Scottish League Cup Semi-Final preview
Celtic vs Kilmarnock - Saturday 14th January, 17:30 pm
League leaders Celtic will look to book their place in the first final of the season as they face a resurgent Kilmarnock side. Celtic have won the cup on six of the last eight occasions, a record that will give them the confidence to make it to the final. Kilmarnock have made the semi-finals for the first time in 11 years and the Ayrshire side will revel in the opportunity to make a domestic final.
The sides met in the Scottish Premiership last Saturday at Celtic Park. The hosts won 2-0 in what was a dominant display, but playing at Hampden will be a different atmosphere. Celtic are undoubtedly the favourites to progress, however, Kilmarnock will be inspired by the return of veteran striker Kyle Lafferty. The former Rangers man returns from a 10-game suspension issued for using a sectarian slur and has not played since October.
Celtic will look to put on a show at the national stadium. Hampden has treated the current holders well in recent years and with Ange Postecoglou’s side in fine form, there will be no excuse given for not reaching the final. As for Kilmarnock they have a tough task ahead of them and will need to rely on the magic of the cup and a dogged performance. Manager Derek McInnes has plenty of experience in the latter stages of cup competitions from his time at Aberdeen and will hope to steer his team towards a cup upset to remember.
Rangers vs Aberdeen – Sunday 15th January, 15:00 pm
Unbeaten Rangers manager Michael Beale has his first taste of Hampden on Sunday. The aim for Rangers is to win their first League Cup since 2011, but first they will have to overcome Jim Goodwin’s Aberdeen- a side that have proved to be a tough test for the Ibrox side in recent years.
Goodwin is under heavy pressure due to recent performances and poor results, a win on Sunday and he will regain some of the supporters’ trust. This could prove to be a must-win game for the Don’s boss, but it will be a very difficult match.
Beale will have some selection headaches for the match with favoured striker Antonio Colak doubtful after going off injured against Dundee United last weekend. Alfredo Morelos is expected to lead the line in what could be one of his last games for the club as the Columbian is linked with moves away. One signing that could help Aberdeen is the return of former club captain Graeme Shinnie on loan from Wigan Athletic, he inspired a win against St Johnstone at the weekend and has a great level of experience at Hampden.
With Rangers unbeaten in seven games they will be expected to extend their run and book their place in the final. However, there is a haunting statistic that the Glasgow side will want to break, they have not beaten Aberdeen in a major cup competition since 2004. This will give Goodwin’s men some confidence and a belief that form goes out the window when you play in the cup. Despite this, all fingers point toward a Glasgow Derby final on the 26 February, a sight the rest of Scottish football will not want to see.