What “VAR said” about Auston Trusty’s kick on Jack Butland in Celtic v Rangers

Callum McGregor and substitute Callum Osmand struck in extra time to seal a dramatic 3–1 victory for Celtic over 10-man Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden Park.

With former boss Martin O’Neill returning to the Celtic dugout as interim manager—alongside Shaun Maloney—after replacing Brendan Rodgers last week, the Hoops took the lead midway through the first half. Johnny Kenny rose highest to head home an Arne Engels corner after 25 minutes.

Moments later, Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card by referee Nick Walsh for a reckless challenge on Anthony Ralston, leaving the Ibrox side with a mountain to climb.

Despite being a man down, Rangers—led by new head coach Danny Rohl in his first Old Firm encounter—showed resilience. Captain James Tavernier levelled the match from the penalty spot in the 81st minute, forcing extra time.

However, Celtic’s experience and composure told in the added period. McGregor thundered home from the edge of the box just three minutes after the restart, and teenage substitute Osmand netted his first senior goal 15 minutes later to seal the win and book a final showdown with St Mirren on December 14 at Hampden.

The game started at a furious pace, with Daizen Maeda testing Jack Butland early on before a chaotic moment saw Nasser Djiga’s clearance ricochet off Nicolas Raskin into the Rangers net—only for VAR to rule Maeda offside in the build-up.

Rangers had their chances through Youssef Chermiti and Raskin, but Celtic’s dominance was rewarded through Kenny’s opener. After the red card, Butland produced fine saves to deny Kenny again, while Kasper Schmeichel kept out Raskin’s effort at the other end.

Tensions flared before halftime when Auston Trusty caught Butland in the face after a challenge, prompting angry appeals for a red card. However, VAR reviewed the incident and deemed the challenge reckless but only worthy of a yellow, as confirmed during Premier Sports’ halftime coverage.

It was an exhausting, high-intensity contest that ultimately saw Celtic’s composure and fitness shine through, with McGregor and Osmand’s extra-time strikes ensuring O’Neill’s return began in the best possible fashion.