A day for Celtic righting a wrong of their own making | OneFootball

Our recent ‘Saints shock’ should be more than enough motivation for Celtic to ensure we reach the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen next month…

Daniels Balodis of St Johnstone celebrates with team mates after scoring to give St Johnstone a 1-0 lead. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, l, McDiarmid Park, Perth, 06 April 2025: Photo Stuart Wallace/IMAGO Shutterstock

Today we travel to Hampden Park to take on St Johnstone in the second Scottish Cup semi-final of the Easter weekend in a bid to keep our treble dream alive as we look to book our place in the final against Aberdeen next month.

Most will see it as a forgone conclusion due to the Perth side’s league status, but this is the cup and shocks can happen, something we’ve experienced in recent years at this stage of the competition.

READ THIS…St Johnstone v Celtic: Team news, referee details, KO time & where to watch

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, McDiarmid Park, Perth, 06 April 2025. Stuart Wallace . Photo IMAGO/Shutterstock

Scotland’s two most successful clubs in the Scottish Cup in the last decade meet today

While it’s top of the Scottish Premiership versus bottom it’s also the meeting of the two clubs with the best record in the Scottish Cup over the past decade. Celtic lead that one and of course as the most successful club in Scotland – dead or alive – we also have more Scottish Cup triumphs than any club or combination of clubs (dead and alive).

So St Johnstone should not be under-estimated and they will have a game plan knowing that they don’t actually need to score. A nothing each draw after penalties earns them a penalty shoot-out chance.

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic fails to score under pressure from Stephen Duke-McKenna of St Johnstone. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, McDiarmid Park, Perth, 06 April 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace/IMAGO Shutterstock

The shock defeat that Celtic suffered in Perth a fortnight ago should also serve as a huge warning that today is anything but a guaranteed victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side and that is a message that the Celtic manager will be stressing in his pre-match team talk at a stadium where he has never lost.

That woeful, lethargic display at McDiarmid Park is still fresh in the mind

The memory of that woeful, lethargic display at McDiarmid Park which is still fresh in the mind, should be more than enough motivation for the players in their bid to redeem themselves in the eyes of the manager and the Celtic supporters who will once again occupy most of the seats, for that shocking performance a fortnight ago.

James Forrest of Celtic’s shot is saved by St Johnstone goalkeeper Andy Fisher. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, , McDiarmid Park, Perth, – 06 April 2025: Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Derek McInnes hit the nail on the head last weekend

It was clearly obvious that they got a rocketing off Brendan post Perth, and were firmly reminded of the standards expected as they bounced back by producing a terrific performance against Kilmarnock last weekend. Same again today and it’s hard, as Derek McInnes noted last weekend, to imagine any team in Scottish football to be able to live with this Celtic team.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor controls the ball under pressure from Jason Holt & Daniels Balodis of St Johnstone. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, , McDiarmid Park, Perth – 06 April 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

Let’s just hope that lightning doesn’t strike twice

Today they need to keep those standards going and get the required result that would see us one step closer to completing a domestic treble. We should be feeling very confident today especially if the players perform to the best of their ability. I remain very hopeful that they will do just that.

Let’s just hope that lightning doesn’t strike twice.  I’m sure it won’t.

St Johnstone goalkeeper Andy Fisher saves a close range shot from Luke McCowan of Celtic. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, , McDiarmid Park, 06 April 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace/IMAGO Shutterstock

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