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Rangers captain Dan Neil has warned his team-mates to expect a backlash from Celtic when the sides clash again next weekend.
Neil scored twice and was named man of the match as Rangers ran riot in a dominant 3-0 win over their rivals in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
It was a result and performance which finally ignited the Derek McInnes era in front of a raucous crowd of 50,000 at Ibrox.
But the boot will be on the other foot next Sunday when Rangers travel to Celtic Park in the Premiership with no away fans and a 60,000-strong crowd at Parkhead demanding revenge.
With Celtic currently five points ahead of Rangers, Neil stressed the importance of digging out another result to regain some ground in the title race.
Warning that Celtic will be wounded, he said: ‘Yeah, listen, they’re a good team and there’s going to be a reaction.
Dan Neill picks his spot to score his second goal and put the seal on a derby debut to remember
‘It’s at their place and, although we’ve won on Sunday, by no means have we over-celebrated.
‘We know that, yeah, it’s job done this week, but we’ve got a massive game in the league.
‘We got through in the League Cup which is brilliant and we are going to Hampden with a chance of a final.
'But we’re under no illusions about the league and the points at the minute and our full focus is on next week before the international break.’
Neil ran the show in midfield, scoring two excellent goals and inspiring Rangers to victory against a hapless Celtic.
The jury had been out among the Rangers support in terms of whether he had the ability to cut it at Ibrox.
But the 24-year-old former Sunderland skipper delivered a captain’s performance to fire Rangers into a semi-final clash with Aberdeen.
Neil believes confidence is now growing among the Rangers squad after what had been a turbulent start to the new campaign.
Dan Neil's second goal - and Rangers' third - sails high into the net beyond Sam Johnstone
‘I thought all the lads had the game plan to an absolute tee, in possession and out of possession,’ he said.
‘I thought we were really aggressive, really intense, but also mixed it up as well, were really compact and narrow in a block and I thought we judged when to jump out of that block and go man-for-man very, very well.
‘I think you’ve seen that probably in the last few games which is why the clean sheets are starting to come.
‘Two goals for me in any fixture is pretty good. I haven’t scored many braces if any in my career so unbelievable.
‘I was putting my head on the pillow on Saturday night, thinking of scoring one never mind two, so to come away with a brace is immense.
‘But I have to give big credit to the whole team. I thought it was a real team performance out there and everyone deserves massive plaudits.’
