Moussa Dembele’s late goal gave Celtic a deserved 1-0 win over Rangers at Hampden Park to send Brendan Rodgers’s side into next month’s League Cup final.

The Hoops, inspired by captain Scott Brown, edged a rather unremarkable and goalless first half then turned the screw after the break.

It looked like the Light Blues would take the semi-final to extra-time but on 87 minutes Dembele tucked away a pass from substitute Leigh Griffiths to set up a meeting with Aberdeen in the final on November 27.

Yesterday, Celtic fully merited their victory against a Rangers side who were much more cautious following their 5-1 defeat in the Premiership at Parkhead last month.

Rangers were rocked by the midweek knee injury to Niko Kranjcar and with Joey Barton suspended by the club it meant Mark Warburton was shorn of his two marquee summer signings.

After a period of sustained pressure, Celtic stepped up their game after the break.

James Forrest had two efforts on goal before defender Erik Sviat-chenko had the ball in the Gers net only for the referee to rule it out for a push.

Rangers’ luck gave way soon afterwards. Griffiths escaped his marker down the right to latch on to a long ball and when he knocked it to the near post Dembele got in front of Rob Kiernan to flick the pass past Matt Gilks.