Celtic thrash St. Johnstone to reach another Scottish Cup final
St. Johnstone 0 - 5 Celtic
Celtic produced a ruthless first-half display to sweep past St Johnstone and book their place in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen, keeping hopes alive for a record-extending ninth domestic treble.
Brendan Rodgers, who remains unbeaten in 14 matches at Hampden Park, will return with his side to the national stadium on Saturday 24 May, where they will aim to secure a third successive Scottish Cup triumph.
Any uncertainty about the outcome was dispelled by half-time. Celtic delivered a blistering end to the first half, scoring four times in just 12 minutes to leave St Johnstone reeling.
From the opening whistle, the holders dominated possession and territory, eventually finding a breakthrough when captain Callum McGregor guided a precise strike into the corner of the net.
That opener set the tone for a relentless spell. McGregor turned provider minutes later, slipping a perfectly judged pass into the path of Daizen Maeda. A desperate sliding challenge from Sam Curtis only helped the ball on its way, and the Japan forward calmly finished.
Adam Idah added a third just before the interval with a close-range finish, and within 90 seconds, Maeda struck again following a high press, notching his 33rd goal of the campaign.
St Johnstone, who had beaten Celtic in the league a fortnight ago, were left shellshocked. Dreams of another upset quickly gave way to damage limitation.
To their credit, Simo Valakari’s side emerged for the second half, but their misery continued. Rodgers introduced further attacking threat in the form of Nicolas Kühn and Jota, the latter adding a fifth with a tight-angled finish shortly after a penalty award for James Forrest was overturned by VAR.
READ MORE: St Johnstone 1 - 0 Celtic
READ MORE: Aberdeen beat Hearts to reach Scottish Cup final
There was more frustration to come. Mackenzie Kirk’s stunning finish, which had briefly offered a glimmer of consolation, was ruled out following another VAR review. On a day when little went their way, St Johnstone were left to reflect on a chastening afternoon.
More reaction and analysis
Darren Meades is a Celtic fan but was complimentary about the opposition. He said: "There was no shame in their performance, we were just awesome at times. Our performance has gone up a level since that league defeat in Perth."
John added: "Celtic is doing what they do best. Seven players have scored over 10 goals this season, and not long ago, many fans were concerned about not having replaced Kyogo Furuhashi. The statistics speak for themselves: the team is on the verge of achieving a record-breaking ninth treble, with the potential for trophies number 120 and 121. It is truly fantastic to be a Celtic fan."
He added: "They battled away in the second half and scored a good goal that was ruled out, disappointingly."
