Celtic hit four goals in 12 first-half minutes to sweep past St Johnstone and into the Scottish Cup final.
The holders wreaked vengeance following defeat in Perth two weeks ago as they won 5-0 to set up a return trip to Hampden to face Aberdeen on May 24.
With Celtic needing just one point from their last five matches to wrap up the Premiership title, the final is set to give Celtic the chance to seal the first treble of Brendan Rodgers’ second reign, against the same opponents he overcame to clinch his first in 2017. It would be the club’s ninth treble and their sixth in nine seasons.
Captain Callum McGregor started the rout in the 34th minute before setting up Daizen Maeda to net the first of two first-half goals, which came either side of Adam Idah’s tap-in. Substitute Jota rounded off the scoring midway through the second half.
Rodgers named the same team that also hit five goals past Kilmarnock last week, after making four changes in the wake of that defeat by Saints.
That meant a start for Idah, whose professionalism was defended by Rodgers after footage emerged on social media of the striker’s midweek night out, which appeared to show him being sick in a taxi.
It was one-way traffic from the start as James Forrest caused problems with several crosses and efforts at goal, while McGregor, Arne Engels and Maeda had long-range efforts saved.
Saints boss Simo Valakari would have been happy enough as his side denied Celtic space in behind but they played a part in the opener. Barry Douglas flighted a goal kick towards Stephen Duke-McKenna inside his own half and Alistair Johnston took advantage of the lack of pace on the ball to intercept.
The right-back fed Reo Hatate who set up McGregor to sidefoot the ball into the corner from 16 yards out for his 10th goal of the season.
The goalscorer drove forward three minutes later and played a pass just inside Sam Curtis for Maeda to slot into the far corner.
The favourites put the game beyond any doubt in the final minute of the half. Liam Scales split the Saints’ defence and Hatate squared for Idah to tap in, before the Japan midfielder provided another assist for Maeda to fire through a crowded goalmouth and into the bottom corner.
Idah should have made it five three minutes after the restart but appeared to get his foot caught in the turf as Forrest’s square pass rolled right in front of him in the six-yard box.
Valakari had brought on forwards Benji Kimpioka and Makenzie Kirk at half-time and the latter quickly grabbed the limelight, although not to any lasting impact.
The Northern Ireland U21 international forced a great save from Viljami Sinisalo with a mid-air flick, but the offside flag went up.
Kirk then fired into the top corner from 25 yards but referee Calum Scott disallowed the goal following a VAR review after spotting a two-handed push on Idah from Daniels Badolis as Saints won possession.
Another VAR review saw Scott rescind a penalty award after Forrest eventually went down following a sliding challenge from Sven Sprangler and a shoulder charge from Badolis.
Idah had been set to take the penalty, but instead was one of three players to make way in a triple change.
One of the substitutes, Jota, soon squeezed the ball home inside Andy Fisher’s near post following Johnston’s deep cross.
The Premiership’s bottom club avoided further blows to their morale and Valakari handed Uche Ikpeazu his debut in the 75th minute as the striker finally made his comeback from knee surgery.
What the managers said…
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers: “My thoughts going into this game was this was important to get the work in.
“It’s having that humility to run, to work and then after you do that, it’s then about the ambition of the game. And that’s what we showed.
“That’s a huge testament to the players because we needed to respond from the St Johnstone game two weeks ago which wasn’t acceptable for our club.
“The players have since won two games by half-time but still showed the ambition to keep going.”
St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: “We did 30 minutes of things that we were practising.
“Then we think, ‘Okay, let’s try something different’. And then, boom, everything goes out of our hands.
“We need to learn that, but we just need to be humble, patient enough, just do the things that are working.
“At half-time, the cup dream was gone. The only thing to play for was pride. The pride to play for this beautiful club, to play for our fans.
“I think our players went there, they showed character.”
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Morre Jair Costa – Um Pioneiro Brasileiro na Europa
Jair da Costa é um dos grandes nomes do futebol brasileiro e mundial, especialmente lembrado por sua passagem vitoriosa no futebol europeu. Nascido em 29 de julho de 1940, em Santo André (SP), ele iniciou sua carreira profissional na Portuguesa de Desportos, onde, entre 1958 e 1962, destacou-se como ponta-direita, chamando atenção pela velocidade, técnica e drible refinado. Em 1962, Jair foi convocado para a Seleção Brasileira que disputou a Copa do Mundo no Chile. Mesmo como reserva de Garrincha, participou do elenco que se sagrou campeão mundial. Após o torneio, transferiu-se para a Internazionale de Milão, na Itália, onde viveria a fase mais gloriosa de sua carreira. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Entre 1962 e 1967, Jair fez história na Grande Inter comandada por Helenio Herrera, sendo peça fundamental no esquema tático baseado em defesa sólida e contra-ataques velozes. Nesse período, conquistou […]
O campeão voltou? Botafogo domina o Fluminense, volta a vencer após quatro partidas e alivia pressão sobre Paiva
O Botafogo reencontrou-se consigo mesmo e voltou a vencer depois de quatro partidas irreconhecíveis. A vítima foi o Fluminense, que mesmo preservando os titulares no meio de semana, foi presa fácil para o atual campeão brasileiro. Apesar do 2 a 0, o domínio foi incontestável e o placar poderia muito bem ser mais elástico no estádio Nilton Santos. A vitória alvinegra faz a equipe subir várias posições e pegar o elevador na tabela de classificação, ocupando agora a primeira página, na sétima posição. O triunfo no clássico diante da sua torcida também alivia a pressão sobre o técnico Renato Paiva. Vitinho foi o autor do primeiro gol, em noite de subida de produção de várias peças de ataque, como Igor Jesus, Matheus Martins, que foi titular, e Savarino, que deu números finais ao marcador. Do lado do Fluminense, a derrota […]
Giants celebrate Brandon Crawford, walk off in the ninth
SAN FRANCISCO — On Saturday afternoon, Brandon Crawford stood behind a podium in front of the pitcher’s mound at Oracle Park and gave the longest speech of his life. It was the longest bit of public speaking he’d done since he was in school, by his own reckoning, and the speech made him “more nervous than Game 7 in Kansas City,” but he handled it with aplomb. A weekend day game with Bruce Bochy and the Rangers in town was already one of the easiest games on the calendar to circle, but the pregame ceremony made it even easier for the die-hards and Crawford fanatics. (Although we have questions for the gentleman in the powder-blue “CRAWFORD 35” Cardinals jersey in section 119. A lot of questions.)AdvertisementThe loudest cheers of the day weren’t for Crawford, though. They weren’t for the introductions […]
Ohio State dominates 2025 NFL Draft with 14 picks; Georgia, Texas, Oregon each see at least 10
With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books and 257 picks officially filed, a handful of college programs have left their mark on NFL programs.Four different college football programs — Ohio State, Georgia, Texas and Oregon — saw at least 10 of their prospects get their names called on draft weekend, with Ole Miss rounding out the top-five with eight. Five additional schools — Michigan, Miami, LSU, Florida and Alabama — all rounded out the top ten with five picks apiece.AdvertisementOverall, the top five programs by draft selections represented over one fifth of all draft picks through the three-day draft process.Ohio State Buckeyes: 14The national champion Ohio State Buckeyes had a banner draft weekend for their program. With 14 selections over the three-day period, the Buckeyes tied their program record for most picks in a single draft. Ohio State also […]
2025 NBA playoff bracket: First-round matchups, schedule, game times as Thunder advance to second round
The 2025 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, as the field remains wide-open as we march through the first round series. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder entered as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, but the defending champion Boston Celtics are considered the favorite by many experts and sportsbooks. The Thunder became the first NBA team to advance to the second round, completing a sweep of the Grizzlies on Saturday. The remaining Western Conference series are as follows: Rockets vs. Warriors, Lakers vs. Timberwolves and Nuggets vs. Clippers. The star-laden conference gives us superstars like Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard all in action, and it promises to be a tight race to the finish. Out East, we've got the Cavs vs. Heat, Celtics vs. Magic, Knicks vs. Pistons and Pacers […]
2025 Kentucky Derby post positions, morning line odds: Gate assignments for all 20 horses in the field
Getty Images The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set for next Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. On Saturday the 20 horses in the Derby field learned what post they would be running out of.The favorite, Journalism (3-1), drew the 8 post, while the only other horses with single-digit odds find themselves on the far outside of the starting gate. Sovereignty (5-1) drew the 18 post while Sandman (6-1) is alongside in the 17th position -- the only gate to never produce a Kentucky Derby winner. That means Sandman will have to look to make history next Saturday from that outside post. Last year's winner, Mystik Dan, won from the 3 gate, becoming the first horse to do so since 1998. The longest drought of any post aside from 17's 150-race winless streak belongs to the […]
Related
Morre Jair Costa – Um Pioneiro Brasileiro na Europa
Jair da Costa é um dos grandes nomes do futebol brasileiro e mundial, especialmente lembrado por sua passagem vitoriosa no futebol europeu. Nascido em 29 de julho de 1940, em Santo André (SP), ele iniciou sua carreira profissional na Portuguesa de Desportos, onde, entre 1958 e 1962, destacou-se como ponta-direita, chamando atenção pela velocidade, técnica e drible refinado. Em 1962, Jair foi convocado para a Seleção Brasileira que disputou a Copa do Mundo no Chile. Mesmo como reserva de Garrincha, participou do elenco que se sagrou campeão mundial. Após o torneio, transferiu-se para a Internazionale de Milão, na Itália, onde viveria a fase mais gloriosa de sua carreira. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Entre 1962 e 1967, Jair fez história na Grande Inter comandada por Helenio Herrera, sendo peça fundamental no esquema tático baseado em defesa sólida e contra-ataques velozes. Nesse período, conquistou […]
O campeão voltou? Botafogo domina o Fluminense, volta a vencer após quatro partidas e alivia pressão sobre Paiva
O Botafogo reencontrou-se consigo mesmo e voltou a vencer depois de quatro partidas irreconhecíveis. A vítima foi o Fluminense, que mesmo preservando os titulares no meio de semana, foi presa fácil para o atual campeão brasileiro. Apesar do 2 a 0, o domínio foi incontestável e o placar poderia muito bem ser mais elástico no estádio Nilton Santos. A vitória alvinegra faz a equipe subir várias posições e pegar o elevador na tabela de classificação, ocupando agora a primeira página, na sétima posição. O triunfo no clássico diante da sua torcida também alivia a pressão sobre o técnico Renato Paiva. Vitinho foi o autor do primeiro gol, em noite de subida de produção de várias peças de ataque, como Igor Jesus, Matheus Martins, que foi titular, e Savarino, que deu números finais ao marcador. Do lado do Fluminense, a derrota […]
Giants celebrate Brandon Crawford, walk off in the ninth
SAN FRANCISCO — On Saturday afternoon, Brandon Crawford stood behind a podium in front of the pitcher’s mound at Oracle Park and gave the longest speech of his life. It was the longest bit of public speaking he’d done since he was in school, by his own reckoning, and the speech made him “more nervous than Game 7 in Kansas City,” but he handled it with aplomb. A weekend day game with Bruce Bochy and the Rangers in town was already one of the easiest games on the calendar to circle, but the pregame ceremony made it even easier for the die-hards and Crawford fanatics. (Although we have questions for the gentleman in the powder-blue “CRAWFORD 35” Cardinals jersey in section 119. A lot of questions.)AdvertisementThe loudest cheers of the day weren’t for Crawford, though. They weren’t for the introductions […]
Ohio State dominates 2025 NFL Draft with 14 picks; Georgia, Texas, Oregon each see at least 10
With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books and 257 picks officially filed, a handful of college programs have left their mark on NFL programs.Four different college football programs — Ohio State, Georgia, Texas and Oregon — saw at least 10 of their prospects get their names called on draft weekend, with Ole Miss rounding out the top-five with eight. Five additional schools — Michigan, Miami, LSU, Florida and Alabama — all rounded out the top ten with five picks apiece.AdvertisementOverall, the top five programs by draft selections represented over one fifth of all draft picks through the three-day draft process.Ohio State Buckeyes: 14The national champion Ohio State Buckeyes had a banner draft weekend for their program. With 14 selections over the three-day period, the Buckeyes tied their program record for most picks in a single draft. Ohio State also […]
2025 NBA playoff bracket: First-round matchups, schedule, game times as Thunder advance to second round
The 2025 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, as the field remains wide-open as we march through the first round series. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder entered as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, but the defending champion Boston Celtics are considered the favorite by many experts and sportsbooks. The Thunder became the first NBA team to advance to the second round, completing a sweep of the Grizzlies on Saturday. The remaining Western Conference series are as follows: Rockets vs. Warriors, Lakers vs. Timberwolves and Nuggets vs. Clippers. The star-laden conference gives us superstars like Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard all in action, and it promises to be a tight race to the finish. Out East, we've got the Cavs vs. Heat, Celtics vs. Magic, Knicks vs. Pistons and Pacers […]
2025 Kentucky Derby post positions, morning line odds: Gate assignments for all 20 horses in the field
Getty Images The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set for next Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. On Saturday the 20 horses in the Derby field learned what post they would be running out of.The favorite, Journalism (3-1), drew the 8 post, while the only other horses with single-digit odds find themselves on the far outside of the starting gate. Sovereignty (5-1) drew the 18 post while Sandman (6-1) is alongside in the 17th position -- the only gate to never produce a Kentucky Derby winner. That means Sandman will have to look to make history next Saturday from that outside post. Last year's winner, Mystik Dan, won from the 3 gate, becoming the first horse to do so since 1998. The longest drought of any post aside from 17's 150-race winless streak belongs to the […]
Be the first to leave a comment