Celtic produced an impressive response to recent criticism from manager Brendan Rodgers, running riot with a 5-0 win over St Johnstone in their Scottish Cup semi-final on Saturday. The atmosphere at the Scottish national team’s home field of Hampden Park was absolutely electric. Celtic blasted four goals within 12 minutes in the first half, quickly mounting a lead for an impressive win. Celtic’s Callum McGregor opened the scoring in the 34th minute. He was quickly followed by Daizen Maeda, who scored a quickfire double, before Jota completed the scoring with a third.
This solid win sends Celtic on to the final against Aberdeen, scheduled for May 24. On the flip side, it prepares them for an eventual opportunity to win a treble with manager Brendan Rodgers. If successful, this would be the club’s ninth treble. It’s their sixth in only nine seasons, which serves to accentuate their current stranglehold on Scottish football.
First Half Blitz
The game opened up with both sides testing each other’s defensive weaknesses. 34 min Celtic finally took advantage in the 34th minute, McGregor getting the goal that would propel his side to an early advantage. This strike seemed to open the floodgates, with Maeda adding two more before the half was finished. The Japanese forward scored his first goal in the 37th minute. He needed just 45 seconds to make it 2-0, scoring with another deftly placed right-footed effort in the 46th minute.
Jota capped off the rout just past the hour mark, pushing the final score to 5-0. Celtic’s attacking display left St Johnstone struggling to respond effectively, leaving manager Simo Valakari to reflect on his team’s inability to contain Celtic’s aggression.
“We did 30 minutes of things that we were practising. Then we think, ‘Okay, let’s try something different’. And then, boom, everything goes out of our hands.” – Simo Valakari
Tactical Changes and Disallowed Goal
Valakari was looking to shift the momentum of the match. At the break, he played his hand with a triple substitution, life and soul Benji Kimpioka and Makenzie Kirk among others introduced. Even with these changes, St Johnstone never really found their feet as they faced a Celtic side that never stopped pushing.
Kirk then had the chance to get one back for St Johnstone, but his effort was ruled out after a VAR check. This moment epitomised St Johnstone’s miserable day. They were unable to take advantage of major opportunities to claw their way back into the game.
Celtic’s Championship Focus
Celtic prepares for League Cup Final versus Aberdeen. They’re laser-focused on locking up the Premiership title, needing only one point from their last five matches to ensure top spot. Rodgers told his team the goal this season was to be humble but hungry, and to play like an ambitious underdog.
“My thoughts going into this game was this was important to get the work in. It’s having that humility to run, to work and then after you do that, it’s then about the ambition of the game. And that’s what we showed.” – Brendan Rodgers
Celtic’s win enhances their drive for silverware this season. Today, they are raising the bar even higher, demanding the highest quality matches possible. The club’s fans will no doubt be eager to see their team on another epic run to a possible third successive treble.
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