DAIZEN MAEDA netted a hat-trick as Celtic burst Aberdeen’s bubble in emphatic fashion in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals. Celtic scored five goals in half an hour at Hampden before Maeda rounded off a 6-0 victory late on to inflict Jimmy Thelin’s first defeat as Aberdeen boss. Aberdeen fans travelled to Glasgow filled with hope of seeing their team beat Celtic at the national stadium for the first since 1992 but they were well and truly dismantled either side of half-time.
Cameron Carter-Vickers headed the opener from a 29th-minute corner following a delayed and scrappy start to the game, which then quickly spiralled in Celtic’s favour. Maeda set up Kyogo Furuhashi to score the second and Nicolas Kuhn was also on target to send Celtic into the final on 15 December, when they will play the winners of Sunday’s meeting between Motherwell and Rangers. The Dons came into the game having won 15 games and drawn one under Thelin and on a 21-match unbeaten run since losing to Celtic on penalties at the same venue in last season’s Scottish Cup last four.
A 2-2 draw at Celtic Park two weeks earlier and a midweek win over Rangers, which put the Dons nine points ahead of the Light Blues, has seen Thelin’s side keep pace with the champions in the William Hill Premiership. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers welcomed the challenge of Aberdeen on the eve of the game and claimed the competition would help his side improve. His prediction was instantly fulfilled as he continued his p.
