David Weir believes 2016 derby triumph over Celtic gave Rangers false sense of Hope

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The last time Rangers beat Celtic came back in 2016 in the Scottish Cup semi-final – when Rangers were still in the Championship.

The Scottish Sun reports that former Rangers captain and coach David Weir has revealed his belief that the club’s triumph over Celtic in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final gave the Gers a false sense of hope.

That match was the last time that Rangers got the better of their arch rivals, having failed to beat them on every occasion since.

According to Weir, following that famous victory in the cup – which went to penalties – the result led to a false sense that Rangers were back on track to be serious challengers to Celtic again.

Speaking about the game, of which he was on the sidelines as a coach, Weir said: “It was a watershed moment for a lot of people and there was an outpouring after that of ‘Rangers are back.

“The game itself was really exciting. But being honest, Celtic should have won it. They had the better chances.

“With hindsight, it did [create a false sense of expectation]. We were a Championship team with a lot of lads having their first experience of Rangers and were learning about the club and the expectations.

Rangers were unable to take advantage of their Celtic win with a Scottish Cup victory, as Hibs famously went on to deny the Ibrox club a 34th victory. And Weir and then-manager Warburton lasted less than a year after.

Most fans would have expected Rangers to at least finish second following their 2016 semi-final triumph, however, they were pipped by Aberdeen.

Nevertheless, this campaign has seen Rangers progress tremendously under Graeme Murty, as they begin to look more and more competitive each time the Glasgow rivals face up.

This Sunday – another Scottish Cup semi-final – should be a thrilling encounter, and Weir will be hopeful that his old side can achieve what they did in 2016 – but this time go on to lift the trophy.