STV NewsThe oldest trophy in world football is up for grabs on Saturday at Hampden, as Aberdeen and Celtic clash in the Scottish Cup final.
For holders Celtic, victory would mean a record ninth Treble and adding the silverware to the League Cup and Premiership trophies they have already celebrated with this season.
To Aberdeen, a cup triumph would turn a rollercoaster season into an unarguable success, and hand manager Jimmy Thelin a huge boost at the very end of his first year in charge.
Celtic won last year’s final at Hampden when Adam Idah scored a late winner against Rangers and have a manager in Brendan Rodgers who has never lost a Scottish Cup tie across the 22 games he’s taken charge of in his two spells at the club.
That’s just one reason why the champions are heavy favourites going into the game. Their record in games against Aberdeen this season is another.
Previous meetings
SNS GroupIt’s just over a week since the sides met for the fourth time in the Premiership this season. A second-string Celtic side thumped Aberdeen 5-1 at Pittodrie as some of the bigger names were rested ahead of Hampden, and it just continued what has been a pretty one-sided recent record.
Aberdeen were beaten by the same score at Celtic Park in February, lost 1-0 at Pittodrie in early December and the last meeting at Hampden, in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final ended with a 6-0 thumping for the Dons.
It was all in huge contrast to the first game of the season between the sides, when Aberdeen fought back from two goals down for a 2-2 draw at Parkhead that continued their incredible long unbeaten start.
The Dons, and the more than 20,000 fans they will have backing them at Hampden, will be hoping that a one-off occasion and a prize on the line will mean that form isn’t a factor going into this one.
What the managers say
SNS GroupUnsurprisingly given the record, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin was keen to turn the focus on to his own side and their potential instead of mulling over Celtic’s strengths and last week’s defeat.
“I think you have to move on,” he said. “This is a final.
“Of course we learn things from the game, but this is a final, this is a different kind of game. When you feel the spirit amongst the players, they are looking forward to the game, you can feel the belief amongst them.
“So the other game is in the past, this is the final, and it’s the only thing we can feel in front of us.
“I think in the football world you always have to have strong belief, and dream big. Let’s see.”
He added: “I think all the players and staff talk about winning the cup.
“Football is an incredible sport. It is not every year we are in the final, I think it has been seven years, and we want to try to enjoy the moment, catch the moment, and all my players and staff have a strong belief, and a shared belief that we can perform well on Saturday, and that would give us a chance to win this one.
“The Scottish Cup has a big history. It’s a big thing. We can feel already around the club and country that it is a big game on Saturday, so everyone is really excited for this moment.
“We should embrace it, because it is a final. You have to enjoy this moment, but we have to focus on the things that we can control: our performance, our preparations, our tactics, our strategy, and then we go out there and prepare ourselves to try to win an exciting game, a final.”
SNS GroupBrendan Rodgers has delivered huge success over his time as Celtic boss and he believes that securing a sixth Treble in nine years would complete a “fantastic” season and see his players ‘etch their names in concrete’.
“I think if we can get the treble over the line on Saturday, then it would mark a really fantastic season in the club’s history,” he said.
“We’ve been fighting to gain some credibility and to be competitive at the very highest level of European football in the Champions League, and I feel we have done that to an extent this season.
“Of course, our bread and butter is domestic football, and that will be the same with any of the top teams in the top leagues, you want to be dominant domestically.
“So the players have a chance to etch their names into the concrete, and that can never get taken away from them once they have done that.
“And they have the possibility to do that at Hampden on Saturday”.
Road to the final
Celtic’s defence of the trophy had a tough start as they faced Kilmarnock at home. Callum McGregor put the hosts ahead after just 12 minutes but Bobby Wales levelled just on half-time and it took a Daizen Maeda goal to make Celtic 2-1 winners.
Raith Rovers were thumped 5-0 in the fifth round to set up a home quarter-final against Hibs and goals from Maeda and Idah went without reply to put Celtic in the final four.
SNS GroupSt Johnstone’s league form would end up leading to their relegation but they had enjoyed a positive Scottish Cup journey of their own to meet Celtic at Hampden. That journey came to an abrupt end as they met a Celtic side in top form.
McGregor opened the scoring again, Maeda scored a double, Idah bagged another cup goal and Jota netted the last in a 5-0 win.
SNS GroupAberdeen were on a run of 12 games without a victory when they started their cup campaign, and a 3-0 win over Elgin City secured progress and lifted spirits.
Papa Gueye, Alexander Jensen and Kevin Nisbet made it a 3-0 victory in the fifth round against Dunfermline and the team went one better against Queen’s Park in the quarter-finals with a 4-0 home win.
Hearts were the team standing between Aberdeen and a place in the final, and they made the Dons work for it. Gueye’s header had ricocheted off Craig Gordon for Aberdeen’s opener but Lawrence Shankland leveled for Hearts.
Michael Steinwender’s red card reduced Hearts to ten men and though they dug in and looked like they were going to take it to penalties, Omar Dabbagh pounced with a close range goal to keep Aberdeen’s trophy hopes alive.
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