In a thrilling conclusion to the Scottish Cup, Celtic secured a league and cup double, thanks to a last-minute goal from Adam Idah that defeated their rivals, Rangers.
The match was tense and closely contested, with few clear opportunities. However, Idah seized his chance from close range when a powerful strike from Paulo Bernardo was deflected by Rangers’ goalkeeper, Jack Butland.
This decisive goal ignited jubilation among the Celtic supporters at Hampden Park, delivering a stunning blow to the Rangers who had dominated the latter half of the game.
An hour into the match, Abdallah Sima, a substitute brought on after half-time, believed he had put Rangers ahead, nudging the ball over the line following a threatening corner from James Tavernier.
However, this moment of triumph was short-lived as referee Nick Walsh, guided by VAR John Beaton, disallowed the goal due to a foul on Celtic’s goalkeeper, Joe Hart, by Nicolas Raskin. Given Rangers’ track record of not scoring first in the previous four derbies this season, this felt like a pivotal moment.
Despite this setback, Philippe Clement’s team demonstrated their resilience, continuing to challenge Celtic fiercely.
The Scottish Premiership champions, Celtic, despite struggling to challenge Butland for most of the match, managed to do what they do best – seize a crucial moment.
The catalyst was Bernardo, a loanee from Benfica, whose sporadic contributions had made a difference. His determined run and long-range shot forced the typically dependable Butland to deflect the ball into the penalty area, where Idah was ready to strike, securing back-to-back Scottish Cup victories for Celtic.
