Celtic-Aberdeen Scottish Cup final ramifications will hit hard - as Hibs and Dundee Utd watch on with interest

Scottish Cup finals should be all about the silverware and the glory, but for Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden today, there is also the fear of failure.

One match should never define a season’s body of work but for the loser at the national stadium on this particular occasion, the ramifications will hit hard.

That statement may hold some hyperbole when it comes to all-conquering Celtic, but the fact remains for them that there is a growing expectation that they should win a treble. Such a feat has become commonplace: with the League Cup and Premiership trophies already in the satchel, landing the Scottish Cup would secure the club’s sixth domestic clean sweep in nine seasons.

Aberdeen and Celtic do battle for the Scottish Cup on Saturday at Hampden. | SNS Group

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers admitted just a couple of weeks ago that given their stranglehold on the domestic game, some just see it as a given that the club should mop up in Scottish football. It means that missing out on the one remaining piece of the jigsaw could blemish what has been otherwise another stellar season under the Northern Irishman.

Rodgers is chasing his third treble across two spells. They defeated Rangers on penalties to win the Premier Sports Cup in December and won the Premiership by a whopping 15 points. On the continent, Celtic reached the play-off round of the revamped Champions League after progressing through the main phase. Celtic have kicked on this term, recovering from the sale of key forward Kyogo Furuhashi in January to Rennes. In many ways, it is a season that deserves a treble, such has been Celtic’s dominance. Rodgers has taken what he inherited from Ange Postecoglou and in the past two years, made the team better.

Aberdeen’s season of ups and downs

Aberdeen, however, will have other ideas. What a rollercoaster ride it has been for the Dons under Swedish manager Jimmy Thelin in his first season at Pittodrie. They started like a runaway train, winning their first 13 competitive matches and going toe-to-toe with Celtic in the league until the end of November. Thelin brought a new brand of adventurous football to Aberdeen that at first brought some big wins, before the wheels came off spectacularly during the winter, with one victory in 15 matches.

It resulted in the Dons tumbling down the league. Thelin restored some equilibrium to Aberdeen and they remained in the top six and also in the hunt for third place in the league, which seemed a given back in November. When they defeated Hibs 1-0 last month, they were level on points with four games remaining. Aberdeen have not won since and ended the season fifth after defeat by Dundee United last weekend.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin speaks to the press ahead of the cup final. | SNS Group

Recent events have not helped Thelin and Aberdeen. Supporters are beginning to question his tactics and style given the run of form in 2025, while at Tannadice, the desperately unfortunate defender Jack MacKenzie was struck by a seat thrown from the Dons support after losing 2-1 on Tayside. Relations between players and fans are not at their most cordial.

Winning the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1990 would no doubt heal any wounds. Back then, they overcame Celtic 9-8 on penalties following a 0-0 draw. It has been pain ever since in the competition.

Thelin eyes legendary status

Thelin would become an Aberdeen legend in only his first season in charge of the club should he pull off what many see as mission impossible. Celtic have largely dominated Aberdeen in recent years and when the two teams met in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals at Hampden on November 2 last year, Celtic walloped them 6-0. It was Thelin’s first taste of defeat.

That came two weeks after Aberdeen roared back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Celtic Park. That game brought talk of splitting the Old Firm; at one point the Dons led Rangers by nine points. They ended the campaign 16 points adrift.

Aberdeen's recent form has been poor. | SNS Group

Defeat – particularly a heavy one – will increase the cynicism of Thelin’s ways. While Aberdeen have always been open and defensively suspect under him, they have become softer over the past few months. The midfield, shorn of the injured Sivert Nilsen, lacks a strong backbone. Less than a fortnight ago, they coughed up five goals to a second-string Celtic team at Pittodrie.

A fifth-placed finish and a cup-final appearance is progress from languishing in the bottom six of the league this time last year, but expectation levels rose to unprecedented levels in the early days of Thelin. He has a lot on the line. How will he configure his team? Does captain Graeme Shinnie stay at left-back or go into midfield? Who plays at centre-half? Does he keep faith with Pape Gueye in the forward areas? Is Shayden Morris a starter or a pacey impact sub?

Celtic in good shape

For Rodgers, his biggest issue is deciding who to play alongside skipper Callum McGregor and Arne Engels in midfield. Reo Hatate is out, having been injured against Aberdeen earlier this month. He will be missed and it is a straight fight between Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan to fill the void. The Portuguese will probably get the nod, as he is more defensive minded and physical.

It is not just Celtic and Aberdeen with skin in the game. Hibs and Dundee United will watch on with interest. Should Aberdeen lose, then Hibs will take the Europa League play-off berth assigned to the cup winners, with a direct parachute into the main stage of the Conference League, guaranteeing more than £4 million in Uefa revenue. United will also be cheering on Celtic. A win for them keeps them in the Europa League qualifiers instead of the Conference League. A Dons win would give them the bonus Hibs so dearly crave.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has his eyes on the final part of a treble. | SNS Group

A lot is on the line at Hampden, a stadium that Rodgers has won at on all seven visits. All known form suggests he will make it eight. Celtic have been too strong for the rest of Scottish football this season and have stepped up when it has mattered most. But in a year of the cup-final underdog – see Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Go Ahead Eagles, Bologna and even Spurs – Aberdeen will hope there is room for one more upset.