Rangers will host Celtic in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup after beating holders St Mirren, setting up a derby tie for the weekend of 12-13 September 2026. Derek McInnes secured victory in his first match in charge, with the draw also pairing Stenhousemuir against Hearts, Kilmarnock against Aberdeen, and Ross County against Hibernian.
According to live coverage of the tie, Rangers required extra time to see off St Mirren, eventually winning 3-1 with the decisive goal arriving after the 90-minute mark. That result contrasts with an earlier account of the match, which described McInnes's win as a 5-1 scoreline achieved within normal time — a discrepancy between the two reports on the final margin of victory.
Stenhousemuir's progress to the last eight came at the expense of Motherwell, whom they beat in extra time. The same live coverage notes that the result kept Marvin Bartley unbeaten as manager since taking charge of the Championship club, adding another notable subplot to a competition that has already produced several upsets involving lower-league sides.
How did the draw depend on the Rangers tie?
The quarter-final pairings were broadcast live on a dedicated sports channel immediately after the Rangers-St Mirren match concluded, according to a report from The Scotsman. The scheduling of the draw itself hinged on whether that tie was resolved in 90 minutes or stretched into extra time and penalties, reflecting how closely the broadcaster's coverage plans were tied to the outcome on the pitch.
What led to this stage of the competition?
The path to the quarter-finals began with the last-16 draw, in which holders St Mirren were paired with Rangers, while Celtic were sent to face Dundee United and Aberdeen were drawn at home against Dundee. St Mirren had opened their defence of the trophy with a comfortable win in the group stage, as detailed in coverage of their 4-0 victory over Dumbarton, a weekend that also saw Linlithgow Rose spring an upset against Greenock Morton.
Those last-16 ties were played across the weekend of 15-16 August, a round in which Celtic advanced past Dundee United, according to background reporting on the competition. The tournament's format channels the eight group winners together with the three strongest runners-up into the knockout stages, a structure that has allowed lower-division clubs such as Stenhousemuir to reach the last eight this season.
What happens next?
The four quarter-final ties are scheduled to be played across the weekend of 12-13 September 2026, according to The Scotsman's report on the draw. Alongside the Rangers-Celtic derby, Stenhousemuir will host last season's Scottish Premiership runners-up Hearts, Kilmarnock will welcome fellow top-flight side Aberdeen, and Ross County will receive Hibernian in the Highlands.
Key Facts
- Rangers will host Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals on the weekend of 12-13 September 2026.
- Derek McInnes won his first game in charge against St Mirren, though reports differ on whether the score was 5-1 in normal time or 3-1 after extra time.
- Stenhousemuir beat Motherwell in extra time to keep manager Marvin Bartley unbeaten and reach the last eight, where they face Hearts.
- Kilmarnock will host Aberdeen and Ross County will host Hibernian in the other two quarter-final ties.
