Naderi strikes late to send Rangers into League Cup final

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Kickjolly · AI-written · automatically reviewed · Sky Sports ↗

Rangers secured a spot in the Premier Sports Cup final with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen, thanks to Ryan Naderi's 83rd-minute strike. The Ibrox side was favored going into the game, having not lost in 10 games. Aberdeen restricted Rangers to one shot on target in the first half, but the pace picked up after the break. Rangers' big striker Naderi redirected a strike from James Penrice into the net for his eighth goal of the season.

Aberdeen's team was makeshift due to several defenders being suspended or injured, with Nicky Devlin getting his first start of the season. Derek McInnes made some unexpected lineup choices, dropping Dan Neil and starting Tuur Rommens and Badredine Bouanani. The Dons made further adjustments when Emmanuel Gyamfi injured himself and was replaced by Stuart Armstrong. Brad Lyons moved to right-back as a result.

Rangers will face either Hearts or Hibernian in the final on December 13, as the two Edinburgh sides play each other at the national stadium on Sunday. The semi-final match saw both teams creating chances, with Rangers' goalkeeper Ivor Pandur and Aberdeen's Marius Muller making notable saves. In the end, Naderi's late goal proved decisive, beating Muller with a side-footed shot from close range.