A DOUBLE from Kyogo Furuhashi was enough to give Celtic a 2-1 victory over Rangers in the Viaplay Cup final at Hampden Park.
The Japanese striker found the net from close range in the 44th and 56th minutes to put his side two goals up and, despite Alfredo Morelos pulling one back with an excellent finish after the hour mark, Ange Postecoglou’s men held on to their lead and lifted the trophy after the full-time whistle.
With Hampden rocking pre-match and the weather conditions perfect for a cup final showdown, it was Celtic’s Aaron Mooy that got the match underway from the kick-off, giving several players in green and white the chance to get early touches of the ball.
With ten minutes on the clock, however, there wasn’t much to write about with Allan McGregor and Joe Hart not yet tested between the posts. Celtic had the upper hand in terms of possession at this point with 74 per cent.
A shot which flew high and wide from Ryan Kent had the Rangers fans briefly out of their seats, with Michael Beale applauding and asking for more of the same from his players as they tried to ask questions of Celtic’s backline in the final third.
At the other end it was McGregor who had to make the first save of the match 20 minutes in, the 41-year-old getting down to his right to make an excellent stop to deny Jota who had let fly with a powerful left-foot shot from distance.
On the half-hour mark the game was goalless and Celtic had Cameron Carter-Vickers to thank for it staying that way.
Kent, in a central area, played the ball out wide to the marauding James Tavernier who had burst into the Celtic box from the right flank. The Light Blues captain then cut it across the face of goal but Carter-Vickers was there first to make an important interception with Sakala and Tillman lurking.
The Rangers defence had managed to keep Kyogo relatively quiet up until the 37th minute, but the Japanese forward managed to create a yard of space as he turned 18 yards out and curled an effort which inches wide of the postage stamp corner of McGregor’s goal.
In the next attack, the same player headed over from eight yards from right-back Alistair Johnston’s cross and this was to be another warning as, on 43 minutes, it was Kyogo who netted the opening goal of the game.
The assist this time came from Greg Taylor on the left, with his low cross missed by Daizen Maeda but his teammate wearing number 8 was there to finish from just three yards to make it 1-0 at the break.
With neither side making changes to their personnel for the restart, Rangers that came so close to levelling the score just five minutes into the second half.
Tillman drove forward and slipped the ball to Kent. The winger’s left-foot shot went back across Hart and clipped the far post before Fashion Sakala smashed the ball into the side netting from a tight angle.
This was a pivotal moment in the match as Celtic doubled their advantage on 56 minutes. Aaron Mooy played a defence-splitting pass to Reo Hatate and his cutback cross was perfect for Kyogo who got in front of his marker and, with McGregor at his near post, fired the ball into the empty net from close range.
Rangers looked down but they were not out quite yet as Morelos pulled a goal back on 63 minutes with an instinctive strike.
Tavernier’s free-kick from just outside the area dropped to the Colombian at the back post and he took one touch before stabbing a shot past Hart.
Beale’s men, with substitutes Todd Cantwell, Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack now on and adding fresh legs, were back in the contest and with the Rangers fans behind them they went in search of a second goal.
The introduction of Antonio Colak, who replaced Morelos, for the final 15 minutes gave Celtic more to think about, with Postecoglou also making four changes to his team as they looked to retain their slender advantage.
With four minutes of injury time confirmed, Rangers kept pushing but they were unable to equalise, with McGregor making a good save from Matt O’Riley and Sead Haksabanovic putting another effort wide at the death.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic, Lundstram (Raskin 65) , Kamara (Cantwell 65), Tillman (Jack 65), Fashion Jr (Wright 83), Kent, Morelos (Colak 76)
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Hagi, Arfield, Devine
GOALS: Morelos 63
BOOKINGS: Lundstram, Kamara, Kent, Colak, Barisic, Cantwell
CELTIC: Hart, Johnston, Taylor, Starfelt, Furuhashi (Oh 75), Mooy (O’Riley 65), Jota (Abada 65), Carter-Vickers, Maeda (Haksabanovic 83), Hatate (Iwata 75), McGregor
SUBS NOT USED: Bain, Turnbull, Kobayashi, Ralston
GOALS: Kyogo 44, 56
BOOKINGS: Taylor, Oh, Abada, Johnston
REF: Nick Walsh