Celtic will be fully concentrated on Scottish Cup action this weekend as they make the short trip to Hampden to face Aberdeen on Saturday at lunchtime.
Brendan Rodgers has a perfect record in the competition, combining his two spells in Glasgow. The Irishman could extend his winning run to 16 in a row by guiding his side to the final at the national stadium.
As we await confirmation over the fitness of Celtic’s squad, Daizen Maeda is the only confirmed absentee; meanwhile, it is unclear if Liam Scales will return from a knock to feature against his former club.
Speaking of the Dons, they are enjoying their own feel-good factor amid the news that Elfsborg manager Jimmy Thelin will take over at Pittodrie in the summer.
Caretaker Peter Leven remains in post for now and will lead Aberdeen out at Hampden. The former MK Dons midfielder was also in charge during our 1-1 draw in the North East back in mid-February, best remembered for Nicolas Kuhn’s first strike in green and white.
Following an underpar Scottish Premiership campaign, our opponents know their only route to continental qualification is through winning the Scottish Cup.
Should they fail to do so, the fifth-placed team in the top flight, currently St Mirren, would qualify for Europe at their expense.
Peter Leven discusses Aberdeen’s morale-boosting week
It is always intriguing to see the psychological status of your opposition ahead of any important clash, and Aberdeen appear to be in a strong frame of mind heading into this weekend.
Granted, this can mean nothing on the pitch, though Leven has revealed that news of Thelin’s appointment has provided clarity to his playing staff as they prepare to face Celtic.
He told Press and Journal: “It’s good for the club, to get us all together again. Hopefully it lifts the boys and helps give them that little bit extra with the semi-final coming up this weekend.
“I hope the timing is ideal and we get a good result on Saturday. It is another chance to get to a cup final.
“Two cup finals this season would be amazing, but again, we are playing a team on form right now, so it is going to be difficult. The players needed it (confirmation of Thelin), and the fans needed it to happen.
“I’m delighted for the club to get it over the line.”
Despite events at Pittodrie, Celtic will fancy their chances of claiming a result against Aberdeen in light of their recent form, making for an intriguing spectacle at Hampden.
Nevertheless, trophies are all that matter in our neck of the woods, and the Bhoys have to go all out to ensure they book their place in the Scottish Cup final as we seek to finish 2023/24 in style.
