Hibernian Women v Rangers Women: Route to Sky Sports Cup final revisited as SWPL's top-two meet at Fir Park
Scottish Women's Premier League leaders Hibernian face Sky Sports Cup holders Rangers in the League Cup final at Fir Park on Saturday; Hibs have not lost against the Gers this season; watch the final live on Sky Sports on Saturday from 2.30pm, kick-off 3pm
Friday 21 March 2025 17:40, UK
Ahead of the Sky Sports Cup final, Sky Sports Football presenter Eilidh Barbour take a look back at Hibernian's and Rangers' route to Fir Park...
The 2024/25 Sky Sports Cup Final is here. Starting on September 1, fast-forward 18 games, and we have our two finalists.
We have a fascinating match in store. The two teams have been neck-and-neck for most of the season. Incredibly, alongside Celtic and Glasgow City, these four teams were level on points after 21 games in the ScottishPower Women's Premier League. Hibs now lead the way from Rangers with nine games to go.
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Under Grant Scott, it's fair to say Hibs have been the surprise package and arguably the most improved side this season. They've moved from being guaranteed top-six to genuine title contenders. Against Rangers specifically, they are unbeaten this season and will feel unfortunate not to have won in their 1-1 draw back in October.
Rangers remain a highly dangerous and quality side under Jo Potter. They have scored the most goals this season and are established as contenders in every competition. As back-to-back winners of the Sky Sports Cup and current holders, they'll look to draw upon their experience again today.
So how did we get here?
In round one, the eight SWPL 2 teams entered. There were plenty of goals across the four matches, with an incredible 25 total.
The results went to form as Livingston defeated Ayr United 7-3, Gartcairn were 7-0 winners over St Johnstone, and Boroughmuir Thistle prevailed 4-1 against Rossvale. In the closest game, league leaders Hamilton Academical came from behind to defeat Kilmarnock 2-1.
Round two saw the 12 SWPL sides enter, and most results went as expected.
On the road, Rangers eventually saw off Dundee United with a 3-0 win, Hibernian were emphatic 7-0 winners against Queen's Park, and Celtic were just as clinical with a 7-0 victory at Montrose. Unsurprisingly, Glasgow City were pushed by Hearts at Oriam but eventually progressed with a 3-2 win.
At home, Partick Thistle defeated Spartans 3-2 and Aberdeen were 2-0 winners against Gartcairn. Boroughmuir Thistle were also comprehensive in their 8-0 win against Livingston, earning their spot in the quarter-final as the only remaining SWPL 2 side.
Hamilton Accies nearly joined Boroughmuir by producing the shock of the round, but a late Laura Berry goal denied Robert Watson's side and took the match to extra time. Eventually, Motherwell were 4-3 victors on penalties.
The quarter-final stage started with a Saturday meeting between Motherwell and Rangers. It was an emphatic 8-1 win for Rangers at K-Park, with Katie Wilkinson contributing to an incredible five goals in the match.
In the tie of the round, Sunday saw Celtic host Glasgow City. It was precisely a year from Celtic's 3-0 win over their opponents in the same competition, but it was a much closer match this time, ending 0-0 after extra-time. Thanks to two outstanding penalty saves from Kelsey Daugherty, Celtic eventually progressed 4-3.
The other two matches saw Hibernian get revenge over Partick Thistle for their semi-final defeat in the previous season, securing a 4-1 away win. The final tie saw Aberdeen come away 3-1 winners away to Boroughmuir Thistle.
The semi-final stage this season provided two great matches in this competition.
The early kick-off saw Hibernian welcome Aberdeen, the record holders of this competition against Scott Booth's side looking to reach their first-ever major final.
While a valiant and battling performance from the Dons, Hibernian took the lead through Ciara Grant after half an hour and never really looked in doubt. Eilidh Adams and Grant put the game beyond all doubt in the final 15 minutes with a goal each, giving the Hibees the chance to extend their record success of seven titles in this competition.
The other semi-final saw Celtic and Rangers meet for the second season in a row at this stage. Much like previous meetings, this was another close match that could have gone either way, but Rangers edged it.
Two early goals after the restart, a fine finish from Rio Hardy and a stunning Wilkinson free-kick, gave Rangers a commanding lead. Despite a red card for Jo Potter and a late Emma Lawton goal, Celtic couldn't find the all-important equaliser.
This is perhaps the closest Sky Sports Cup final we've seen. Rangers were considered favourites in the past two seasons, and their success in this competition might earn them that title again. Yet, Hibernian have developed under Grant Scott and can take confidence from their last two matches against their opponents. They look like a totally different side from the one that was toothless in their 2-0 loss to Rangers in the 2022/23 final.
I expect the forwards will decide this match. For Hibs, Eilidh Adams and Kathleen McGovern have already scored in this fixture this season. McGovern was instrumental in their 3-0 win in December with a brace and was somewhat unplayable that day.
At the other end, Hardy scored a late equaliser for Rangers in October against Hibs, and Wilkinson has been a star this season. Despite no goals in this fixture, she is the leading goalscorer across all domestic competitions for a reason.
The side that can get the most out of their forwards while keeping their opponents quiet will likely have their name etched on the trophy at the end of the day.
No matter what, the 2024/25 Sky Sports Cup has been one to remember. You can expect more history on the pitch, regardless of the result.
