapse from the Rangers defence.

Michael Beale was again left to rue "fine margins" on the big stage.

The Ibrox manager faces a major rebuild over the summer as a season that promised so much with a long-awaited return to the Champions League fizzled out at a damp and dissonant national stadium.

Raskin and Todd Cantwell, overlooked for starting places in the League Cup final, added energy, but right-back Tavernier was yet again Rangers' most dangerous presence in the final third, with Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, drifting out of contract, not looking like players determined to say their farewells on a high.

There was plenty of endeavour from most of Beale's men but, in the decisive moments, they fell short against their main adversaries once more.

What they said

Rangers manager Michael Beale told BBC Scotland: "We shot ourselves in the foot again. We kept Allan [McGregor] pretty much safe the whole game.

"We've made a big mistake in a huge game. It's a repeat of what's happened. Right now, it's massive disappointment. When our opportunities came, we weren't able to take them."

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou told BBC Scotland: "It's a semi-final, there's a big prize at the end so we knew it wouldn't be easy. Dare I say it, we never stop. We're always alert. We force the opposition into mistakes.

"The progress we've made has been immense. It's credit to everyone involved."

What's next?

Celtic have the chance to clinch the Premiership title away to Hearts on Sunday (14:15 BST), while Rangers host Aberdeen 45 minutes later.