Rangers v Celtic player ratings: Brave competitor, struggling star, intriguing battle, a 9, several 5s and two 4s

Sports Writer

Published 8th Mar 2026, 15:49 GMT

Updated 8th Mar 2026, 16:00 GMT

How we rated the performance of each player as Celtic beat Rangers on penalties in the Scottish Cup quarter-final.

Celtic secured their place in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup as a game devoid of quality was decided by penalty kicks after a 0-0 stalemate at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon.

In a game that offered little in the way of opportunities for either side, it was Celtic thought they had taken the lead just before the break when Daizen Maeda nodded home from Liam Scales flick on. However, the 7,000-strong away end had their celebrations cut short when it was ruled out for offside.

The home side then thought they’d broken the deadlock in extra time when Emmanuel Fernandez nodded home from a corner, only for referee Don Robertson to correctly rule it out for handball.

The sides could not be separated in extra-time, leaving Martin O’Neill’s side to take the honours in a shootout, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Auston Trusty, Reo Hatate, and Tomas Cvancara all scoring from the spot, while James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama missed for Rangers.

Celtic will have to wait until this evening to discover who they will face in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, with the draw set to take place later this evening live on BBC Scotland following the conclusion of St Mirren vs Partick Thistle.

Here’s how The Scotsman rated the performance of each player as Celtic beat Rangers on penalties at Ibrox.

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Had very little to do in the Rangers goal, and was rarely tested by the Celtic frontline.

1. Jack Butland (Rangers) - 6

Had very little to do in the Rangers goal, and was rarely tested by the Celtic frontline. | SNS Group

Much like his opposite number, the Finnish goalkeeper wasn't tested enough for large spells of the game. Did what he had to do well enough, and collected the ball well under pressure.

2. Viljami Sinisalo (Celtic) - 6

Much like his opposite number, the Finnish goalkeeper wasn't tested enough for large spells of the game. Did what he had to do well enough, and collected the ball well under pressure. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group

Caused problems with some marauding runs down the right-hand side but his final ball was poor. Kept Tounekti quiet going the other way.

3. Dujon Sterling (Rangers) - 6

Caused problems with some marauding runs down the right-hand side but his final ball was poor. Kept Tounekti quiet going the other way. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group

Came in for some rough treatment early on and got himself involved in a flashpoint with Rommens. The Mexican is a fiery character, and was the pantomime villain at Ibrox this afternoon.

4. Julian Araujo (Celtic) - 6

Came in for some rough treatment early on and got himself involved in a flashpoint with Rommens. The Mexican is a fiery character, and was the pantomime villain at Ibrox this afternoon. | PA Photo: PA