Elena Sadiku: We are going to do everything we can to try book our place in the final | OneFootball

Exactly one year ago this Sunday, Elena Sadiku took charge of her first game in the dugout for Celtic.

Although it didn’t end the way the Hoops Head Coach would have wanted, suffering late defeat against Rangers, it would be fair to say the Swede has come a long way with her Celtic squad since then.

Fast forward twelve months, and the Celts face Rangers at the same stage of the competition, aiming to reach the Sky Sports Cup final.

With a huge Glasgow derby on the horizon, the mood is positive around the camp as the Ghirls gear up for Sunday’s match at New Douglas Park.

Speaking to the media ahead of their third derby outing against the Ibrox side of the season, Sadiku provided some good news on the injury front with two faces potentially set for a return to action this weekend.

The 31-year-old also praised her squad for their recent performances as they gear up for their third outing since returning from the winter break.

She said: “Hopefully, we have two more players available for the squad on Sunday, which will be Kit (Loferski) and Murphy (Agnew).

“As the Head Coach and also a part of the group, I’ve said it before we’ve maybe been a bit inconsistent at points this season with our performances,” Sadiku continued.

“But I do believe that what we are doing right now is something that is working really well. We are creating chances and scoring goals.

“I think many players are playing good football. I remember my first game against Rangers, it was at this point last year and the same stage of the competition.

“We know that if we win on Sunday, then we will be playing in a final in March. So, it would just take us one step closer to what we want to achieve every season, which is winning trophies.

“We know that it is a massive game for us, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure we win on Sunday.”

Of course, with Sunday’s semi-final also throwing up another Glasgow derby, there will be plenty of talk about both side’s heading into the game.

Heading into the match, Sadiku insisted that her squad will simply be focused on what they can do to achieve the task at hand, with a win firmly in the manager’s sights.

She said: “We just need to keep building on what we have been doing because I think we have been playing really good football.

“If we can create many chances and score goals, then we know that we are a good defending team.

“We also know that Rangers are a good team as well. So, it’s going to be a great game for everybody to watch because it’s a Glasgow derby. We all know what that means for both the teams.

“That is the only focus we have. We want to win, and it’s as simple as that.”

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