Rangers

After a cinch Premiership defeat at Ibrox and a loss against the Light Blues in the Viaplay Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, Steven Naismith’s side again came up short against Rangers.

Having scored twice in the 2-0 home win over St Mirren on Sunday, Brighton loanee Sima struck again in the 34th minute to take the three points back to Govan.

With Celtic beating Hibernian 4-1 at Parkhead, Rangers are still eight points behind the leaders having played a game less with Philippe Clement extending his unbeaten run since taking over as boss to 11 matches.

The third-placed Jambos went into the game with four straight home league wins for the first time for five years but will have to start another run.

There was a familiar name on the Hearts bench as former Scotland number one Craig Gordon returned after almost a year having recovered from breaking his leg against Dundee United on Christmas Eve.

The 40-year-old instantly put pressure on the club’s other Scotland keeper Zander Clark, who also has hopes of making Euro 2024 and he had a mixed evening.

Craig Halkett and Barrie McKay also returned from lengthy spells out while Nathaniel Atkinson and Kyosuke Tagawa were reinstated to the starting line-up as Yutaro Oda and Liam Boyce dropped out altogether.

For the visitors left-back Ridvan Yilmaz took over from Borna Barisic, missing altogether, with Brazilian striker Danilo in for Cyriel Dessers.

In the 11th minute Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland blasted a shot over the bar on the break after Yilmaz had carelessly lost possession leaving the Rangers rearguard exposed.

Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence limped off in the 17th minute to be replaced by Jose Cifuentes.

In the 25th minute, as Hearts drove their way into the Rangers box, Shankland’s shot from 12 yards was parried by keeper Jack Butland with Alex Cochrane’s shot from the rebound blocked by the body of James Tavernier.

Danilo had the ball in the Hearts net from eight yards just before the half-hour mark but was offside.

However, when Tavernier broke out of defence and split the Jambos backline with a well-weighted pass, Sima sped clear and when Clark rushed out from his goal, he slipped the ball past him for his 12th goal of the season.

Minutes later, Todd Cantwell lobbed the ball just over the bar from close range and then Clark stuck his foot out to deny Danilo from just a few yards.

Atkinson and Jorge Grant were replaced by Oda and Kenneth Vargas at the start of the second half but it was Rangers who reasserted.

In the 51st minute Tavernier’s curling free-kick into the Hearts box was dropped by Clark but Danilo’s shot was blocked by Tagawa and the home side escaped again, as they did minutes later when Yilmaz’s angled-drive flew wide of the far post.

Clark parried a long-distance drive from John Lundstram and Yilmaz fired the rebound high over the bar, before Kemar Roofe and Dujon Sterling took over from Danilo and Yilmaz.

Just before that, Butland made a fantastic save from Vargas’ powerful left-footed drive, which raised Jambo hopes.

In the 79th minute Clark made a fine stop with his foot after Sima had been set up by Roofe but the offside flag was up.

Rangers had to do some stout defending in the closing stages as Hearts went all out but they kept the door closed to keep on Celtic’s coat tails.

The hosts took the lead through Nicky Devlin after 31 minutes at the Pittodrie Stadium before Nedim Bajrami's individual brilliance saw Rangers back on level terms 18 minutes into the second half.

Celebrations soon resumed in Aberdeen as substitute Morris crashed in the winner 11 minutes later.

Victory sees Jimmy Thelin's side move nine points clear of Rangers, who sit in third, as they remain level on 28 points with Celtic, only behind on goal difference.

Celtic continued to add to that superior goal difference with a 2-0 win over Dundee at Celtic Park.

Two goals inside 10 minutes in the second half from Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels gave them a routine victory to keep them unbeaten at the top of the table.

The Dons have been allocated 19,000 tickets for their Hampden meeting with Celtic while Hearts will say they will receive an identical initial allocation of 21,000 to their opponents, Rangers.

Both of the last-four underdogs had sought a 50-50 split but the PA news agency understands Aberdeen declined the deal Hearts accepted, to underwrite the cost of any unsold tickets.

The Scottish Football Association announced that the Dons would face Celtic at 12.30pm on April 20 with Hearts playing Rangers at 3pm the following day.

A statement from Aberdeen read: “The club requested the opportunity to sell up to 50 per cent of the tickets, with any unsold tickets by an agreed date being allocated to our opponents.

“Disappointingly, this has once again been declined based primarily on historical ticket sales at this stage of the competition.

“As a result, the Aberdeen allocation for this match will be for up to 19,000 tickets, almost identical to the Viaplay Cup final in December, split between the South Stand and West Stand, depending on demand.”

Aberdeen quickly sold an initial 17,000 tickets for their Hampden clash with Rangers in December before problems emerged over a second batch of 2,500 tickets as fans complained over their loyalty points not being taken into account, while the club recalled tickets apparently sold to Light Blues fans.

They sold about 13,000 tickets for the League Cup semi-finals in each of the past two seasons, figures which were taken into account during this process.

Hearts were “delighted” to share their news with supporters.

A statement read: “The club put forward a proposal to secure an equal share of tickets, guaranteeing Hearts supporters the opportunity to purchase seats in Hampden’s North Stand.

“We had to make an extremely strong case for our argument, given the size of our opponents’ fanbase and historic semi-final ticket sales.

“We are, therefore, extremely pleased to confirm that our proposition was accepted, and both Hearts and Rangers will be given an initial 21k allocation of tickets to sell to our respective supporters.

“We would like to thank the Scottish FA for their assistance in this process.

“This gives us the best opportunity to have Steven Naismith and our players walk out onto the Hampden pitch to a sea of maroon, spread out equally and fairly across the national stadium.

“The door has now been opened for as many Hearts fans as possible to attend and, hopefully, have a special day out.

“One condition of this agreement is that the club covers the cost of any unsold tickets from our allocation so it is in all of our interests to sell out and give the team the level of backing that Hearts fans are famous for.”

Head coach Naismith welcomed the news.

“In the semi-final of the biggest cup competition in the country when you’ve got two of the biggest clubs in the country, it really should be (50/50),” he said. “It should be a great atmosphere to be involved in.”

The SFA declined to comment.

Both clubs sought a 50-50 split for their respective matches but only Hearts had their request granted.

The Edinburgh club say they have been allocated an identical initial share to Rangers of 21,000 seats in the 50,000-capacity national stadium.

The Dons will face Celtic at 12.30pm on April 20 with Hearts facing Rangers at 3pm the following day.

A statement from Aberdeen read: “The club requested the opportunity to sell up to 50 per cent of the tickets, with any unsold tickets by an agreed date being allocated to our opponents.

“Disappointingly, this has once again been declined based primarily on historical ticket sales at this stage of the competition.

“As a result, the Aberdeen allocation for this match will be for up to 19,000 tickets, almost identical to the Viaplay Cup final in December, split between the South Stand and West Stand, depending on demand.”

Hearts were “delighted” to share their news with supporters.

A statement read: “The club put forward a proposal to secure an equal share of tickets, guaranteeing Hearts supporters the opportunity to purchase seats in Hampden’s North Stand.

“We had to make an extremely strong case for our argument, given the size of our opponents’ fanbase and historic semi-final ticket sales.

“We are, therefore, extremely pleased to confirm that our proposition was accepted, and both Hearts and Rangers will be given an initial 21k allocation of tickets to sell to our respective supporters.

“We would like to thank the Scottish FA for their assistance in this process.

“This gives us the best opportunity to have Steven Naismith and our players walk out onto the Hampden pitch to a sea of maroon, spread out equally and fairly across the national stadium.

“The door has now been opened for as many Hearts fans as possible to attend and, hopefully, have a special day out.

“One condition of this agreement is that the club covers the cost of any unsold tickets from our allocation so it is in all of our interests to sell out and give the team the level of backing that Hearts fans are famous for.”

Head coach Naismith welcomed the news.

“In the semi-final of the biggest cup competition in the country when you’ve got two of the biggest clubs in the country, it really should be (50/50),” he said. “It should be a great atmosphere to be involved in.”

The Scottish FA has been approached for comment.

The Scottish Professional Football League has announced that Rangers will receive about 25,000 tickets – roughly half the capacity of Hampden – but the Dons will only be allocated up to 19,500 seats for the December 17 showpiece.

An Aberdeen statement read: “The club robustly put its case to the SPFL to treat both teams fairly with an even share of tickets, given Hampden is a neutral venue and, as such, presented an option that would split the allocation for the match evenly between both competing finalists.

“Much to our extreme disappointment and frustration, this proposal was rejected by the SPFL, who cited operational challenges and attendances at previous semi-finals/finals as the principal reasons for their determination.”

Aberdeen had proposed that they hold back five sections of the North Stand and hand back tickets to pass on to Rangers by a certain date if the demand among their fans was not evident.

An SPFL spokesperson said:  “Deciding ticketing allocations for cup finals is always a challenging task, as more fans invariably want to attend than the stadium can accommodate.

“We take a range of factors into consideration, including the number of tickets each club sells in the semi-finals, as well as their historic ticket sales in any previous League Cup finals and semi-finals.

“In addition, the design of the stadium and its ability to split sections is a major factor which influences our decisions, together with input from safety and security authorities to ensure fan safety and appropriate segregation.”

The league added that the split was broadly the same configuration as Aberdeen’s previous League Cup final appearance against Celtic five years ago.

There were 28,295 fans at the semi-final between Aberdeen and Hibernian.

The Dons were confident of selling a 50 per cent allocation given they took 43,000 supporters to Celtic Park when they last won the League Cup in 2014 by beating Inverness in the final.

The Bayern Munich midfielder’s season-long loan at Ibrox was recently cut short by a hamstring injury and he returned to Germany.

But the United States international was back in Glasgow on Sunday to collect the PFA Scotland Men’s Young Player of the Year award.

The 20-year-old told Sky Sports News: “I hoped for a better ending but it’s quite common in football to get injuries so I am unlucky to be one of them.

“I have had a great time here. It might not be the end – we will see what’s going to happen in the summer.

“It’s 50-50. It’s up to Rangers, up to Bayern and up to me, so it’s completely open.

“I am going to speak to Michael Beale in the coming days and then see what he is saying, see what Bayern are saying, and then I will decide.”

The former Germany Under-21 international beat Celtic pair Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley plus Albion Rovers winger Charlie Reilly to the prize.

“I’m extremely proud and extremely happy,” he said. “In Germany it’s not usual so I am just glad I got voted for. It’s a huge honour. The other nominees deserved it as well.”

Idah came on from the bench to net a 90th-minute winner for the Hoops, who secured a league and cup double in Brendan Rodgers' first season back in charge.

Rangers thought they had taken the lead midway through the second half at Hampden Park, when Abdallah Sima tapped in from on the line.

However, VAR came to Celtic's rescue, with the onfield referee overturning his decision to give the goal when the replays showed Nicolas Raskin had pushed Hoops goalkeeper Joe Hart, who was playing in his last match before retirement.

Celtic made their good fortune count, with Idah reacting sharply to slam home from close range after Jack Butland spilled a shot.

It gave Rangers no time to respond, as Celtic sealed their 42nd Scottish Cup crown.

Data Debrief: Hart bows out on top

Hart confirmed his retirement several weeks ago, and the former England goalkeeper goes out on the highest note possible, with a domestic double.

The 37-year-old retires with six titles to his name with Celtic, following on from five trophies during his time with Manchester City.

In what proved to be his final Scottish Cup campaign, Hart conceded five goals in five appearances, keeping three clean sheets and recording a save percentage of 66.67.

Greg Taylor fired a low finish beyond Jon McLaughlin shortly after the hour to hand Celtic the lead, before substitute Scott Arfield bent home a brilliant leveller to force additional time.

With a penalty shoot-out on the horizon, Starfelt deflected Calvin Bassey's left-wing cross past Joe Hart to send Rangers to their 53rd Scottish Cup final, where Hearts lie in wait after overcoming Hibernian on Saturday. 

A boisterous atmosphere gave way to a frantic opening at Hampden Park, with Ryan Kent firing over under pressure and Jota heading onto the roof of the net at the other end.

John Lundstram curled against the post as Rangers enjoyed the better of the first half, but their threat faded somewhat after Aaron Ramsey was injured shortly before the break.

Ange Postecoglou's side improved after half time and took the lead after 63 minutes, Taylor spinning on Callum McGregor's inventive shot free-kick before firing into the bottom-right corner.

The Hoops went close to a quickfire second five minutes later when Cameron Carter-Vickers crashed a left-footed shot against the crossbar from a corner.

They were made to pay for that missed opportunity after 78 minutes with Arfield latching onto Kemar Roofe's heavy touch to curl home just four minutes after coming on.

Celtic somehow survived Rangers twice hitting the woodwork in the 110th minute, James Tavernier smashing off the near post and Fashion Sakala diverting the rebound onto the top of the bar.

But Rangers found time for a winner as Bassey's left-wing cutback was diverted into his own net by Starfelt under pressure from Sakala, ending Celtic's treble hopes and booking Rangers' cup final spot.

What does it mean? Rangers continue bid to end cup draught

Rangers have not lifted either of Scotland's two domestic cups since winning the Scottish League Cup in 2011, and Celtic have won the Scottish Cup on six occasions since the Ibrox outfit last did so in 2009.

Their extra-time win means they will appear in May's showpiece event for the 53rd time, where they will look to lift their first domestic cup in over a decade.

Celtic's treble hopes in tatters

Meanwhile, Celtic went into this game looking to keep their hopes of a fifth domestic treble in six seasons alive, after winning the Scottish League Cup in December and establishing a six-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership. 

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men will be delighted with ending the Hoops' dreams of another domestic clean sweep, and could yet win two trophies themselves as they remain in the hunt for the Europa League.

Gers end Postecoglou's derby run

Postecoglou's team looked set for a third successive Old Firm derby win when Taylor fired home the opener, but a stunning Rangers turnaround denied Celtic that feat, and means the Glasgow giants have won two derbies apiece in all competitions this season.

What's next?

Celtic continue their bid to regain the Scottish title at Ross County next Sunday, with Rangers travelling to Motherwell on the same day, looking to capitalise on any slip-up from the leaders.

Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi had put the Bhoys in control in the first half, with Rangers unable to mount a comeback.

Rangers' best chance came inside 10 minutes, with James Tavernier picking out Rabbi Matondo, who thumped his header wide from the edge of the six-yard box.

Kyogo thought he had broken the deadlock just one minute later, but his clinical finish was disallowed as Nicolas Kuhn had just drifted offside before teeing him up.

Maeda's close-range effort did count in the 17th minute, with Alistair Johnson drifting in behind Rangers' defence to set him up for a tap-in.

And Kyogo would get on the scoresheet just before the break, driving a low shot through the crowded area and in from 30 yards out to put Celtic in control.

McGregor added the gloss in the 75th minute, netting in a third straight game as his long-range strike deflected past Butland. 

Data Debrief: Clement's derby woes go on

Celtic maintained their perfect start to the season, with the Bhoys yet to concede in their four games so far. Kasper Schmeichel only had three saves to make, staying alert to deny Tavernier and protect his clean sheet late on. 

But it was more misery for Gers boss Philippe Clement, who has now failed to win an Old Firm Derby in five attempts in all competitions (one draw, four losses); only Graeme Murty (also five) and William Wilton (eight) also failed to win any of their first five games against Celtic in charge of Rangers.

As a whole, Rangers have not enjoyed their recent trips to Celtic Park - since the start of 2022-23, they have lost all five of their away games against Celtic. The last time that happened was in April 1980. 

A gripping game at Celtic Park saw the hosts pour more cold water on their rivals' diminishing title chances, as Michael Beale's side failed to cut the gap.

Kyogo Furuhashi gave Celtic the lead in the 26th minute, before a sumptuous James Tavernier free-kick pulled Rangers level just before the break.

Another for Kyogo restored the hosts' lead before Jota extended it, though Celtic were made to sweat after Tavernier headed in another with just over 10 minutes remaining, his 100th Rangers goal.

Kyogo had the ball in the net after just five minutes but was denied by an offside flag, with a typically frenetic start to the game leading to numerous misplaced passes from both teams.

There was controversy in the 19th minute when Alfredo Morelos turned the ball in at the far post from a Rangers corner, only for referee Kevin Clancy to disallow it for a foul on Alistair Johnston that looked a harsh call, though the VAR turned down the chance to call for a review.

Salt was rubbed into the visitors' wounds seven minutes later when neat work from Matt O'Riley on the left saw him cut the ball back to Kyogo, who took a touch before turning and finishing well to Allan McGregor's left.

Rangers were level just before half-time though after Tavernier curled an inch-perfect strike from 25 yards to Joe Hart's right that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Kyogo restored Celtic's lead just after the hour mark when Ben Davies made a mess of a clearance, giving the Japan international a simple finish when presented with the loose ball.

Another Rangers defensive error in the 73rd minute saw John Souttar mishit a backpass attempt, allowing Jota to run in and round McGregor before rolling the ball into the net.

Tavernier met a Borna Barisic cross to head in at the far post to reduce the deficit to one again, but Celtic held on to all but end this season's title race.

Abada was in superb form as he helped fire the hosts to a sixth successive victory of the Scottish Premiership season, with Jota and David Turnbull also on the scoresheet at Celtic Park.

The win moved Ange Postecoglou's side five points clear at the top ahead of their Champions League meeting with Real Madrid next week.

For Giovanni van Bronckhorst's visitors however, it laid bare the gulf in quality, and checks the Gers' momentum before their midweek trip to Ajax.

Celtic had to recover from an early blow when Kyogo Furuhashi, the league's top scorer, was forced off clutching his shoulder following a collision with John Lundstram.

Yet those early fears turned to joy when Celtic seized the first chance of the game – Abada turning Matt O'Riley's cross in off Jon McLaughlin's palm with a lunging volley.

O'Riley provided again for the Bhoys to double the lead, with a superb ball for Jota, who turned home sharply, and Celtic's fans were in dreamland when Abada doubled his tally with a first-touch finish from six yards out.

With a three-goal deficit to overturn after the break, Rangers had to make some kind of change, with Scott Wright thrown on for Glen Kamara, but that gamble failed to stem the Celtic onslaught.

Celtic seldom let their foot off the pedal, and when McLaughlin played a short goal-kick straight to Turnbull, an easy finish sealed the deal for the hosts in emphatic, dominant fashion.

What does it mean? Celtic cement frontrunner status

Twenty-five goals in the space of six league games is not just an impressive haul, it is positively confirmatory for Celtic's title hopes, even at this early stage.

Even before their free-scoring performance in the derby, they had not netted as many goals as they had by this stage of any previous SPL season. They look impossible to stop.

Bhoys buck bad starts

The first league Old Firm derby of a season has been won by Rangers in both of the last two campaigns. Before that, Celtic had won four in a row – and now they have shaken off the slow form that has cost them the past two years.

Van Bronckhorst makes unwanted history

Rangers are yet to win an Old Firm league derby under the Dutchman. It makes him the fourth such man to fail to register a win in his first four encounters, after William Wilton in 1892, William Waddell in 1971 and Graeme Murty in 2018.

What's next?

Both teams enter the Champions League group stages against two European heavyweights, with Celtic welcoming Madrid and Rangers travelling to Ajax.

The returning Portuguese winger punished slack Gers defending three minutes from the interval to head past keeper Allan McGregor from close range.

Ibrox skipper James Tavernier hit the post with a drive in a breathless second half, with substitute Fashion Sakala missing the open goal from the rebound, but despite much huffing and puffing the holders could not muster an equaliser and it eventually turned into another hard-luck story.

Ominously, Michael Beale has not beaten Celtic in four attempts since taking over as Light Blues boss last November, while Rangers have not won an Old Firm game in six attempts.

Ange Postecoglou’s side, one cinch Premiership victory away from retaining the title and with the ViaPlay trophy already in the Parkhead trophy room, will be overwhelming favourites when they play Championship side Inverness at the national stadium on June 3 and few will bet against them completing the clean sweep.

For Beale and Rangers, it is now all about next season.

A 50-50 allocation split ensured the atmosphere was much more electric than in recent league games, attended by the home support only, and there was some drama when referee Willie Collum pulled up in the warm-up to be replaced by fourth official Don Robertson.

Gers fans welcomed back defender Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent while Hoops supporters were delighted to see Japan midfielder Reo Hatate and Jota back from injury, to have both sides more or less at full strength.

After the kick-off was delayed to allow the smoke from supporters’ flares to clear, Rangers showed their intent to press early and midfielder Nicolas Raskin won a corner with a deflected shot from 25 yards, which was well defended.

Celtic settled and began forcing the Govan side into basic errors as they enjoyed a period of control, with Rangers responding in a see-saw match.

The first clear-cut chance of the fiery encounter had still to arrive but in the 26th minute McGregor made a good diving save from Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston’s powerful 20-yard shot before the Gers keeper saved Jota’s angled-drive with his foot.

Malik Tillman injured himself challenging Celtic left-back Greg Taylor down the left-flank and had to be replaced by fellow midfielder Scott Arfield.

Jota failed to control a Daizen Maeda cross when unmarked at the back post and a decent chance was gone but he made no mistake moments later.

Rangers inexplicably stopped when referee Robertson took no action after Raskin challenged Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley at the edge of the box and Maeda took possession of the loose ball and swiftly crossed for Jota to bullet a header past McGregor.

Rangers began the second-half as well as they had the first and won a series of free-kicks. From one delivery, Hoops keeper Joe Hart saved from Sakala then from Ryan Kent, before defender Cameron Carter-Vickers cleared to safety.

Johnston clashed with Barisic and limped off to be replaced by Anthony Ralston and the match swung from end to end.

Hoops striker Kyogo Furuhashi forced a save from McGregor with a drive to the near post before Arfield tested Hart with an effort from a similar distance.

In the 65th minute, when Tavernier beat Hart with a low drive from distance and Sakala missed the target with the rebound, it felt like it was not going to the Ibrox side’s day.

Tavernier headed a deep cross from Barisic on to the ground and over the bar from 10 yards as Rangers’ pressure intensified but they eventually ran out of time.

Beale has spoken regularly in recent weeks about the rebuild he proposes next season and he needs to get it right but before that there is another Old Firm meeting in the league in two weeks’ time in which Celtic will again fancy their chances as they continue to dominate this fixture.

The Japanese international struck in the 78th minute, meeting Greg Taylor's pass over the top to rifle the winner into the bottom corner.

In a tight first half, Duk was denied by Kasper Schmeichel before Alistair Johnson's header was turned narrowly past the post by Jamie McGrath.

Paulo Bernardo thought he had given Celtic the lead when he scored directly from a corner, though the goal was ruled out due to a foul on Ross Doohan.

Ester Sokler had the opportunity to equalise late on, only for Cameron Carter-Vickers to turn his effort over the bar as Celtic kept an 11th clean sheet of the season. 

Meanwhile, Rangers continued their recent run of fine form with a 6-0 thrashing of Kilmarnock.

It was their second win by that scoreline this season, having also beaten Ross County on matchday three, with James Tavernier opening the scoring in the 37th minute with his first goal of the campaign.

Philippe Clement's side turned up the heat after the break, with two goals in two minutes from Danilo and Hamza Igamane putting them 3-0 up.

Vaclav Cerny then drove a reverse shot into the back of the net shortly after the hour mark before substitute Cyriel Dessers scored two first-time goals to move Rangers just four points behind Aberdeen with a game in hand. 

Brendan Rodgers' Bhoys had been knocked off the summit by the Dons' 1-0 win over Dundee United on Saturday, but they responded by easing to their eighth victory in nine games at Fir Park.

Luke McCowan steered in the opener on his first Celtic start, after Lennon Miller had twice struck the woodwork in the early stages.

Stand-in captain Alistair Johnston then ghosted in to score their second at the back post shortly before the hour mark, with Adam Idah adding a third before Motherwall's Liam Gordon was sent off in stoppage time.

That result piled the pressure on Rangers, who could have ended the weekend nine points adrift of the top two, but they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St Mirren at Ibrox to stay within six.

Mohamed Diomande's powerful close-range finish put the Gers ahead, but Alex Gogic rose to nod in a St Mirren equaliser midway through the first half.

Vaclav Cerny spared their blushes, though, as he scored the winner following good work from Cyriel Dessers in the 69th minute. 

Rangers go to second-placed Aberdeen, who are yet to lose this season, for a huge fixture in the title race on Wednesday.

In Sunday's other Premiership game, teenager James Wilson struck three minutes from time to rescue a point for Hearts in a 1-1 Edinburgh Derby draw at Hibernian.

Mykola Kuharevich had put Hibs ahead on the rebound after Marvin Ekpiteta headed against the crossbar just after the hour mark, but Wilson got the final touch to divert James Penrice's long throw home with stoppage time looming.

The result keeps Hibs rooted to the foot of the table with six points, though they are only behind 11th-placed Hearts on goal difference and still have a game in hand to come.

The Hoops signed Honduras winger Luis Palma and on-loan Liverpool defender Nat Phillips earlier this week and the arrival of Bernardo could be their final piece of business.

When asked if there could be some late deals, manager Brendan Rodgers said earlier: “I’m not so sure. I don’t think there will be many more coming in.”

Ismaila Soro earlier left Celtic for Beitar Jerusalem – 19 months after his final appearance for the club – and another out-of-favour player, Albian Ajeti, was set to seal a move to Turkish football.

Rodgers also expected Sead Haksabanovic to depart after the midfielder appeared to express frustration over a lack of game time on social media.

The Celtic boss said: “Haksa is one of those that will look for game time and want to be a starter. So I would expect him to be moved on.”

Rangers manager Michael Beale was not expecting a busy evening after signing nine players earlier in the window, although reports later claimed the club had rejected Stoke’s bid for centre-back Ben Davies.

“We don’t have any injuries so the squad is looking healthy, the squad size has come down in size and average age so we are good to go,” Beale said.

“Naturally every manager is going to sit here and say they would like one more but if we don’t then I am happy with the squad we have got moving forward.”

On the potential for outgoings, he said: “We front-loaded early in terms of our recruitment, it might be a loan maybe for one of the younger members of the squad,” he said.

“But unless I receive a phone call in the short period then it won’t be one which is drawn out late into the evening.”

Dundee confirmed the first incoming signing of the cinch Premiership on deadline day by bringing in Burnley winger Marcel Lewis on loan until January. The 21-year-old was previously on Chelsea’s books and has played for Union St Gilloise and Accrington.

St Johnstone signed two players – 28-year-old Austrian midfielder Sven Sprangler following a trial period and 25-year-old Charlton winger Diallang Jaiyesimi on a season-long loan.

Motherwell signed 19-year-old left-back Georgie Gent from Blackburn on loan until the end of the season in a deal which is expected to be their final piece of summer business.

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes was still looking for a striker going into the final hours of the window.

“Nobody will be going out,” McInnes said. “We are still trying to bring someone in. Everyone is working flat out to do that.

“We have one in particular and two or three other plates spinning but we are trying to lean on everything possible to get this done. I’m optimistic and you have to be without being overly-confident.”

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson warned that none of his players would be sold on the cheap after Aberdeen made an approach for Australia midfielder Keanu Baccus.

“There hasn’t been a formal bid, there have been conversations between the two clubs,” Robinson said. “No club has met our valuation on any player, including Keanu at this stage and I don’t expect them to.

“We are not in a position where we were last year when we had to take offers for players that were below market value. We have steadied the ship and got our finances right.”

Robinson added: “I don’t intend doing any business in. We have put our squad together, we have got the players in we wanted and we are happy with that.

“We have strengthened the squad from last year and if the window closed now, I would be very happy.”

Ross County were looking to add one more while they awaited news on Sunderland forward Ross Stewart’s prospective move to Southampton, which would land them a seven-figure sell-on fee.

Livingston were not anticipating any late arrivals but loaned defender Morgan Boyes to Inverness for the season.

Celtic’s win over Inverness denied Caley Thistle a place in Europe and ensured Hibernian qualified through their fifth-placed finish in the cinch Premiership.

The result guaranteed group-stage football for Aberdeen and also gave Hearts a later start.

Here the PA new agency looks at Scotland’s five European qualifiers.

Entry: Champions League group stage
Draw date: August 31
First game: September 19-20

Possible opponents: Celtic will be in pot four, meaning they cannot draw Newcastle for example. Although the seeds have not been finalised, a worst-case draw could see the Hoops facing Manchester City, Real Madrid and Milan. A kinder draw could see them come up against Benfica, RB Leipzig and Red Star Belgrade.

Prospects: Celtic will need to finish in the top three of their group to extend their European run beyond Christmas. A top-two finish would see them enter the Champions League knockout stages while third secures entry to the Europa League.

Entry: Champions League third-qualifying round
Draw date: July 24
First game: August 8-9

Possible first opponents: Michael Beale’s side have four possible opponents in the non-champions path, including Sturm Graz and Serbians TSC Backa Topola. Other potential opponents could be Servette, Panathinaikos or Belgian or Ukrainian sides.

Prospects: Rangers will be looking to make the Champions League group stages again and will need to win two ties to do so. Defeat at either stage would see them drop into the Europa League. They are guaranteed group-stage football whatever happens with two qualifying defeats sending them into the Europa Conference League.

Entry: Europa League play-offs
Draw date: August 7
First game: August 24

Possible first opponents: There are a host of variables before the Dons enter the fray but Swiss side Lugano will definitely be among their six possible opponents, while Slavia Prague and Olympiacos might also be on the list.

Prospects: The Dons will reach the Europa League group stage if they win their play-off and drop into the Conference groups if not.

Entry: Europa Conference League third-qualifying round
Draw date: July 24
First game: August 10

Prospects: Hearts will need to win two ties to secure a second consecutive season in the Conference League group stages.

Possible first opponents: Hearts will be unseeded and earlier rounds will determine the list of seeds but AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Kyiv, Partizan Belgrade and Rapid Vienna will be among them.

Entry: Europa Conference League second-qualifying round
Draw date: June 20-21
First game: July 27

Prospects: Hibs need to win three ties to make the group stages.

Possible first opponents: Hibs will be seeded and a list of 45 unseeded clubs will be split into groups nearer the draw date. UEFA normally uses a regional basis when formulating the groups so potential opponents could be Swedish sides Hammarby or Kalmar plus, depending on earlier results, Crusaders or Connah’s Quay.

Postecoglou was named manager of the year by his peers on Sunday evening after guiding the Hoops to back-to-back titles, while Furuhashi won the Premiership player of the year title after scoring 30 goals in all competitions, 24 of them in the league to sit at the top of the charts.

Postecoglou saw off competition from fellow Premiership boss Stephen Robinson of St Mirren, Dunfermline’s James McPake and Stirling Albion’s Darren Young.

The former Australia head coach told Sky Sports News: “On the evidence of our season we have been a better side.

“We have been more dominating than we were last year in all competitions and the players have improved in all areas.

“That’s always the challenge. Sometimes when you have success, complacency can sort of creep in, but I have never seen that with this group.”

Furuhashi backed up that assessment after beating team-mates Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate plus Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen to the main prize of the night.

The Japan international said: “I’m really grateful to get this award. It’s thanks to all the support from the people around me

“There were a lot of great nominees and great players out there, so I am really pleased to get this award, but I would still like to be a better player so I will work hard.”

Celtic winger Jota claimed the goal of the season prize – voted for by the public – for his sublime chip in the 4-0 home victory over Rangers in September.

The Hoops also provided the women’s player of the year in Caitlin Hayes, but there was double success for Rangers in the young player categories, with on-loan Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman getting the men’s award ahead of Celtic duo Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley plus Albion Rovers winger Charlie Reilly. Rangers’ Emma Watson was named women’s young player of the year.

A special merit award went to former St Mirren, Aberdeen, Scotland and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Fresh from his move to Camp Nou in the transfer window, Lewandowski will return to familiar surroundings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – who boast 11 Champions League titles between them – drawn in a tough Group C along with Inter.

And another reunion will see Haaland come up against Borussia Dortmund, whom he left to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They find themselves in Group G alongside Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Another heavyweight clash will take place in Group H, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus set to lock horns.

The Gers dropped their first points at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership season, and could trail leaders Celtic by 11 if the Hoops beat Hearts later on Saturday.

Sam Dalby's 36th-minute header put the visitors in front, though Vaclav Cerny's smart finish levelled the contest midway through the second half.

The hosts pushed for the winning goal, with Ianis Hagi and Robin Propper denied by United goalkeeper Jack Walton later on.

Yet, despite over 70% of the possession and nine shots on target to their opponents' one, Clement's side were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.

"We need to reward ourselves, and we need to play like we played in the second half, 90 minutes long," he told Rangers TV. "Like that, you strangle teams like you did in the past, and that's the football I want to see.

"I cannot say anything about commitment in the second half, the team pushed until the last seconds to score a winner, and the goalkeeper made some excellent saves. The team was not rewarded in that way.

"It's frustrating to lose points in a game where you face one shot on target, and it's a goal. Last season, we won these games and, now, you lose points, so we need to get back to the level of before.

"They fought until the end. We had really good opportunities. You cannot ask much more, only to score the second goal. Then, you have a totally different feeling after the game."

Meanwhile, Jack Butland was left to rue what might have been, with the goalkeeper insisting he and his team-mates must up their game.

"It can't take until the second half to get going," he said. "We've got to be better. We've given away too many easy goals against teams that are just looking to hang onto something.

"It's not a great result at all. It feels like a loss. These games have got to be wins. It's not what the fans deserve from the game today. We need to do much more."

The 33-year-old skipper was utilised as a second-half substitute in a game where Cyriel Dessers cancelled out Ayoub El Kaabi's opener at the Karaiskakis Stadium on Thursday.

It was a call that raised a few eyebrows given the criticism Tavernier has faced this season, but Clement said it was just about managing the experienced full-back's minutes.

In quotes reported by BBC Sport, Clement said: "That's never an easy decision, but I want more than one captain in the group.

"If you come at a certain age you can't play 60 games at the same level. We knew that before the season. It's about competition for spots.

"It's about one team, winning together. That's Rangers - one team, one family, going for one goal."

Rangers now have seven points from four games in Europe's secondary competition, sitting just outside the top eight in the table.

Clement, however, was disappointed not to travel home with the win despite being impressed with the performance.

"A very strong performance as a team, sticking to the plan, being very disciplined and using the spaces," he added.

"Disappointed we didn't win the game, that's the next step we need to take. But I saw a lot of positive things and I need to praise the whole team for that.

"I don't want players happy with a point. We went for the three points and that's the mentality I want to see against any opponent.

"Our midfield was massive today. Our defence was really solid. Jack [Butland] didn't have to make many saves."

Rangers are now unbeaten in their last five away matches in the Europa League (W2 D3), equalling their longest such run in the competition’s history (also five unbeaten between October 2020 – March 2021).

Up next in the competition is Ligue 1 side Nice, who drew 2-2 with Enschede on Thursday.