Another Celtic vs Rangers Clash Marred by Referee Controversy
Another Old Firm showdown, another refereeing debate taking centre stage.
Unlike the goalless stalemate the rivals played out back in August, the Premier Sports Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers proved to be a far livelier affair — though not without its share of controversy. Two major officiating decisions overshadowed the match, with one in particular influencing how the game unfolded.
Before getting to Thelo Aasgaard’s red card, former FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg has weighed in on Auston Trusty’s yellow card for his late first-half challenge on Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.
According to Clattenburg, Trusty was a “lucky boy” to escape a red card, as many felt the Celtic defender’s tackle could easily have seen him dismissed.
VAR Sparks Debate Once Again
VAR once again finds itself at the heart of a Celtic vs Rangers storm, with the technology drawing more attention than the football itself.
With a cup final spot on the line, the officiating team has become the main talking point — a recurring theme in Glasgow derbies this season.
It will be intriguing to hear Willie Collum’s response on the next VAR Review show, as the head of referees faces yet another controversial moment to address.
The incident occurred in the closing stages of the first half, with Celtic leading 1–0, when Trusty lunged into a 50/50 challenge and appeared to catch Butland late — sparking fresh debate about consistency in refereeing decisions.
James Tavernier reveals what Nick Walsh told Rangers players about key red card decisions
James Tavernier has lifted the lid on what referee Nick Walsh told him and his Rangers teammates regarding two major red card incidents during their 3-1 extra-time defeat to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
The Light Blues were already trailing 1-0 when Thelo Aasgaard was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Anthony Ralston. However, frustration grew in the Rangers camp when Auston Trusty caught goalkeeper Jack Butland in the head inside the box but was only shown a yellow card despite loud protests.
When asked what the referee had said about the decisions, Tavernier told Premier Sports:
“He said it was about the force of how he went into the challenge. He didn’t really see Ralston coming for the ball, just that Aasgaard went in for it.
“But with Jack’s, he’s already on the ground with the ball and gets kicked in the head. Intent or not, you can’t kick a goalkeeper in the head. You’d expect the same standard.
“Then later, Dio gets kicked in the stomach area – the same sort of place – and nothing happens. But no excuses, we still need to be more clinical as a team.”
VAR has released the image showing the extremely close offside decision that ruled out Celtic’s opening goal against Rangers.
VAR image reveals razor-thin offside call denying Celtic early lead against Rangers
The VAR image showing the extremely tight offside decision that ruled out Celtic’s opening goal against Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final has now been released.
Martin O’Neill’s side appeared to have gone ahead after 19 minutes when Nasser Djiga’s clearance deflected off Nico Raskin and into the Rangers net. However, following a VAR review for a possible offside in the build-up, the goal was chalked off.
A quick free-kick played to Benjamin Nygren and then to Daizen Maeda was deemed offside by the narrowest of margins before the ball eventually rebounded in off Raskin.
The VAR image, displayed on Premier Sports, showed just how fine the call was — with pundit Michael Stewartsuggesting Maeda was only “a toenail” offside.
“I didn’t see any clear lines, but Djiga’s left boot looked onside to me,” Stewart added. “It’s another one of those — toenails offside. It’s incredibly tight.”
Celtic didn’t have to wait long to make their pressure count, though, as Johnny Kenny put them in front just six minutes later, rising highest from a corner to head past Jack Butland.
The winner of the semi-final will face St Mirren in next month’s Premier Sports Cup Final, scheduled for Sunday, December 14, with kick-off time yet to be confirmed.
Leave a Reply