Rangers Progress to Scottish Cup Semi-finals After Victory over Nine-man Hibernian

Rangers secured their spot in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a nine-man Hibernian at Easter Road. The crucial opener came in the 23rd minute as John Lundstram capitalized on a rebound from a penalty save by Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall, following a strike by Rangers captain James Tavernier.

Martin Boyle of Hibernian was forced to leave the match due to an injury sustained in a challenge with John Souttar. Despite a shaky start to the second half following their Europa League clash with Benfica in Lisbon, Philippe Clement‘s side regained control.

The game took a turn when Hibs defender Jordan Obita received his second yellow card for a foul on Rabbi Matondo in the 68th minute, reducing the home side to nine men. Shortly after, Nathan Moriah-Welsh was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Lundstram, further denting Hibs’ chances.

Rangers sealed their victory and progression to the semi-finals when Portuguese forward Fábio Silva netted the second goal in the 83rd minute. The win sees Rangers join Aberdeen and Hibernian in the last-four draw, with Championship side Morton set to host Hearts in the upcoming match.

In another Scottish Cup fixture, Daizen Maeda marked his 100th appearance for Celtic with a match-winning hat-trick as the defending champions overcame a spirited challenge from Livingston. Maeda’s decisive goal in the 86th minute secured a 4-2 victory for Celtic at Celtic Park, with their opponents equalizing twice through Daniel MacKay and Tete Yengi before Kyogo Furuhashi sealed the win with a goal in stoppage time.