Jota’s goal just shy of the interval was the difference at the national stadium as the Light Blues passed up several opportunities in the second half to turn the contest in their favour.
Michael Beale named two changes to his Gers side from last weekend’s clash at Pittodrie, welcoming Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent back into the fold after their respective injury lay-offs.
It was a frantic opening in Mount Florida as the Light Blues went close inside 18 seconds. An intricate move involving James Tavernier and Todd Cantwell allowed Malik Tillman to receive between the lines, with Nicolas Raskin breaking forward from deep in midfield to draw an early corner after the ball ricocheted kindly into the Belgian’s path.
Celtic settled into a period of possession thereafter, briefly threatening the Rangers goal when Daizen Maeda was released by Kyogo through the heart of the Gers defence only for his first touch to trickle through to Allan McGregor.
A gorgeous cross-field ball in search of Kent almost engineered a moment of joy for the Light Blues just shy of the 20th minute mark, with Alistair Johnston producing a sliding challenge as Borna Barisic looked to deliver into the danger area.
Cantwell was again involved moments later as he drifted to the far post to meet a deep cross from the Croatian, although he couldn’t connect with Malik Tillman lurking 14 yards out.
The Gers No.1 was called into action on 26 minutes as Ange Postecoglou’s side circulated the ball down their right-hand flank. Johnston took aim with a tame effort that was palmed away by McGregor before the experienced stopper denied Jota’s driven effort from a tight angle with his feet.
Beale was forced into a substitution just beyond the half-hour mark when Tillman was forced off through injury to be replaced by Scott Arfield.
The Light Blues responded with surging run midfield run from John Lundstram, breaking through the heart of the Celtic midfield before the Englishman was thwarted on the edge of the penalty area.
However, Celtic broke the deadlock just three minutes before the interval to change the complexion of the contest heading into half-time. A loose ball was pounced upon on the right-hand side of the penalty area by Maeda who clipped a delivery to the far post for Jota to head beyond McGregor from close range.
Fashion Jr. was called from the bench at the interval in place of Kent as Rangers went close inside four minutes of the restart via the Zambian. There was no shortage of bodies inside the Gers penalty area as the ball was delivered from the right, with a combination of Alfredo Morelos and the Zambian unable to force the ball beyond Joe Hart from close range.
It was Rangers who enjoyed the lion’s share of possession to open the second period, although McGregor was forced to turn Kyogo’s effort round the post for a corner after the ball was poked through to the Japanese forward by Reo Hatate.
Beale’s men were beginning to build a head of steam around the hour-mark as they tested Hart on two separate occasions. Fashion Jr. met Tavernier’s cross under duress from Anthony Ralston from 14 yards out before Arfield’s driven effort from distance looked destined for the bottom corner before an intervention from the Celtic goalkeeper.
The Gers were inches away from restoring parity in the 64th minute as they laid siege to the Celtic goal. Fashion Jr. worked a half yard of space down the right before laying the ball inside to Tavernier who swept a curling effort which rattled off the inside of the post, with the Zambian steering the rebound into the side netting.
The captain was the next to trouble the Celtic penalty area, meeting Barisic’s cross at the back post but only steering his header down into the turf and over the crossbar.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was forced to turn the ball away for a corner after substitute Ridvan Yilmaz was released in space down the left before squaring the ball dangerously into a crowded penalty area.
The lively Rabbi Matondo was certainly making an impact during his time on the pitch, with Beale turning to his bench once more with eight minutes remaining as Ianis Hagi entered the fray.
Ridvan tried his luck from distance as the game ticked into its dying embers, but he could only watch the ball sail over the top as the referee brought Rangers’ Scottish Cup campaign to an end with the sound of his whistle.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic (Ridvan, 73), Raskin (Matondo, 73), Lundstram, Cantwell, Tillman (Arfield, 35), Kent, Morelos (Hagi, 82)
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Souttar, Kamara, Wright
CELTIC: Hart, Johnston (Ralston, 53), Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate (Iwata, 65), O’Riley (Mooy, 65), Jota (Haksabanovic, 65), Maeda, Kyogo (Oh, 83)
SUBS NOT USED: Bain, Turnbull, Kobayashi, Vata
REFEREE: Don Robertson