Rangers

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Rangers defender Leon Balogun tells BBC Scotland: "I'm sad, disappointed, angry to miss out. It's hard to speak so soon after the game but my initial feelings are that we don't deserve to lose that game.

"It was pretty much equal, it felt on the pitch things were going more our way. I don't want to call it a sucker-punch because that's disrespectful but it feels like one.

"I think we need some time to settle down and then when we're looking back on it, there will probably be a lot of positives to pick out compared to the last few derbies, but at the moment it just stings.

"I can't say [on the disallowed goal] I heard a few different things. I know Joe Hart said on the pitch that at one point it felt like his neck was being pulled back when another player said it was very light.

"I think the edge this season they had over us this season was in confidence. They turned up and delivered when needed to and that's where we fell short."

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement tells BBC Scotland: "That we didn't score and Celtic scored. I think that was the only difference.

"My players played a brave game, they played a good tactical game with and without the game. I think much improved from the last Old Firms. We need to improve for next season.

"We had three times more shots on target than Celtic today. It's about decision-making and quality also to finish off the actions. We're going to work hard on that with the players that are here and new recruits.

"I don't know if it was a penalty - I think it was the edge of the box, but it's clearly a bigger push from Scales than what happened with the disallowed goal. I think it's really clear. We need to look at what we can improve for next season to make things better.

"It could have been much more, but [for] all the injuries. We need to take the right conclusions to make it better.

"The mentality is there, the hard work is there, the structure is there and now we need to build on this.

"Everybody saw it was really close today. We're going to need a rebuild. We have quite a few players leaving and players getting older. We are going to build a new team."

Celtic completed a league and cup double as Adam Idah's dramatic 90th-minute winner downed rivals Rangers and won the Scottish Cup.

After a nervy and tetchy game with precious few clear chances, Idah pounced from six yards when Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland parried Paulo Bernardo's fierce drive.

The goal sent the green and white half of Hampden Park wild and provided the perfect sucker punch to a Rangers side who had the better of the second half.

After an hour, half-time substitute Abdallah Sima thought he had given Rangers the lead after kneeing home on the goalline after James Tavernier's dangerous corner.

But the goal was overturned when referee Nick Walsh was sent to the monitor after VAR John Beaton spotted a push on Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart by Nicolas Raskin.

What did you make of Rangers' performance at Hampden?

Send us your thoughts on the game here, external.

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

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This was a different derby to the previous four this season, but the outcome was no different.

Despite being short of their best, particularly in the second half, Celtic simply found a way when under pressure.

It is what they did to win the league. They finished a shaky campaign – by their own very high standards – strongly when they needed to, while Rangers toiled in sight of the line.

The usual match-winners such as Matt O’Riley, Callum McGregor, and Kyogo Furuhashi, were quieter at Hampden, but instead Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah grabbed their chance with the clock hitting 90 minutes.

You can be sure Rodgers – who remains unbeaten in the Scottish Cup and adds a third title – will be asking for funds to strengthen and to improve next season, especially in Europe.

But a league and cup double is a fantastic achievement amid some turbulent moments.

For Rangers, it was the same old story in one sense. They lost a derby match for the fourth time this season.

But in another, this was a much better performance. They had far more grit and steel in the middle of the pitch, helped by Mohamed Diomande producing a brilliant performance.

That helped shut Celtic down, but they never managed to put their rivals under enough pressure up the other end.

Clement has done some good work with this side, but it is back to the drawing board for him and the club in the summer as they look to stem the dominance from the other side of the city.

Celtic: Hart, Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, O'Riley, Forrest Maeda, Kyogo.

Substitutes: Bain, Palma, Idah, Kuhn, Nawrocki, Tomoki, Bernardo, Ralston, Welsh.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Balogun, Davies, Ridvan, Diomande, Raskin, Cantwell, Sterling, Silva, Dessers.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Lundstram, Jack, Matondo Sima, Dowell, Wright, McCausland, McKinnon.

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Follow build-up and live coverage of the Scottish Cup final right here.

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Rangers have unveiled a statue of legendary manager Walter Smith outside Ibrox before Saturday's Scottish Cup final.

Smith, who passed away in 2021, led Rangers to five Scottish Cups as well as 10 league titles and six League Cups.

"It is a poignant moment in the history of this great football club to unveil a statue of our legendary former manager Walter Smith," Rangers chairman John Bennett said.

"The outpouring of tributes which arrived from near and far following his passing two-and-a-half-years ago speaks to Walter’s stature as both a human being and custodian of our historic football club, and there is no Ranger more deserving in the modern era of being honoured in bronze.

“The work consolidates the significance of the great man and the place he occupies in the storied history of Rangers Football Club.”

James Tavernier insists he has "unfinished business" with Rangers amid links to Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq side. (Daily Record, external)

Kris Boyd says Todd Cantwell and John Lundstram both "have to start" for Rangers in the Scottish Cup final despite fan opinion. (Scottish Sun, external)

Read the rest of Saturday's gossip here.

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Rangers have landed a player of "great quality and potential" in Brazilian full-back Jefte, says manager Philippe Clement.

Jefte, 20, joins from Fluminese in his homeland on a four-year deal, having helped APOEL to title success in Cyprus during his loan spell last season.

"Jefte is an exciting young defender and I am delighted he has joined our squad so early in the summer period," said Clement.

The player is relishing the chance to take his career "to the next level" at such a "historic and successful club", while director of football Nils Koppen said Rangers have been tracking Jefte for "a number of months" and are "working hard behind the scenes" on further summer arrivals.

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It's the first Old Firm derby Scottish Cup final in 22 years - and we've got you covered right across the BBC.

You can watch every second of the action on BBC One Scotland, with build-up starting from 13:15 BST ahead of a 15:00 kick-off at Hampden.

BBC Radio Scotland has live radio commentary and plenty of build-up and reaction, with Sportsound's coverage starting from 13:30.

Our online live text on the BBC Sport website and app gets under way nice and early at 13:00 as we take you through the pre-match hype, the post-match celebrations and commiserations, as well as the main event.

And you can relive all the action with an hour-long highlights show on BBC One Scotland at 22:35.

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Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande has vowed to deliver a performance to match the occasion in the first Old Firm Scottish Cup final for 22 years.

The 22-year-old, a January arrival from Danish Superliga side Nordsjaelland, has faced Celtic twice, starting both the 3-3 Ibrox draw in April and this month’s 2-1 defeat at Parkhead which ended Rangers’ title hopes.

"I've only played in two but it's also why I wanted to play football, to make the fans happy," Diomande told Premier Sports ahead of Saturday's Hampden showpiece.

"I know in those two games I didn't do as much as the fans expected but I know I'm going to give my best and it's going to come in the next one.

"I'm still adapting to the league and how tough it is. Yeah, I know there's a lot of pressure also with the fans and everything, so I try everything to do what I can to help my team and get the result we want and also the fans want.

"I'm happy with the four months already and know I'm going to do a lot to improve myself."

The last time an Old Firm derby was contested in a Scottish Cup final, Martin O'Neill was in the Celtic dugout.

It was to be Rangers' day 22 years ago, as the Ibrox side prevailed in a 3-2 thriller to lift the trophy, with thanks to Peter Lovenkrands' 90th-minute winner.

Those days were a different time to now, but as O'Neill alludes to on a special edition of the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, there are some intriguing parallels as the fierce rivals get set to meet again in an end-of-season showdown.

Celtic were champions then and champions now. However, while Brendan Rodgers' side had to get themselves over the line late on, the 2002 champions strolled to glory.

"Winning the league was the big thing," O'Neill said. "In my five years there, we contested the cup final four times and won it three.

"To lose to Rangers in any games, even in a friendly game out in Australia, is condemning yourself to a couple of months of misery.

"But to lose a cup final is really, really poor - and in the manner we did.

"We had a big consolation in the sense that we had won the league."

Even a brief glance at the teamsheets on that day at Hampden Park shows how bursting with quality both sides were.

Henrik Larsson, Rab Douglas, Johan Mjallby, Chris Sutton, John Hartson, Neil Lennon, Paul Lambert and Stylian Petrov wore green and white hoops.

Man of the match Lovenkrands was in blue, alongside the likes of Fernando Ricksen, Barry Ferguson, Ronaldo de Boer, Stefan Klos, Neil McCann, Lorenzo Amorosu and Claudio Caniggia.

So, how big is the gap in quality 24 years later?

"I'm always fearful of drawing contrast of something that happened in the past because you think 'are you just glorifying your own team?'" O'Neill said.

"When I came up in the year 2000, the Rangers team was incredibly strong and remained incredibly strong for a number of years.

"There was more money around, the fact Rangers could spell £12m on Tore Andre Flo.

"The Rangers side of 20-odd years ago would really nail this current Rangers side. Some of the current players wouldn't even have been ball-boys in the side we played against."

We asked how you're feeling as Rangers look to end their rotten Old Firm record in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

John: Based on performances against Celtic so far this season I am not optimistic. Their midfield and forward line are much better than Rangers'. Unless we take the lead I don't see anything other than a victory for Celtic. A rebuild is required for next season, too much deadwood currently picking up good wages without performances to match.

Steve: Must win the midfield battle & ideally not go behind this time. A more pragmatic set up, built to be solid & break quickly. Todd Cantwell in front of a midfield 3 of Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin & Dujon Sterling. If Abdallah Sima can be risked start him with Cyriel Dessers, otherwise start Scott Wright & use Sima from the bench. Wildcard is dropping Dessers & using Faboio Silva's greater pace.

Alexander: I live in hope rather than with any confidence going into this game. Rangers have shown nothing to suggest they can better their rivals in recent times and even if the best players all hit top form, I doubt anything will change. There is always hope but nothing more than that. Let the rebuild begin.

Steve: We need to start far better. Defend better as a team and keep 11 men on the pitch. Do that and we’ll be okay. Dessers needs to just shoot when he has a sight of goal with the ball at his feet. Simples.

John: I am very concerned about Rangers' form and recent record going into this match. But I think if Leon Balogun & Sima are fit to start, and if we match them in midfield, we have a good chance of stopping them.

Billy: Rangers mindset is not strong enough. I can't see them winning the final, but hope they can find a way.

Fraser: It hurts me to say, but Celtic will win the cup final. They have several quality strikers, whereas we don't. We played all season without a decent striker, it might have been different had we got Lawrence Shankland in the new year.

Jimmy: We can win the cup for sure if we cut out all the silly mistakes we keep making and play to our full potential. Everyone must be on top of their game and play as a team. Let’s go and win the cup and enjoy the moment.

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Dujon Sterling says Rangers must "make amends" for missing out on the league title by snatching the Scottish Cup from Celtic's grasp on Saturday.

The 24-year-old has played a plethora of roles under Philippe Clement this term and hopes to end his debut season at Ibrox with a second trophy.

"Hopefully it's going to be a special week, we are disappointed about the league but we want to try and make amends in this cup final and put everything into it," Sterling told Rangers TV.

"We have to control our emotions, because obviously it is still a derby game, but we have to keep our emotions in check, stay composed and hopefully get the job done.

"When you get the opportunity to play in a final you want to do everything you can to win. You don’t want to be coming out with a silver medal."

Sterling already knows the glory of winning a trophy with Rangers, helping his side to lift the League Cup against Aberdeen at Hampden in December.

"Hopefully that experience can help us in this one as well," he added.

"That week was a good one for me personally because we had Betis away, obviously we won that, I came on and played and then started in the final and kept my shirt. The gaffer had his trust in me as well, so it was really good.

"Also celebrating with the fans, that was the first time I have experienced something like that so it was great and hopefully we can do it again."

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Where is the biggest key battle on the park in Saturday's Old Firm Scottish Cup final?

According to former Celtic forward Scott McDonald, the "most fascinating" tussle in this derby is always contested between Daizen Maeda and Rangers captain James Tavernier.

Likely to face off on the same flank, the pair have enjoyed some intriguing encounters over the past few years.

"The biggest key battle as always is Maeda versus Tavernier," the ex-Australia international told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"It's always the most fascinating one out there because they sort of nullify each other throughout the game."

The most notable moment between Maeda and Tavernier this season came in April's wild 3-3 draw at Ibrox.

Within the opening minute, the Rangers right-back was caught out by the Japan forward's blistering pace and had the ball pinched, allowing Celtic to take an incredibly early lead.

"Who's going to get the better of one another usually has a telling on where the game is going to go," McDonald added.

"I always love seeing that one and it'll be interesting to see how that tussle ends up once again."

Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew, meanwhile, says Maeda's off-the-ball work is priceless for Brendan Rodgers' side.

“Celtic know what Maeda does," Mulgrew told BBC Scotland. "He tracks back with Tavernier, he presses well.

"Celtic don’t allow Tavernier to get up the pitch as he usually does. I don’t think Celtic will target that area, I just think they’ll play their game-plan.”