In a pulsating cup final filled with six goals, 11 bookings, 12 substitutions, and 120 minutes of high drama, Celtic emerged victorious over Rangers in a nerve-shredding penalty shootout.
The match was defined by tension and missed opportunities, including Ridvan Yilmaz’s saved penalty and Jack Butland’s brief heroics as Rangers’ goalkeeper scored to keep their hopes alive.
However, it was Daizen Maeda who delivered the decisive moment, calmly slotting the winning penalty to secure the trophy. Maeda exuded composure throughout, looking unfazed by the mounting pressure in a final that reached epic proportions.
Rangers will be haunted by their missed opportunities.
At 1-0, they squandered a golden four-on-one chance that could have doubled their lead and shifted the game’s momentum. A contentious moment in extra time, when Vaclav Cerny was tugged near the penalty area without VAR intervention, added to their frustration.
These sliding-door moments, combined with the agony of the shootout loss, make this defeat one of their most painful in recent memory—arguably more gut-wrenching than previous losses in finals and heavy defeats to Celtic. As the rain fell and Celtic lifted the trophy, most Rangers fans had already left Hampden, leaving behind the bitter taste of regret.
