Rangers vs Aberdeen

All eyes will be on Hampden Park for a mouthwatering clash between the two rivals. Celtic sealed their place in next month's showpiece with a hard-fought 2-0 ...

[Rangers ](https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/all-about/rangers-fc)are favourites to join Celtic in the final, but Aberdeen showed a few weeks ago that they can match Michael Beale's men. [Celtic](https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) sealed their place in next month's showpiece with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Hampden yesterda,. The Dons blew a 2-1 lead at Pittodrie as they collapsed in the final minutes as Scott Arfield fired the winner to hand the Light Blues all three points.

Rangers and Aberdeen go head-to-head at Hampden Park on Sunday for a place in the Viaplay Cup final.

[Rangers](/topic/rangers) are bidding to reach only their second League Cup final in 12 years having last won the competition in 2011, with their only appearance in the final since ending in a 1-0 defeat to Celtic on December 8, 2019. [Aberdeen](/topic/aberdeen) last lifted the League Cup under Derek McInnes in March 2014 after defeating Inverness Caledonian Thistle on penalties following a goalless draw at Celtic Park. The fourth official is Euan Anderson. The match will be broadcast live on Viaplay Sports 1 – the new name for the subscription channel formerly known as Premier Sports following the recent takeover by the Scandinavian broadcaster. [viaplay.com](https://viaplay.com/) or downloading the Viaplay app. [dramatic 3-2 win](https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/rangers-michael-beale-makes-inspired-move-what-can-aberdeens-jim-goodwin-do-to-win-bonkers-finale-to-gripping-pittodrie-clash-3961278) in Michael Beale’s second match in charge.

Jim Goodwin has admitted that he is feeling the pressure ahead of this afternoon's Viaplay Cup semi-final after a recent trip to Glasgow left him…

“I assumed going back to Glasgow would take me out of it but I’ve been surprised by the number of Aberdeen fans living in the central belt. “That really brought it home to me, how big a club it is. I’m at the training ground until late at night then it’s back to my apartment to watch telly for an hour. But my two teenage daughters are at a critical time in their “They’ve never played for a club of this size, where that expectation is on you every week. “When you’re living up here, you can’t get away from it.

It's the second League Cup semi-final as Rangers and Aberdeen look to book a return trip to the national stadium.

The Rangers skipper strikes from the edge of the box and it hits Coulson and deflects off the bar and out for a corner. And the extra delay is due to a technical issue! A brief VAR check and it's party time for the blue half of Hampden. A bizarre break during a dramatic final, as Walsh explains the situation now to Tavernier and Shinnie on the park. The annoucement at Hampden is greeted by a mix of booing and laughter. No VAR for the rest of the game Rangers are in the Final of the Viaplay Cup after outlasting Aberdeen in a semi final for the ages. What a pop from the Aberdeen star! And the the veteran denies Scales! And the punters inside Hampden in unison enjoy a belly laugh. Goodwin wouldn't let it go and had a long discussion with the fourth official after that one. It was heading towards extra-time when the Pittodrie skipper clattered into Fashion Sakala and Nick Walsh was quick to brandish a red card.

Rangers face Aberdeen in the last four on Sunday afternoon, so we simulated the game to try and predict the score. Holders Celtic await in the final after ...

FIFA 23 predicts that Rangers could beat Aberdeen on Sunday, securing their spot in the League Cup final at Hampden Park. The goalscorer burst into the box to offer an option for the Rangers captain, and Tavernier picked out Sakala who swept the ball home. With a two-goal lead, Rangers took their foot off the gas, opting to hold possession rather than look for a third. After bursting past his marker and reaching the byline, Kent fired a cross into the box where Morelos was on-hand to poke the ball home with a well-placed finish. A 20-minute spell saw Aberdeen somehow not take the lead when Duk hit both posts, and they were made to pay for their sloppiness in front of goal when Fashion Sakala made it 1-0. As James Tavernier ventured down the right, the defender cut inside to try and find an option, but with no players available, he was halted on the edge of the Aberdeen box. Rangers and Aberdeen have already met twice this season, the latest a 3-2 win that saw Scott Arfield score twice in added-time to secure the win. Attention now turns to the Viaplay Cup on Sunday, where the winner of Rangers' clash with Aberdeen will come up against holders [Celtic](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/celtic-fc) after their [ 2-0 win over Kilmarnock](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/sport/celtic-player-ratings-vs-kilmarnock-25980389) last night. The Light Blues started to push forward again after a period of pressure from the visitors, and it worked in their favour as Sakala grabbed his second of the game to make it 3-0. The defender laid the ball into the path of Sakala on the edge of the area, and the winger rifled a powerful effort across goal, rising into the top corner of the net to put the Gers in front. To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the Rangers squad with the latest injuries and suspensions. [Rangers](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/rangers-fc) a 2-0 win over Dundee United in the [Scottish Premiership](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/scottish-premiership) in their last outing, with the Light Blues having won five and drawn once since [Michael Beale](https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/all-about/michael-beale) took over as manager in December.

Match report as Rangers come from behind to beat Aberdeen in Scottish League Cup semi-final; goals from Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe cancel out Bojan Miovski ...

Jack played a one-two with Morelos at the edge of the box and his right-footed shot came off on-loan Celtic defender Liam Scales and wrong-footed Roos. In the 15th minute Miovski broke clear of the Gers defence to latch on to a Leighton Clarkson pass and drove high past McGregor from an acute angle. Clarkson's pass split the backline and Miovski looked offside but Matty Kennedy kept going past left-back Borna Barasic to take possession. The excitement continued. My eyes are on [our next match against] Kilmarnock." A lot of focus pre-match was on the Hampden pitch, which had been criticised by both Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou and Killie manager Derek McInnes following Saturday's last-four clash.

Kemar Roofe's first goal of the season sent Rangers into the Viaplay Cup final to face Celtic as Aberdeen were overcome in extra time.

- Squad number20Player nameMorelosAverage rating - Squad number4Player nameLundstramAverage rating - Squad number2Player nameTavernierAverage rating - Squad number6Player nameGoldsonAverage rating - Squad number8Player nameJackAverage rating I've had bad days here (at Hampden) where we've played well and I thought we were reasonable and we were through. Aberdeen, like Kilmarnock against Celtic on Saturday, brought a lot to the semi-final. It was a straight red. There was another big talking point before extra time ensued. It was Rangers' best move of the game, aided by a bit of fortune. It was his first goal in six games. VAR had an early impact too, when Miovski netted for the first time.

VAR took centre stage during this afternoon's Viaplay Cup semi-final as communication issues plagued the Hampden showdown between Rangers and Aberdeen.

They have managed to get the communications reconnected." Stephen Craigan then added: "Just on the VAR, Rory. A statement read: “The Scottish FA have confirmed to us that a technical issue with the VAR station at Clydesdale House resulted in a five-minute period where VAR was not in operation at Hampden Park.

Kemar Roofe scored an extra-time winner in Rangers' 2-1 win over an Aberdeen side down to 10 men in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

VAR was soon up and running again, with the Scottish Professional Football League citing a five-minute “technical issue”. A day after Celtic’s support indulged in sectarian chanting during their win over Kilmarnock, the song book from the Rangers following was no better. There wasn’t a great deal in the game. “There is a real sense of pride in terms of effort and commitment we gave,” Goodwin said. “We frustrated Rangers a lot. A red card was the obvious outcome. Miovski was offside in that earlier phase of play, which seemed to confuse the Rangers defence long before Kennedy crossed into his path. This competition and the Scottish Cup provide opportunity for a team who have handily discovered belligerence. The centre-back had a moment of recklessness when wiping out Fashion Sakala during stoppage time of regulation play. For now, Michael Beale can take heart from the ability of a previously stuttering side to grind out results. On the basis the Scottish title seems destined to be Celtic’s once more, this League Cup semi-final was Beale’s most significant occasion to date. Beale remains unbeaten in seven matches as the Rangers manager.