Peter Lovenkrands ‘feels sorry’ for Rangers and Celtic fans after what he saw at Hampden Park
Rangers were beaten by Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final in extra time on Sunday, after James Tavernier had equalised in normal time with a late penalty.
Celtic beat Rangers 3-1, with Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand scoring at Hampden Park to knock the 10-man Gers out.
Johnny Kenny had opened the scoring in the first half before Thelo Aasgaard was sent off after a high challenge on Anthony Ralston.
Danny Rohl opted for a three-back formation against Celtic, but the well-stocked defence was unpicked after just 27 minutes when Kenny headed home from a corner.
Youssef Chermiti had wasted a great chance to put Rangers ahead before Celtic’s opener, with the striker inexplicably putting the ball wide when faced with only the goal.
Peter Lovenkrands on ‘completely different’ Old Firm
Rohl‘s side had looked to have finally hit some form, coming into the semi-final on the back of consecutive league victories for the first time this season.
Rangers beat Hibernian 1-0 on Wednesday, with Danilo scoring the only goal and Jack Butland saving a late penalty.
| Celtic | Match stats | Rangers |
| 51% | Possession | 49% |
| 22 | Shots | 12 |
| 10 | Shots on target | 4 |
| 14 | Corners | 5 |
| 26 | Fouls | 13 |
Celtic also came into the game off the back of a win, but had found themselves in just as much of a crisis as their Glasgow rivals – Brendan Rodgers was sacked and replaced on an interim basis by Martin O’Neill.
Rangers had their chances, but ultimately were hamstrung by the red card. Celtic can count themselves lucky, however, after the referee opted against sending off Auston Trusty despite the defender appearing to connect his studs with Butland’s head.
It was a superb atmosphere throughout for what is a highly-charged fixture, and Peter Lovenkrands says it’s a shame away fans cannot attend these fixtures in their numbers at Celtic Park and Ibrox.
“Going to an Old Firm league game is completely different now because they don’t have so many away fans,” the former Rangers striker said on BBC Sportsound.
“I miss those days and I feel sorry for the players today who don’t get that experience – except when it is played at Hampden.”
Rangers will take positives from disappointing result
Despite playing for more than 50 minutes with 10 men, Rangers held out and forced extra time.
Speaking to Premier Sports after the game, Alan Hutton said: “Danny Rohl was brave in the second half.
“It’s easy to sit back and defend and try to hit on the counter, but it shows the mindset and mentality of this manager in the way they attacked the second half.”
The German will be devastated to have lost his first Old Firm derby in such cruel circumstances, but the Rangers boss will undoubtedly have positives to take.
With the visit of AS Roma coming up on Thursday, the Gers will have the perfect opportunity to bounce back and prove their resurgence.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Rangers news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247