Daizen Maeda netted a hat-trick as Celtic burst Aberdeen’s bubble in emphatic fashion in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
Celtic scored five goals in half an hour at Hampden before Maeda rounded off a 6-0 victory late on to inflict Jimmy Thelin’s first defeat as Aberdeen boss.
Aberdeen fans travelled to Glasgow filled with hope of seeing their team beat Celtic at the national stadium for the first since 1992 but they were well and truly dismantled either side of half-time.
Cameron Carter-Vickers headed the opener from a 29th-minute corner following a delayed and scrappy start to the game, which then quickly spiralled in Celtic’s favour.
Maeda set up Kyogo Furuhashi to score the second and Nicolas Kuhn was also on target to send Celtic into the final on December 15, when they will play the winners of Sunday’s meeting between Motherwell and Rangers.
The Dons came into the game having won 15 games and drawn one under Thelin and on a 21-match unbeaten run since losing to Celtic on penalties at the same venue in last season’s Scottish Cup last four.
A 2-2 draw at Celtic Park two weeks earlier and a midweek win over Rangers, which put the Dons nine points ahead of the Light Blues, has seen Thelin’s side keep pace with the champions in the William Hill Premiership.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers welcomed the challenge of Aberdeen on the eve of the game and claimed the competition would help his side improve. His prediction was instantly fulfilled as he continued his perfect Hampden record.
Aberdeen were unchanged from the team that beat Rangers, meaning starts for Duk and Ester Sokler whose half-time introductions helped the Dons claw back a two-goal deficit at Parkhead.
Celtic started with Auston Trusty and Alex Valle in defence as Greg Taylor and Liam Scales had to make do with substitute appearances.
Kick-off was delayed by 13 minutes after a pre-match pyrotechnic display from both sets of fans led to visibility problems for the VAR technology.
The game was slow to get going even after kick-off with Arne Engels and Jamie McGrath blazing well over at either end.
The opener came when Carter-Vickers rose to head home Engels’ corner and Celtic doubled their lead on the counter-attack three minutes later.
Maeda intercepted a pass meant for Slobodan Rubezic, got the ball back from Kuhn before checking back to take Jack MacKenzie and goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov out of the equation and setting up Furuhashi to finish off the underside of the bar.
The third goal in the 40th minute also came on the transition. Kuhn played a brilliant through ball for Maeda, who ran round the back of Nicky Devlin and swept home.
Rodgers became the sixth person to be booked by Kevin Clancy before half-time, although both men had a smile on their face after the Celtic manager fell on his backside while booting the ball out of the technical area after his side’s passing move had broken down.
Celtic continued where they left off in the second half and took just four minutes to add to the scoring. Kuhn ran from the halfway line, waltzed into box and saw a shot saved before Maeda tucked home the rebound.
McGrath got Aberdeen’s only shot on target but his weak effort trundled along the ground into Kasper Schmeichel’s hands.
Celtic continued their clinical display when Engels helped the ball on to Kuhn 15 yards out. The winger was faced with a crowd of Aberdeen players but curled a shot in off the bar.
The Dons came very close to a consolation midway through the half when Sokler headed MacKenzie’s cross just wide.
But Celtic had the final say when Maeda tapped home Alistair Johnston’s ball across the face of goal with five minutes left.
Lucy Bronze refused to count Chelsea out of the Champions League after they went down 4-1 to holders Barcelona in the first leg of their semi-final in Spain.Ewa Pajor fired the hosts in front in the 35th minute at the Johan Cruyff Stadium and substitute Claudia Pina made it two with 20 minutes left.Sandy Baltimore pulled one back in the 74th minute, but Irene Paredes got Barcelona’s third wi...
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold says his late winner at Leicester, which put his side on the brink of the Premier League title, will live with him forever.Alexander-Arnold made a stunning return from injury as he climbed off the bench to score the decisive 76th-minute goal in the visitors’ 1-0 triumph at the King Power Stadium.It relegated Leicester and left the Reds needing just t...
Chelsea gave themselves plenty of work to do at Stamford Bridge after substitute Claudia Pina’s brace inspired holders Barcelona to a 4-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Spain.Ewa Pajor opened the scoring for the hosts in the 35th minute at the Johan Cruyff Stadium after Blues keeper Hannah Hampton had saved a ninth-minute penalty.Pina scored her first with 2...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has his sights set on history after his side moved another step closer to a sixth treble in nine years.A 5-0 Hampden win over St Johnstone set up a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen on May 24.Rodgers and Jock Stein have both completed two trebles, while Martin O’Neill, Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou have one each, and Celtic won three trophies ...
Trent Alexander-Arnold put the Premier League title champagne on ice for Liverpool after scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win which confirmed Leicester’s relegation.Alexander-Arnold, making his comeback from injury, climbed off the bench to score the 76th-minute winner at the King Power and put his side on the brink of glory.The Reds will get their hands on a 20th top-flight title ...
Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United “lack a lot” as their ongoing struggles in front of goal saw them return to earth with a bump in Sunday’s Premier League defeat at home to Wolves.Three days on from the dramatic 5-4 Europa League quarter-final comeback win against Lyon, the rotated Red Devils’ positive performance counted for nothing due to their futility in the final...
Mikel Arteta said he hopes Leif Davis’ “dangerous” red-card tackle on Bukayo Saka will not stop his star winger from playing in Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain.Saka was withdrawn just 10 minutes into the second half of Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Ipswich and had an ice pack applied to his right ankle following Davis’ late challenge.Davis ...
Celtic hit four goals in 12 first-half minutes to sweep past St Johnstone and into the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final.The holders wreaked vengeance following defeat in Perth two weeks ago as they won 5-0 to set up a return trip to Hampden to face Aberdeen on May 24.With Celtic needing just one point from their last five matches to wrap up the William Hill Premiership title, the final is set to gi...
Pedro Neto fired a spectacular winner in stoppage time as Chelsea’s late show secured a 2-1 win over west-London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage.Substitute Tyrique George grabbed an equaliser seven minutes from time to cancel out Alex Iwobi’s 20th-minute strike.Then Neto’s half-volley clinched a victory that took the Blues above Forest on goal difference in the battle to secure C...
Manchester United were brought back to earth after their Europa League heroics as substitute Pablo Sarabia’s sublime free-kick saw Wolves win five consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since 1970.This Premier League encounter was never going to live up to the drama of Thursday’s jaw-dropping quarter-final clash at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils secured a 5-4 victory, an...
- 1 Four Tottenham stars could leave this summer
- 2 PL side eyeing summer move for Rashford
- 3 Man City in pole position to secure Morgan Gibbs
- 4 Pop icon with £580M net worth makes appearance at Stamford Bridge
- 5 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 6 Arteta makes exciting Arsenal transfer claim
- 7 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 8 Newcastle continue to impress in absence of Eddie Howe with Crystal Palace rout
- 9 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 10 Annan boost survival hope by thrashing champions Arbroath