adminGlasgow Rangers defeated their city rivals for only the second time in all competitions since March 2025 after claiming a commanding 3-0 victory in the League Cup on Sunday.
Derek McInnes orchestrated a convincing triumph in the quarter-finals of the competition and became the first Gers manager in history to defeat Celtic by more than two goals in his opening match against them.
Dan Neil scored twice, either side of a maiden Light Blues goal from £9m summer recruit Kevin Kelsy, who introduced himself to the Ibrox supporters with an excellent left-footed strike.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor has, frustratingly, controlled too many derby meetings between the two sides in recent years, but that was certainly not the situation on Sunday.
How Rangers completely nullified Callum McGregor
The Hoops skipper operates as a controller in the number six role because of his consistent ability with the ball at his feet, directing games from the base of the midfield.
He normally helps his team dominate matches and unlock opponents by escaping pressure and linking play through intelligent movement and decision-making in possession.
McInnes, however, completely neutralised the left-footed midfielder with an impressive tactical structure that restricted the space McGregor had available to influence the match.
The Scottish manager used a hybrid system that saw James Penrice move inside from left-back into central midfield, adding numbers alongside Dan Neil and Nicolas Raskin, which limited the room McGregor could operate in.
McInnes also fielded two strikers, Ryan Naderi and Kelsy, with the pair consistently pressing Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales, preventing them from comfortably progressing the ball from the back into McGregor.
As a result, Rangers cut off the passing route towards McGregor while also restricting the space available to him whenever he received possession, stopping him from controlling the tempo of the game.
New Joe Aribo: Rangers star embarrassed Callum McGregor
Although McInnes’ tactical adjustments enabled the Gers to keep the Celtic captain quiet, one Rangers player in particular made McGregor struggle throughout the contest.
With Lawrence Shankland sidelined by a hamstring injury that could rule him out for four months, Dan Neil wore the captain’s armband for his first Old Firm encounter on Sunday.
The central midfielder rose to the occasion for the Scottish giants with an outstanding performance in the middle of the pitch and is now beginning to look like the club’s next Joe Aribo.
Since the Nigerian midfielder’s spell at Rangers, the Gers have lacked a central midfielder who combines movement, strength, and an attacking threat in the final third, with Aribo scoring 26 goals in 149 appearances for the club.
Neil produced an Aribo-like moment when he slipped away from McGregor twice to create room on the edge of the penalty area and score Rangers’ first and third goals against Celtic at Ibrox.
The Englishman found the ideal position to get away from the Celtic captain, who was caught completely unaware defensively, allowing Neil to release both efforts before the Scottish midfielder could move across to challenge him.
During his Sunderland career, Neil demonstrated that he possesses the ability to influence matches in advanced areas as both a goalscorer and creator, much like Aribo did during his time with Rangers.
Now, if the 24-year-old can continue to outplay McGregor, who has caused the club problems on far too many occasions, he could potentially do the same against other midfielders across the Scottish Premiership this season.
The Rangers skipper thoroughly outshone Celtic with his exceptional performance in the centre of the pitch on Sunday, playing a key part in the home side’s victory, and it is now up to him to maintain that level of consistency over the weeks and months ahead.
If Neil can continue producing displays of that quality week after week for McInnes, the midfield star could become the club’s next Aribo and help the Gers finally lift silverware, having now gone nearly two years without a trophy.
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