Derek McInnes’ side had to bide their time to find the decisive moment, but it was worth the wait when Naderi, who is developing a habit of scoring important goals, turned home from James Penrice’s delivery with just nine minutes left on the clock.
It was a victory which secured a return to the final of a competition the Gers last lifted in 2023, where they will face the winners of the Edinburgh Derby tomorrow afternoon.
From the team which played out a 2-2 draw with Hearts in midweek, in came Tuur Rommens, making his first start since August, and Badredine Bouanani.
As such, James Penrice took up a position in midfield where he operated to good effect in the recent Old Firm victories.
Rangers were first to fashion an attempt at goal when Ryan Naderi controlled a loose ball on his chest and took aim at Marius Muller’s goal, but it was always on the ambitious side as it trickled well off target.
Bouanani underlined his presence on the right with a wicked curling delivery that Nicky Devlin was forced to turn behind inside the danger area.
Moments later, Kevin Kelsy nodded wide under pressure at the far post from a deep corner.
Still, clear-cut opportunities were at a premium for either side, showcased on 20 minutes when Nico Raskin, sporting the captain’s armband, picked up a loose ball after a nice move involving Naderi and Kelsy, before his effort from distance looped comfortably into the arms of the Aberdeen goalkeeper.
Stephen Robinson’s side threatened briefly when Nesta Guinness-Walker stole a march on Dujon Sterling before driving into acres of space inside the Gers half. His effort, however, was comfortable for Ivor Pandur who turned the ball away to safety.
As the clock ticked beyond the half-hour mark, Bouanani quickened the pulses when he got around the outside of Guinness-Walker and stabbed a delivery into the penalty box, but Devlin was again alive to the danger.
Down the opposite end, an Aberdeen attack broke to Brad Lyons whose floated delivery was met by the head of Kevin Nisbet but glanced well wide of the Pandur’s far post.
After Afeez Aremu was cautioned for a catching Bouanani on the top of the foot, the midfielder thwarted the Algerian’s attempt after he was suddenly freed beyond the Aberdeen backline.
Moments later, Connor Ronan blocked from the winger before Naderi volleyed goalwards off-balance but over the top.
Muller between the Aberdeen goal was called into action on the stroke of the interval when Bouanani, again looking a source of creativity on the right, unleashed a low effort from the edge of the penalty area which the German was equal to down to his right.
The half-time whistle perhaps came at the wrong time for the Gers as they went ever so close twice in quick succession.
Firstly, a floated Raskin delivery was glanced goalwards by Naderi but just inches over the crossbar before a promising attack broke to Minsu Kim 20 yards out whose first-time effort fizzed wide of the target.
Shooting towards the Rangers supporters in the second period, the Gers were inches away from breaking the deadlock when Bouanani fizzed an effort towards the far post which Naderi – of a considerable frame – unfortunately couldn’t applying the finishing touch on the full-stretch.
Aberdeen sprung forward on the break on 57 minutes when Ronan was first to a bouncing ball in midfield before releasing Nisbet to his left, but Rangers got enough bodies back to narrow the space for the forward.
Minsu then skipped inside at the other end of the Hampden turf and drove an effort at goal which Muller met down low to tip around the post.
Perhaps the best opportunity of the contest at that point belonged to Kelsy on the hour-mark.
It was no surprise that Bouanani was at the heart of the move, clipping a delicious cross into the penalty area where the Venezuelan arrived in plenty of space before contriving to nod wide of the target.
Rangers were beginning to crank up the intensity, and they almost found a route to the opener when Bouanani danced his way through a crowded Aberdeen penalty area before eventually digging out a right-footed effort which was blocked on the goalline by Devlin.
Robinson’s side were suddenly throwing everything to thwart a wave of Rangers attacks.
Raskin drew an acrobatic stop from Muller after chopping onto his unfavoured left side before, moments later, Dan Neil, just on the pitch as a substitute, volleyed goalwards but watched his cannon off an unsuspecting Nisbet and out for a corner.
The only aspect absent from Bouanani’s display was a goal as he left both Ronan and Aremu in his wake with just under a quarter of an hour remaining before lashing an effort wide of Muller’s far post from the edge of the danger area.
As the Gers committed bodies in search of the winning goal, Aberdeen could sniff blood as Nisbet went close twice in quick succession, the second of which requiring a last-ditch block from Olwethu Makhanya from inside the penalty area.
And with just nine minutes remaining, Rangers finally found the long-awaited breakthrough.
From an Aberdeen corner broke Kelsy up the pitch, holding the ball long enough to bring Bouanani into play. When his low cross was cleared to Penrice, the full-back lashed a low delivery into a dangerous area where Naderi provided the finishing touch from close-range to seal the Gers’ place in next month’s final.
RANGERS: Pandur, Sterling, Fernandez (Godfrey, 87), Makhanya, Rommens (Neil, 64), Penrice, Raskin, Minsu (Gassama, 64), Bouanani (Curtis, 87), Naderi, Kelsy (Chukwuani, 87)
Subs not used: Kelly, Nedeljkovic, Dragojevic, Miovski
ABERDEEN: Muller, Devlin (Smith, 87), Lyons, Mouloua (Ntelo, 54), Nisbet, Molloy, Milne, Guinness-Walker, Ronan (Marshall, 87), Aremu (Yogane, 87), Gyamfi (Armstrong, 14)
Subs not used: Klein, Frame, Briedl, Mahou
