Brendan Rodgers. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Brendan Rodgers joins our panel to discuss @CelticFC‘s dominant #ScottishCup Semi-Final victory at Hampden and more 🍀
“I thought the players were excellent… it was very good.” 🗣️
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 @sbk | 18+ | 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 pic.twitter.com/eOnYWskpnR
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 20, 2025
THE NOTAPRODDYGAL – 7.5/10 – Well, the rhetoric wasn’t wasted as he gets two five-star outings in a row from the ashes of the OK Corral. There might still be questions over integrity and man-management but the fires are stoked for a blazing half-dozen games to the end, and another treble on his CV. Is it The Brodge in action or the collective in reaction? Six scintillating wins calls the former, another farcical misadventure down in Hades will
tell another story…
MIBBERY – 3/10 – Ah, well, managed to sneak in a yellow for Luke; match report: “Raised his voice and looked at me askance…” And there was the Jamesy clattering that didn’t count because he didn’t go down easy enough at the first maiming attempt. On balance, they were also just being harsh to deny the St.Johnstone boy his glorious riggin’-ripper. After Bilbao it’s all so distressing for them.
Celtic supporters shows their support at full-time following the team’s victory in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
OVERALL – 8/10 – It’s all about getting through, they used to say. 6-0 and 5-0 in the National Cups semis declares
that name on yer birth certificate ain’t yer real Da’… It was taps aff in the Sellick End from the sunny start, and by half-time it was moobs out for Jamesy with one of the most thrilling fifteen minutes of the season lifting the crowd into a frenzy. Last week it took half and hour to notch four, so if the pattern continues we’ll be looking for a fifth at Tannadice around the eigth minute next time out. This sort of Celtic performance at a crucial juncture in the season gilds the Bhoys’ achievements as history is made; endorses their claim to the titles they’ll win and puts the rest in their place.
Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
We know we should win many a time, but ultimately it’s the manner in which we do – and today was that comprehensive, swashbuckling satisfaction we crave. Standards at Celtic demand perpetual quality even if the level of opponent isn’t CL-level. After that opening 30 minutes we had their measure, settled into our rhythm and the tempo took care of the rest. There’s no resurrections at 4-0 down, even on Easter Sunday.
Celtic supporters shows their support at full-time following the team’s victory in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Might have been double figures looming but I’m glad it wasn’t – they’re not the worst side in the league although final statistics might damn that, but Billie Jean King’s got them at least trying to play their way to safety with football the foremost stipulation. So they got skelped but not humiliated and we got entertained and delighted and through to another final; that treble within touching distance. What an eggs-cellent day.
‘I hope he has a memory for life!’ ❤️
The wholesome moment Jota celebrated Celtic’s fifth goal with a young fan ⤵️#BBCFootball #ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/rvlsg5T1sG
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) April 20, 2025
Go Away Now
Sandman
St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
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