Wallace is wary but hopes to hurt Celts

RANGERS captain Lee Wallace admits Celtic are ‘100-per cent’ better than last time the teams met in a Hampden semi final — but vowed the Ibrox men can still hurt their fierce rivals. Last season, Mark Warburton’s side reached the Scottish Cup final after defeating Ronny Deila’s Hoops on penalties following a 2-2 draw. However, Celtic exacted a bloody revenge under new boss Brendan Rodgers in last month’s first Old Firm encounter of the new Premiership season, thumping their foes 5-1 at Parkhead with a hat-trick from Moussa Dembele. Despite that setback, Scotland defender Wallace remains adamant that underdogs Rangers can secure victory on Sunday to book a first League Cup final berth since last winning the trophy under Walter Smith in 2011. Wallace said: ‘There’s no doubt that Celtic have improved. They are our rivals but they have improved 100 per cent (from

last season). We know that. Their manager has brought in new players and it’s clear they have done well. They are flying high at the top of the league table. ‘So we respect the fact that they have improved but we have the utmost confidence that we can hurt any team. ‘If we get our players on their game and we get our style right — like you saw in that last semi-final — then we can hurt them. Irrespective of how well they have done in drawing against Manchester City in the Champions League, we know we can hurt them if we get our game right.’ Since that heavy defeat at Parkhead, Rangers have won three of their last five games. The Ibrox side’s muchcriticised back line have also kept four clean sheets in four of those matches. Wallace warned Celtic that Warburton’s men are once more resembling the side that knocked Deila’s men out of the Scottish Cup at Hampden six months ago. And he insisted Rangers are willing to get as physical as the rules allow if it clinches them a place in the final. ‘I think it was evident in the first half of our recent 1-0 win at Inverness that we were the Rangers team of last season,’ he said. ‘We passed the ball well and we had more freedom in our opponents’ half. We were more resolute in our defending. ‘We were putting bodies on the line. ‘With the managers that Rangers and Celtic have, it’s going to be more of a technical, tactical battle this weekend rather than games of old where it was tough tackles and fighting. ‘I’m not saying we aren’t prepared to do that if that’s what it takes to win — (as long as it’s) within the rules of the game.’